12 replies to this topic

[Gormley Green]

I poured antifreeze in my water tank yesterday and a bottle of water, but couldn't get the pump to prime! For hours I tried! So I gave up. It's the standard FWC installed flojet pump. It just runs and runs but wont suck

It happened once before as well when I had run the tank dry, filled back up completely, and couldn't get the pump to prime.

It's getting frosty here now at night so I was hoping to get this stuff through the system, but I ended up draining $12 out the drain spigot at the back

Any tips?

[LT Traveler]

You're now a step ahead of me, not winterizing our camper until after my Elk hunt at the end of the month, maybe not enough fluid in the tank for the pump to suck? A gallon isn't much in the 22 gallon tank.

Any luck with the other issue, PM me?

[Gormley Green]

That's what I'd figure, but like I said I had the same problem once with a totally full tank too.

Yesterday I even tried hooking a short hose to the city water hookup, closing the tap, and sucking! And nothing...

The last time it happened, it just miraculously started working after 10 mins of dry running.

[JohnF]

Sucking at the city water hookup? You're on the right track but there should be a backflow check valve that would prevent what you are trying to do from happening in that spot.

I have a 5th wheel camper that has a pump that does the same thing. I took the pump head apart and the answer is: replace the pump head. I can get mine primed by pouring a little water in the antifreeze inlet line and pressurizing (blowing ) that line until the pump works. Sometimes it just does it itself. Mine is the original pump on a 2000. I can get just the pump head but haven't yet.

It is annoying and seems to happen to me more when I want to get the boat out on the lake.

This assumes it is a pump that is supposed to self prime.

[Stan@FourWheel]

Hey Gormley Green


Just call Terry in our service dept.

He might be able to help.

If your camper is a only year old, or less than a year old, the part should still be under warranty.

We have switched back to using the Sureflow water pumps.

Terry might be able to help, or give you some times and tricks.


FWC SERVICE

ASK FOR TERRY

1-800-242-1442

or

1-530-666-1442



Thanks !





.

[rich]

I had this problem before too and determined that while the tank was full the distribution line to the faucet was empty and preventing the suction from starting. What I did was fill the tank all the way until the overflow started pouring then took the faucet head apart and back filled that line by pouring water down it until it started overflowing. I then put the faucet back together, kicked the pump on and it was working fine. I didn't think that line would need to be full to get the pump primed but that did the trick.

Good luck!

[Gormley Green]

Thanks. I bet backfilling the faucet line would do it even with only a gallon or 2 in the tank, but what a pain. Has to be an easier way!

I will call FWC as Stan suggested. Either a trick to it, a new pump, or maybe a fuel line squeeze pump somewhere in the plumbing to help prime my "self priming" pump.

No doubt FWC will fix me up befor it comes to that!

[Gormley Green]

Ok, FWC to the rescue. Sending me a Sureflow as I guess just after my camper was built they switched over to those. See ya later Flojet!

So the answer to my question: the Flojet kind of sucks...or rather doesn't suck. But short of modifying it or my plumbing I think replacing it with a new (better) pump sounds good to me.

[UglyScout]

Sound like you got it solved... But if you still want to mess with it.... If you can, apply a little suction to the faucet outlet when the pump is running, it will suck the air out of the line between the pump and tank and you will get water.

[Gormley Green]

Sound like you got it solved... But if you still want to mess with it.... If you can, apply a little suction to the faucet outlet when the pump is running, it will suck the air out of the line between the pump and tank and you will get water.

I'm going to embarrass myself here and let you know that I did try this. With my mouth. It was both physically awkward, and though I was alone in the camper and no one could see - it felt ridiculous. Also I couldn't really reach and had no success.

I'm drawing a blank on how else one might put suction on a faucet.