Water Pump Switch Position

MiracleJ · 03-13-2013, 06:06 PM

Hello... is it okay to leave water pump switch on all the time when we have full hook ups or boondocking? Or should I turn them on just when I need some water from either sink shower ect...

Jerry

FJGuard · 03-13-2013, 06:11 PM

Jerry, I only turn on the pump when I'm in the coach using the water.

MrE · 03-13-2013, 06:52 PM

Jerry, when you have full hookups you don't need the water pump, set your valves to bypass the fresh water tank. When I boondock I'm like FJGuard, only turn the pump on when I'm using water.

NewellCrazy · 03-13-2013, 07:00 PM

If you have full Hookups you can leave the Pump OFF.

Boondocking you would need them on only when you need water, as there is a draw on the house batteries when the pump is on even if your not using water.

chockwald · 03-13-2013, 07:25 PM

Sometimes you will find that even with full hookups the water pressure offered by the park you are in is just inadequate. In those cases I turn the pump on when I'm taking a shower to get a little more water pressure....of course you will need to refill your fresh water tank from time to time as, at least in my 1982, that is where the pump draws its water supply from As others have said, when I am dry camping and not plugged in I only turn the pump on when I need water, otherwise it is an unnecessary draw on your batteries when not in use.

Chester B. Stone, Jr. · 03-13-2013, 10:54 PM

I turn mine off when I am not in the coach for fear of a water line leaking and flooding the coach. I do not see how leaving them on, but not running water, drains the batteries. I prefer to fill my 160 gallon tank when I need water and then I am not worried about overfilling my sewer tank, plus I once flooded my coach when the RV park had 110 lbs. of water pressure. Yep, the water lines broke and flooded the coach.

MrE · 03-13-2013, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chester B. Stone, Jr.

I once flooded my coach when the RV park had 110 lbs. of water pressure. Yep, the water lines broke and flooded the coach.

Same thing happened to me, now I have a regulator for the water line coming in. I didn't think I would be the only one, just too embarrassed to ask.

Viva Las Vegas JDR · 03-14-2013, 03:25 AM

I only turn on the pump when I am in the coach and using water regularly. Otherwise I turn it off.

77newell · 03-14-2013, 01:48 PM

In my 77 coach there is an indicator light that shows the pump is switched on. That light would consume some power even when the pump isn't running. When the pump isn't running the pump itself consumes no power.

When hooked up to water I turn the pump off. When not hooked up to water but with power (either gen or from the post) I leave the pump on except when not in the coach. When not hooked up to water or power I turn the pump on only as needed.

It just occurred to me that I turn the pump off when I leave the coach so that a leak doesn't flood the coach, but I don't turn off the supply if I'm hooked up. That makes no sense at all since the volume of water available when hooked up is limitless. Flood the coach? Heck I could flood the whole park. Now I have to decide if I'm going to either stop shutting off the pump or start shutting off the supply when I leave for the day. I like to be consistent (well at least most of the time)

folivier · 03-14-2013, 02:23 PM

Ok, time for my confession. Almost flooded my '93 in Moab. I went to take a shower and no hot water! Got flustered since we were driving the car to Denver to visit friends for a couple days. Darnit, got out, toweled the cold water off, got dressed, locked up and drove off. We almost spent an extra night in Denver but decided to head back. Got back and immediately started changing out the water heater element. My wife yelled at me "we need to dump NOW!". OK I'm almost done, No we need to dump RIGHT NOW! It seems in my frustration I had pushed the shutoff valve on the shower head and not the faucet. That valve leaks a bit. It had leaked enough over a couple days to have filled the black tank and the shower floor was almost overflowing onto my new cork flooring. Thank goodness we didn't stay that extra night. So now when we leave for the night I always shut off the water at the hookup faucet.

Chester B. Stone, Jr. · 03-14-2013, 04:10 PM

Forest, you were very lucky, but I was not so lucky. Fortunately the coach was flooded with about 2" of fresh water, but a friend had a horrible experience. His coach was in a shop and the workmen had hooked a water hose to flush out his sewer tank, but went to lunch and left the water on. It took a long time and a lot of money to sanatize the coach. Things happen, so I have adopted the practice of only using tank water, and refilling it every time I dump the sewer, so everything is balanced, and I take no chance on a pressure gauge failing, a hose bursting, or sewer overfilling. Call me conservative.

rellick · 03-14-2013, 04:29 PM

I had a flood in my house a couple of years back, I shut my water off whenever we leave the house or the coach. Plumbing is plumbing be it in a coach or a house leaks can happen. Frustrating for the neighbor that is trying to water flowers and me forgeting to tell them I shut it off tho!! Lol

MrE · 03-14-2013, 05:24 PM

Chester, if you don't mind I will adopt your conservative practice. I don't have a gauge on my black tank and I certainly don't want it to overflow!