Water not flowing from taps - any ideas?

Benbecul97

Just tried and water is not flowing from the taps in the van.

The water pump - Whale Hi-Flow Submersible / 3 years old - appears to be working as normal. It's making the usual pumping sound as when it works. The rest of the electrics seem fine, sockets and lights.

There is water in the fresh water tank and the pump is fully submerged. But there is no water coming from the kitchen tap, bathroom tap, or toilet flush.

The boiler had drained itself - probably due to the temperature dropping - but I have pulled the boiler valve back up to the position that retains water in the boiler.

I have tried the tap in both the cold and hot positions and neither work. In the hot position, it can take longer for the water to come through - especially when the boiler had been empty.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

CJhaughey

Split pipe somewhere?
Fitting popped off?
Check that the pump is actually moving water not just making noise and pumping nothing.
Pop the intake off the bottom of the pump and check for physical blockages.

Benbecul97

@CJhaughey: Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Checked last night and it was indeed the pump water pipe - that connects from the pump to the output nozzle within the water tank - had popped off. The connection between the pump water pipe and the pump itself is well secured with a jubilee clip.

I temporarily reattached the pump water pipe to the output nozzle within the water tank and the water began to flow from the taps again. Good news!

But I need to permanently reattach the pump water pipe to the output nozzle within the water tank. The problem is I can barely squeeze my hand through the opening in the top of the water tank. I can see the the pump water pipe was connected to the output nozzle within the water tank with a jubilee-type clip, but securing the connection with a new jubilee clip will be virtually impossible given the restricted space. I'm thinking that I could maybe secure the connection with a cable tie but this would not be as sturdy as a jubilee clip.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

CJhaughey

Benbecul97 wrote: »

@CJhaughey: Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Checked last night and it was indeed the pump water pipe - that connects from the pump to the output nozzle within the water tank - had popped off. The connection between the pump water pipe and the pump itself is well secured with a jubilee clip.

I temporarily reattached the pump water pipe to the output nozzle within the water tank and the water began to flow from the taps again. Good news!

But I need to permanently reattach the pump water pipe to the output nozzle within the water tank. The problem is I can barely squeeze my hand through the opening in the top of the water tank. I can see the the pump water pipe was connected to the output nozzle within the water tank with a jubilee-type clip, but securing the connection with a new jubilee clip will be virtually impossible given the restricted space. I'm thinking that I could maybe secure the connection with a cable tie but this would not be as sturdy as a jubilee clip.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure I can visualise what you are saying without pics, but in essence is there a fixed point in the tank that the pump is fixed into?
How is that fixed point mounted? Is it moulded into the tank or is it a gland fitting?
If its removable I would make the pump-hose-fitting up outside of the tank and push it through the tank and reconnect, The factory made it so it must be doable somehow.
Can you take a pic of the part?

Benbecul97

I'm not sure I can visualise what you are saying without pics, but in essence is there a fixed point in the tank that the pump is fixed into?

Yes, on the inside of the water tank is a fixed point that the pump water pipe connects to.


How is that fixed point mounted? Is it moulded into the tank or is it a gland fitting?

I cannot say for certain as I cannot see inside to that specific point in the water tank, but I would be almost certain it is moulded into the tank on the inside. On the outside of the tank then this fixed point feeds into the pipe that runs around that van to the kitchen tap, bathroom tap, toilet flush and boiler.


If its removable I would make the pump-hose-fitting up outside of the tank and push it through the tank and reconnect, The factory made it so it must be doable somehow.
Can you take a pic of the part?

From what I can see its not possible to make the pump-hose-fitting up outside of the tank and push it through the tank and reconnect.

Sure I can take a pic when I get home later.

Thanks again for your help.

Benbecul97

Problem solved - Water now flowing from taps!

Yes, indeed the output nozzle is a fixed point moulded into the tank on the inside.

I reattached the pump water pipe to the output nozzle within the water tank.

The pump appears to be very well attached to the output nozzle, even without a jubilee-type clip.

It it pops off again I will reattach it next time with a jubilee-type clip.

Thanks again for your help.

Jaffa24

Hi all i have a 1997 swift conqueror caravan i had a good flow of water through all the taps and the whale pressure switch was working great. I had to drain down the system and refill it but now i can only get a trickle and i can only get that if i remove the pressure switch from the line . If i attach the pressure switch i have no water. I have taken the pump out ( its a whale super sub 881 pump) and tried it in a bucker of water and it seems fine with good pressure. But if i connect it to my water system i have hardly no pressure at the tap and if i connect the pressure switch theres no water its like theres not enough pressure to engage the non return valve. Please help as my head is melted.

Airlock. Prime/purge the system.