Water pump / accumulator tank not kicking off...

[TMG51]

I've said it before, we need a plumbing forum. Posting in RV section because I have an RV style plumbing setup.

Couple weeks ago I filled my water tank in a questionable location. After noticing the water in my freshwater tank was visibly murky orange, I purged all of my water, including the contents of my water heater, and filled again from another source. Since then, my plumbing has been acting weird. If I open the cold tap on my kitchen faucet, there's very little water pressure, then the pump begins to run, and I hear it continue to run without kicking off. Normally it would run until pressure in the accumulator tank is built up and then shut off. Instead it just continues to run and pressure out of the cold tap never comes up. The hot water tap seems to work correctly, and the pump shuts off after using it.

I have to assume that either crud from the iffy water source, or rust/sediment from my water heater, has clogged something somewhere.

Any suggestions how to troubleshoot this? Just start taking plumbing fixtures apart? Or is there any reason to be suspect of a particular element, i.e. perhaps the accumulator tank.

 

[abnorm]

It's the pump...........clean the strainer if you have one.......maybe you need to disassemble the actual diaphragm pump.......here's a youtube video on how and other pump stuff:



doug

 

[hepcat]

Ok... so thinking about this for a minute... it's only happening on the cold side and the hot side works fine? I'm trying to figure out what could cause that only on the cold side past where it branches off for the water heater inlet.

If it was happening regardless of side, it could likely be the pump's pressure switch, but it would be consistent on both hot and cold sides.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would start with cleaning and flushing the whole system. do you have a strainer before the pump? you should. fist run a beach solution through the whole system, followed by a strong vinegar solution. then flush, flush, flush. check the pressure in the accumulator tank. if all that fail it's time to start taking stuff apart looking for the restriction start closest to the pump first. highdesertranger

 

[abnorm]

Ok...  so thinking about this for a minute...  it's only happening on the cold side and the hot side works fine?  I'm trying to figure out what could cause that only on the cold side past where it branches off for the water heater inlet.

If it was happening regardless of side, it could likely be the pump's pressure switch, but it would be consistent on both hot and cold sides.

I've seen backflow preventers used in pump operated RV water heaters in the past..................like this:





http://www.adventurerv.net/backflow-preventer-check-valve-brass-p-1767.html

 

[caretaker]

try CLR,,it works surprisingly well. just follow the directions

 

[TMG51]

I waited until my water was low and then poured two gallons of vinegar into my holding tank. Ran that through both hot and cold. Problem went away. Now of course my water smells like vinegar, but that will go away with repeated fills.