Low Pressure/no Water In Taps

[barrysullivan]

Hello and good evening everyone,

 

I'm having a tough time getting water to flow from taps both in bathroom and sink. it just trickles out and then stops. if I dump some water out of the hot water tank the submersible pump kicks in and I assume tops up the tank and naturally clicks off.

 

There appears to be two pressure valves/switches one on the inside of the submersible pump unit, the other one a large white one with a twisty top that, is inline about two foot into the cold water supply coming into the caravan.

 

Would I be correct is assuming that one or both of these needs to be adjusted? and if so how would I do it?

 

all help greatly appreciated, caravan is 04 Bailey Ranger 5 series.

 

Many thanks,

 

Barry

[Guest]

If the pump refills the hot water tank and the pressure switch shuts the pump off when it's full then leave the pressure switch alone as it sounds like the pump is producing enough pressure to operate the switch and the switch is working OK. Having a tweak just to see what happens will mask any other problems that you may have.

 

Check all the cabling for bad or corroded connectors, especially where the pump connects to the van.

 

If the tank is filling then the pump is obviously managing to pump water. Are all the taps having a problem, kitchen, bathroom, shower, both hot and cold. We need a bit more info.

 

Have you made sure that the pump is fully submersed and that you've bled all the air out of the system.

 

Start by dunking the pump up and down in the aquarolll to dislodge any bubbles before plugging the pump into the van. Make sure the O ring on the inlet connector is in good condition and lubricated with Silicon grease, olive oil or even margerine. Dont use oil or vaseline as they'll damage the rubber.

 

Close all the taps and shower then open the kitchen hot tap and turn the pump on to fill the hotwater tank and bleed the air out, when the water is flowing with spitting and spurting shut the hot and do the cold when that's OK do the bathroom sink and shower.

 

If that doesn't sort it then check for limescale in the taps or any filters than may be in the system. The pumps usually either work or they don't, I've never had one that doesn't produce enough pressure unless the wiring or battery voltage is low,

 

Have you checked your battery voltage, are you running it from the mains. See what voltage you've got at the pump connections when the pump is running, it should be well above 12 - nearer 13 if you are connected to the mains.

 

If the voltage at the pump connections is say 0,5 of a volt or less than the voltage across the battery then I'd have a good look at the wiring & fuses.

[Omega54]

This may be way off but we had a similar problem in our Bailey. The water pressure coming out of the taps was poor. Both kitchen and bathroom hot and cold but the shower was ok. It came to a head first outing this year immediately after a service so I thought everything should have been ok.

Anyway the mixer taps have a combination of plastic and mesh filters removed by unscrewing the end of the taps, the filters in both taps were well blocked. I binned the plastic ones and cleaned the mesh ones and bingo lovely pressure again.

Worth a look.

[barrysullivan]

Hi Guys,

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I've drained the tank and it has refilled pump clicks on tank fills up and pump clicks off, so that appears to be working,

 

turned on the electric heater, left it twenty minutes then drained it it was lovely and hot, refilled the tank. took off the red pipe and it kinda has a T junction with a small clear pipe draining outside there is a one way valve in there sucking on the small/narrow end shuts the valve, blowing on the small end opens the valve. is this functioning correctly?

 

All my taps kitchen and bathroom both hot and cold don't work, would these two valves be malfunctioning ? following both pipes there are the same as they were put in in the manufacturing process, all neat and straight.

 

I will try and look at the taps, perhaps as you suggest may all be blocked do I have to take out the tap units or can I access the filters by taking off the knobs?

 

Many thanks once again. ....

[barrysullivan]

I also forgot to mention with the red pipe and valve removed when I turn on a hot tap water comes back out of the pipe. .... puzzled I am. ....

[Paul_B]

This red valve does it look similar to this one, if so its a breather valve and it should let air into the tank

[WispMan]

I think the tap filters are at the outlet end of each tap.

[barrysullivan]

@Paul_B

Thank you for your reply, the valves are different styles, I will upload pictures shortly and perhaps experienced eyes like you guys have something may jump out at you that I'm missing.

 

@Milky Way appreciate you taking the time to reply. .......

 

Going away this weekend for the last outing before winter bites, will have all winter to figure it out, but would have loved to have had it working. ... perhaps there is time yet.

[barrysullivan]

Attached photos of my system. ....

[Paul_B]

Its the same thing and it needs cleaning or preferable a new one, when draining down the hot water tank, always open the taps first to let the water out of the system.

The breather valve in your case the white one lets air into the tank when draining down, if you open the yellow handled dump valve first its possible that it can suck dust into the tank through the clear pipe and clog the valve, allowing water out when the tank is filled again.

[barrysullivan]

@ Paul B thank you once again for your interest and input.

 

But I think I've found out what the problem is. I believed that with my caravan plugged into the mains all was being powered by mains however that is not so. this evening my leisure battery died and with the water heater, water pump, and most internal lights.

 

so now the mains is powering all my sockets, two pull cord lights, fan heater and fridge, now I know why my taps would not work.

 

Is this normal (it cant be surely) or does it sound like part of my control panel is acting up? attached picture.

 

Please help an idiot. .....

[Paul_B]

It sounds like the charger, sometimes the lead can come out of the back of the charger on some types

[barrysullivan]

Quite possibly could be Paul as when I took out the battery from its housing both wires coming from the internal charger were just loosely wrapped around the battery terminals. that would certainly account for systems slowly failing in the caravan.

 

I'll replace charger tomorrow and ensure good contact with terminals.

 

is my electrical set up bazzar, or would it be factory standard, the caravan looks untouched from DIy'ers and all looks professional and tidy.

 

Indebted for you assistance

[barrysullivan]

does all look normal on control panel ? in your opinion

[Paul_B]

I'd wire it up properly and check the chargers fuse/s first

[barrysullivan]

Hi Paul B. ........

 

Just stopping by to say a very big 'THANK YOU' and to everyone else that assisted me.

I wired up the charger properly, found that there was no fuse inserted in the plug, charged the battery overnight and today EVERYTHING works just as it should, lashing of hot and cold water with great pressure, all lights and equipment work just as it should.

 

So relieved, happy and grateful for the advice, we are now really looking forward to our last two nights away in our caravan before winter bites.

 

regards,

 

Barry Sullivan.

[Paul_B]

Nice to hear it Barry and thanks for getting back to us

[danesdale]

On 10/09/2017 at 09:16, Omega54 said:

This may be way off but we had a similar problem in our Bailey. The water pressure coming out of the taps was poor. Both kitchen and bathroom hot and cold but the shower was ok. It came to a head first outing this year immediately after a service so I thought everything should have been ok.

Anyway the mixer taps have a combination of plastic and mesh filters removed by unscrewing the end of the taps, the filters in both taps were well blocked. I binned the plastic ones and cleaned the mesh ones and bingo lovely pressure again.

Worth a look.

Thanks for this you are a saviour took 5 min. every thing work fine now

[Johnwalsh]

On 12/09/2017 at 10:28, barrysullivan said:

Attached photos of my system. ....

Hi all, hopefully you maybe able help me. I’ve no hot water coming in my Caravan. Loads of air the then cold water. Air seams to be getting into the system when the hot tap is shut off. It’s sucking in air through this red valve. Should this happen??

[Silversurf]

1 hour ago, Johnwalsh said:

Hi all, hopefully you maybe able help me. I’ve no hot water coming in my Caravan. Loads of air the then cold water. Air seams to be getting into the system when the hot tap is shut off. It’s sucking in air through this red valve. Should this happen??

The red fitting shown in your photo is an air admittance valve  ( not as many think a pressure release valve ).

 

The safety pressure release valve is part of the dump valve, the yellow one under the blue pipe.

 

It allows air to enter the boiler when being emptied via a valve in the assembly, and via the clear pipe in your photo to give a quicker and more complete

empty, as the water is emptying the vacuum formed in the boiler opens the valve allowing air to enter, when the boiler is empty the valve should than close, preventing water leaving the boiler via the clear plastic tube.

 

Water should never be in the pipe except for a small dribble as the valve re-seats on filling.

 

You can see water in the tube in your photo, proving the valve is faulty and I'll guess that if you look under the van where this clear pipe exits, it will be leaking water as you fill it.

 

All you need is one of these kits, below, available at some caravan shops or online.

 

There are two types, one for rigid push fit pipes and one for flexible pipes , the one in this picture with the barbed fitting

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Silversurf

[Johnwalsh]

6 minutes ago, Silversurf said:

The red fitting shown in your photo is an air admittance valve  ( not as many think a pressure release valve ).

 

It allows air to enter the boiler when being emptied via a valve in the assembly, and via the clear pipe in your photo to give a quicker and more complete empty, as the water is emptying the vacuum formed in the boiler opens the valve allowing air to enter, when the boiler is empty the valve should than close, preventing water leaving the boiler via the clear plastic tube.

 

Water should never be in the pipe except for a small dribble as the valve re-seats on filling.

 

You can see water in the tube in your photo, proving the valve is faulty and I'll guess that if you look under the van where this clear pipe exits, it will be leaking water.

 

All you need is one of these kits, below, available at some caravan shops or online.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your help. 
 

Why would it need a plastic cause if it’s only in their intake and not letting water out?

 

Ever time I turn off the tap my hot water tank empties. Why would this be?

Should there be a non-return valve on the pump? 
 

[Silversurf]

3 minutes ago, Johnwalsh said:

Thanks for your help. 
 

Why would it need a plastic cause if it’s only in their intake and not letting water out?

 

Ever time I turn off the tap my hot water tank empties. Why would this be?

Should there be a non-return valve on the pump? 
 

Hi John, I presumed that the photo in your post was of your van, but I now see that it isn't, it's a photo of another posters van so we are talking a bit at crossed purposes, there are couple of different types of this valve, they all work the same way though

 

How long have you had the van and did it work OK previously ?

 

A couple of questions:

 

1) Can you post a photo of your boiler and ' red valve'.

2) When you are filling the water system, if you look under the van is there water coming out of the clear plastic pipe.

3) Can you see water in the clear plastic pipe as it leaves the valve ?

4) Have you got an internal or external water pump, an internal tank or an external water tank or butt ?

5) When you say that every time you turn off the water tap the tank empties, which tap is this, and where is the water going ?

6) Some water pumps, mainly onboard can have none return valves, but a none return valve could also be part of the water inlet housing, or a stand alone one fitted in the water inlet pipe inside the van.

 

I've just changed the photo of the fitting in my post, I noticed the water system in your photo uses flexible pipes, the photo I first posted was for rigid pipes, but without a photo I don't know which yours has.

 

As I mentioned, in your photo, there appears to be water in the clear plastic pipe that goes from the valve, again though, this isn't a photo of your van.