Have you ever been out caravanning to suddenly find that your sink is not working properly? If not, then you’re definitely lucky. Being out on the road without access to fresh water can be a harrowing experience for even the most confident of campers.
Although turning on the faucet to odd smelling water or no water at all can be a scary and unexpected experience, oftentimes problems with systems using submersible pumps can be solved via proper maintenance and basic troubleshooting. Here are a few troubleshooting steps for when you are not getting any running water from the tap of your caravan sink.
Please note: This article will only be covering caravan water systems using submersible pumps and NOT diaphragm pumps.
Troubleshooting
- Try a spare pump
Although water systems using submersible pumps are the norm in the UK, once a submersible pump is broken they can oftentimes not be repaired. It is always recommended that you carry a spare pump with you on the road in case of emergencies. If your tap is not delivering any water, you should test the system using the spare pump to see if the original pump has somehow been damaged.
- Check the fuses
Your water system is going to need a sufficient power supply to run properly. If you’ve tried your spare pump and still aren’t getting any water, you should verify that all fuses powering the water system are working properly.
- Check the impeller
To function properly, submersible pumps require what is known as full priming to ensure adequate water pressure. The priming process demands that the pump’s paddle-like impeller be able to move water along the inlet pipe. If you can hear your impeller turning but are still not getting any water, it’s possible that trapped air bubbles are the problem. Newer water systems are equipped with integrated air release outlets to get rid of air bubbles for you.
If your system does not have an air release outlet, you can try detaching the pump from the caravan’s inlet socket. While the pump is still submerged, hit it against the side of the container to help get air bubbles out.
Maintenance
- Routine cleaning
If the water to your caravan is coming out at a weak trickle, it’s possible that you have some type of debris caught in your impeller, making it hard for the impeller to spin.
You should always be maintaining the state of your water pipes and system by regularly cleaning them with specialized caravan sterilizing products. Ignoring routine sterilization can result in bizarre tasting and/or smelling water.
- Keep your water container covered
Although it can seem like basic common sense, many new campers are not aware that they should be keeping their fresh water containers completely secure. Although some caravan water containers come equipped with a shroud, others do not.
If yours does not, you are advised to purchase one. Various manufacturers offer fabric versions with drawstrings to ensure that nothing will be polluting your water supply or getting caught in the impeller to cause further issues.
DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.
