Should my water pump run non-stop?

jayandhisgals

Well-known member
Just filled the holding tanks for the first time (2/3 full). When I first turned on the pump it was very noisy. Then it quited down a bit but I can hear it constantly run (humming sound). Should it do that? Found the UDC side cargo pocket floor in wet this morning. No water on basement wall or floor. Where could this water have come from? All the faucets are off. When I turn the pump off I can still get water to flow at the faucets.
So my main questions are:
1. Should I be able to hear my water pump run constantly even with all the faucets off?
2. Why would the floor of the pocket in the cargo area be wet but it's not wet anywhere else?
Thanks in advance for the help. ;)
 

FiremanBill

Well-known member
No, the pump is an on demand type and should not run unless something is turned on. You have an issue somewhere for sure. Sounds like on of the lines is leaking somewhere. I start where you found water in the cargo area.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
The water on the floor may have been from splashing while filling the freshwater or water from a stored hose? Dunno, just a guess.
One other thing to consider is that your tank may not be 2/3 full. The gauge may show that, but it is not necessarily accurate.
I went through the same scenario years ago. Gauge showed half full and pump would not supply water and continued to run. I added water till the tank vent overflowed and everything worked correctly.

Peace
Dave
 

TXTiger

Well-known member
You said that when you turn the pump off your still get water to flow at the faucets. Are you hooked up to City Water? If so you do not need to run the pump? If you are running on your tank the pump should run until pressure if up enough and stop, also should stop running if no faucet is on and no water is running. If it continues to run you may have a leak somewhere. First check the outside shower if you have one. If the controls on the outside shower are off then you have a leak somewhere within the water system. You have a 2012 Cyclone, if you are still under warranty (or have an extended warranty) have a dealer look into your water issues if you can not resolve it yourself.
 

jjriker

Well-known member
We were having that same issue, where the water pump would just keep running. The repair place told us it was a common problem with the type of water pump we had, which was a Shurflo Smart Sensor 5.7. It was replaced. In the meantime, we shut the pump off when we weren't actually using the water so we didn't have it running all the time.
 

MdMike

Well-known member
I had an issue with mine. It was leaking behind the wall where the outside shower hose attached to the system. A 1/4 turn by hand with a slight snug with a pair of channel locks fixed it.

I hope that your pump is accessible w/o removing the wall. Mine is behind the rear basement wall in my Fifth wheel. I did what others have dune and cut an access panel in the wall with a jig saw, installed some hinges, a barrel bolt and a pull knob. Access issue was solved in 20 minutes (most of that was me climbing into the compartment to cut the panel door!
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
I would think it may be the pressure sensor on the pump. If you had a leak big enough for the pump to run continuously, you would see the water coming out somewhere. If it is just a small leak the pump should still shut off then cycle again later without anyone turning on a faucet.
 

gebills

Well-known member
Your comment regarding filling your hold tanks to two-thirds should eleviate the problem I enncountered, but I'll relate the scenario anyway. I was running our water tank level low, not giving it a second thought, when I noticed our water pump began running, just as you are suggesting; it sounded like a lower speed than normal ( a slow and low humming sound) and would simply not shut off unless manually shut off with the power switch on the power panel. I didn't tie the two thoughts together at first (low water tank and the pump not shutting off), but after I began to think out the problem, I added water to the water tank and the problem went away. In my case, the water level in the supply tank was simply low and not supplying water to the pump. In this condition, the pump continues to run, not building up pressure to shut off, simply because water wasn't present to build up pressure. If I let the pump run while the holding tank level was low, opening a faucet would produce a burst of pressure, mostly air built up in the line from the lack of water presence.

In your case, it sounds more like you have a slow leak on the outbound side of your pump. The presence of water in the bottom of your UDC sounds suspicious especially if you don't expect the water to be there. I think I would be looking on the back side of the UDC behind the basement wall and look for a seeping fitting, pex tubing or a loose fitting clamp or joint. If the outbound side of the pump is dead-headed, the pump should shut off as you well know. Provided you do have good water supply to your pump, it sounds like you have a slow leek at, or after the pump. Good luck with your trouble-shooting. gebills.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I'd look at the pump like Jessica said the 5.7 Shurflo is noted for not shutting off completely.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
He said the tank was being filled the first time... The pump may have been running while the hot water tank was still filling. The pump is on demand, so if it's running, water is flowing somewhere.
 

Silverado23

Iowa Chapter Leaders
if the pump loses its prime or is getting some air in the line along with water, It is possible for the pump to be continuously running when the faucets are off and still have water flow when a faucet is turned on. I noticed this type of situation when winterizing my NT.
 

ParkIt

Well-known member
There is a 3 year warranty on the SurFlo 5.7, not sure if its covered once its factory installed. Reason I mention it as it seems they had a bad batch of units that went out, contact them to see if yours was one of them.
 

recumbent615

Founding MA Chapter Leader-retired
I'm seeing the same issue again this year - last year it was an air leak on the tank side of the pump, I'm just getting ready to go out and start pulling everything down to make the repair. One way to determine if that is the issue - take the winterize hose and put it in a 5gal bucket of water - switch the system over to winterize and turn on the pump. open a faucet to get the water to flow up to the pump then shut off the faucet... if your pump finishes charging and stops then the issue is not with the pump but with the intake line to the fresh water tank... bad fitting or it was not run correctly and a hole may have worn in the hose...

Hope this helps
 
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