Water pump switch

Rod235
Rod235 Forum Participant Posts: 48
edited March 2017 in Caravans #1

Hi all,

When away in the caravan do you need to switch the water pump off when not required ie at night time or leave it switched on 24/7. The caravan is a Bailey Unicorn

Comments

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #2

    There is no need to switch it off at all, but we do usually try to remember to turn ours off when we go out for the day.  Then, should there be any malfunction, there are fewer  risks of water ending up where it should not be.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,198 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #3

    I've never given it a thought. Our toilet flush needs the pump on so wouldn't turn off overnight, however, KjellNN has a good point if you're out for the day. So far we've not had a problem 😉.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #4

    Must admit to leaving mine on 24/7 when on site as sometimes I forget to switch it off if out for the day etc. It only takes a pushfit fitting to blow and the aquaroll contents could be all over the floor, if like mine it will attempt to re-pressurise the system.

  • Justus2
    Justus2 Forum Participant Posts: 897
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    edited March 2017 #5

    We turn our off when out and overnight, first one up in the morning puts it back on again.

  • Heethers
    Heethers Forum Participant Posts: 641
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    edited March 2017 #6

    When we had the Bailey Unicorn we had to switch it off due to losing pressure, pressure switch kept fetching the pump on intermittently drove us mad at night, the dealer could never find where it was losing pressure

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #7

    I have to admit, we have always left ours on 24/7 while being out in the van and have never had any problems in 27 or so years.

    David

  • Justus2
    Justus2 Forum Participant Posts: 897
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    edited March 2017 #8

    Turning it off is a precaution really, if a pipe connector in your van fails and you are out ( sod's law says you WILL be out ) , the pressure switch will run the pump, empty your aquaroll into your van, then it will run your pump continuously till it burns the pump out..... Each to their own, obviously wink

  • Rod235
    Rod235 Forum Participant Posts: 48
    edited March 2017 #9

    The reason I ask is because during the night the pump will run for a couple of seconds, is this due to the hot water cooling so causing a drop in pressure? Also can I assume that the Alde heating will work o/k with the water pump switched off, sorry if this sounds trivial but just getting used to our new van(new to us). so feel its better to ask than be sorry.

    Not all things are clear to me in the hand books ! Might be age related

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #10

    Alde will work fine with water pump turned off. Totally separate. I have twice in the last 5 years had a leak. One was a weeping snap connector and one a crack in Pressure relief fitting elbow. Also within same period have removed the pump from a neighbours caravan as it had a leak internally in the c'van, Aquaroll had been emptied and pump was running dry. Water dripping from underneath caravan. 

    So best advice is to turn off on exit as a full aquaroll goes along way!

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #11

    In our pressurised system (not convinced pressurised systems were necessary) the pump might run for a second or two a couple of times at night that I am aware of and I have assumed that there is a pressure loss somewhere. 

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #12

    We used to get this with our previous vans but I've not noticed it at all with our new van.  Mind you, the water system seems so much quieter.

    David 

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #13

    Most likely place for a tiny leak, so tiny you will not see it, is at the water inlet on the outside of the van.  The O rings do not last forever.

    When used, our pump turns off promptly, then about 30 minutes later will run for about 3 seconds.

    No problem with Alde, as ET said, the water system and the Alde system are not connected as far as pumps are concerned.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #14

    On our Bailey the switch is by the door, and it is easy to turn off when we leave for the day. Although we occasionally forget. Never turn it off for the night and like ET have occasionally heard it cut in for a few seconds. I have always put it down to cooling water / reducing pressure.

  • Rod235
    Rod235 Forum Participant Posts: 48
    edited March 2017 #15

    Thanks for all your replies my thoughts are the same as yours SteveL.( cooling water / reducing pressure).

    I will try and remember to switch off when we leave for the day as accidents do happen and sods law it will happen when you are away

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2017 #16

    Have always left it switched on ........ never considered turning it off 😕

  • IanBHawkes
    IanBHawkes Forum Participant Posts: 212
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    edited March 2017 #17

    Over the past 2 years the pump has switched on at various times, but I couldn't find anything wrong. Today I got the 'van serviced and the engineer found a slight drip from a pushfit elbow! This has been replaced and hopefully it will have stopped the pump coming on!

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #18

    We're the same with our Unicorn. Managed to reduce the fetching by replacing the "o" seal in the outside connection, but it still does it occasionally so we always switch it off at night and when going out for the day. It's no hardship switching it back on.....better safe than sorry.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #19

    Neither did I having previously had an unpressurised system. Never considered it with the pressurised system either ........................ until it leaked!!

  • Heethers
    Heethers Forum Participant Posts: 641
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    edited March 2017 #20

    Its ruddy annoying at night when it comes on, l was given that speal that it was pressure loss in the tank, didn't agree as the Aldi was always left on so it kept the hot water to the temperature it was set at. We now have gone back to the Lunar Clubman don't seem to have the problem with this van, l assume its the same set up. l was convinced it was a none return valve back to the aquarole has it didn't do it when l had the super pitch connection.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #21

    l was convinced it was a none return valve back to the aquarole has it didn't do it when l had the super pitch connection.

    Is that where you connect directly to the caravan? I thought that the pump was not used then and so would not run anyway to make up loses as the water connection would quietly so that? 

  • Heethers
    Heethers Forum Participant Posts: 641
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    edited March 2017 #22

    l stand corrected you are right thinking about it, but it still has to go through a none return valve after the inlet, because they couldn't find any leaks or taps dripping my thought was it was returning to the aquarole. They discounted that has its awkward to change it out, seems its all happening to the Unicorns, or maybe some out their have the problem. The lunar  has a Crystal submersible pump, so if the same is happening we may not hear it has its outside inside the aquarole, where the Unicorn is a whale inboard pump.

  • BillandMargaret
    BillandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 37
    edited March 2017 #23

    I do not wish to put a damper on this thread, but I would certainly switch the pump OFF. We went out last year for a day trip from a Club Site,and whilst out my mobile phone went off. It was the warden of the site where we were for our break away. DO NOT HURRY BACK too your van, we have the Fire Brigade in attendance at your van. It turned out that the WATER PUMP had mal-fuctioned, causing a fire. Van total write-off. All sorted out now. We now switch OFF the pump when ever we go out, even just friends on the same site etc etc. All the members on the site saw what had happened, and were shocked that it only took 30 minutes for a total write off. SWITCH IT OFF.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #24

    There is a risk of any electrical appliance catching fire if a fault develops, and whilst its best to turn off a water pump to reduce risk it is something we have to balance.

    Otherwise we should turn off the fridge, the charger, or just pull the plug when going out for the day or we all end up sufferers of anxiety.

    But best if remembered to turn off the pump with the risk of water damage in mind for pressurised systems.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #25

    Even with non pressurised systems it is probably worth turning off. Our old van had micro switches on the taps and one was so sensitive it was possible to get the pump running without really opening the tap. As the pump was in the aqua roll, unless the site was really quiet in the day, it would be possible for it to be running for hours.