Fresh water tank/pump

[Kandharry]

We were out dry camping for a few days in my 09, 2955 and
ran into an issue drawing water out of the fresh tank.
The morning that we were to leave the pump began breaking prime
indicating to me that we were out of fresh water.
The tank indicator showed "E"+. "E"+, when the 1/3 light flickers but won't stay lit.
On our rig it normally means not yet empty but getting close.
So I figure this time the level indicator really means empty.

No biggie given that we're ready to break down anyhow, the campground has flush toilets and we're only a couple hours from home.

So we get home and I open the fresh water tank drain to allow that
gallon or so that the pump won't pickup to drain out (I think).
About 4 to 5 gallons drain out!!

Has anyone out there in Montana land had this problem?
I'm planning on getting that wall in the storage compartment off
so I can access the pump and check the water line connections.
Any tricks/traps I should look out for?

Thanks
Harry

[sreigle]

Harry, if I recall, the tanks are shallow but long, so 4 gallons or so might not be that far off.

Any chance your pump is sucking air and losing it's prime that way? Like maybe a loose connection or a hole in a line? Otherwise, maybe the diaphragm in the pump has a hole in it? There used to be repair kits to replace the diaphragm available at RV dealers but I don't know if they're still available.

Good luck. I'm curious what you find is the problem.

[racerjoe]

You could have been a little more out of level then you normally are (speaking of the trailer of course!!) which would have skewed the tank reading and made the pump run dry. Just a thought..

[Art-n-Marge]

Wide, flat tank, or the RV not perfectly level are some very valid points.

Just a thought, maybe the pump intake is not positioned at the best position in the tank and therefore can't draw those last few gallons. I have not tried this procedure; (how much water is left after the pump thinks it's empty? Is "breaking prime" the expression for when the pump is no longer drawing water?

Can anyone comment on the fresh water tank constuction and does the pump allow the tank to be pumped completely dry?

Harry, let us know what you discover.

[dsprik]

My 2007 3400 will start sucking air if the sensor falls below 1/3 full. I half to make sure I have at least a half full tank if I plan on traveling and using my pump on the road.

[sreigle]

Art, yes, when the pump needs priming it runs without pumping water. In the old days that was a recipe for a pump failure because they'd get hot when running without water. Modern pumps are much better able to withstand running for a long time without water without damage. Or so they say and so it seemed in our case. In the old days of non-rv pumps you had to pour water into it to get it primed, like the hand pump on my grandparents' farm when I was a mere lad. These rv pumps only require running for a little while with a faucet open and if water is available they'll self-prime.

[Drifty1]

Just had that problem on my 3295rk. I had priming problem with water in tank. Found to be a leak in the pump casing, I found a screw not as tight as the rest of them. Might be caused from high city water pressure. I had a problem when I would shut faucet off the water would bleed back to tank. You might hold light behind inlet line to see if bleeding back to tank.
Larry

[simonsrf]

Harry,

Like others have said, I think your tank is normal. They are shallow tanks, and depending on the level, you could lose the prime on the pump, temporarily. 5 gallons out of 60 is a real small amount to worry about.

You might want to fill the fresh tank, and drain it and watch the crappy gauge. Knowing your tank capacities and use is important for boondocking.

[hazmic]

If the pick up tubing was on the bottom you are very likely to also pickup junk that has gotten into the tank and then pump the junk through out the plumbing system. It will also mess up the check valve in the pump on/or the pressure sensor. Like Dennis said when you start losing prime quit trying to pump water. I also can Not empty the tank by pump but I empty the tank every time that we are done for the weekend by a valve and empty the tank and let it dry and then close the valve to keep out things that I don't want in the tank.