Installing a new SureFlo water pump...

[krminyl@...]

Ryan,

I installed the shurflo a few years ago, after my accumulator tank failed. I eliminated the tank, and went with just the pump. Works great. The pump speeds up when the demand increases, and it is sure nice using the shower with the improved pressure. You use more water just because it comes out faster, but according to my girls, it's a lot easier to get the shampoo out of their hair so it probably about the same water usage. All the tank does is maintain some pressure in the lines so the pump doesn't run for just a momentary demand of water. Since the shurflo is a variable speed motor, you won't notice a difference in sound from the original (maybe even a little quieter)

Just one note....I had a fitting pop off the pressure side of the pump while I was driving, and in a short period of time that ever so efficient pump almost drained my fresh water tank into the area where the pump and accumulator tank is located. It was a faulty shurflo clamp....(taught me to keep the pump switch "Off")

Kevin McKeown

Yorba Linda, CA

1986 38' PT (For sale)

---

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[Ryan Wright]

Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed
pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all
manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure?

I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to
city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up.
Terrible with my current water pump.

Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the
pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they
work OK together?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

[erniecarpet@...]

One thing about the increased gpm, is the extra flow into your gray tank. Might fill up too fast.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Livingston, Montana

---

Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars.

[Terry Neal]

Hey Ryan,



I put the Shurflo in my PT40 & it works great. No pulsation at all
& very quiet. Not quite as much volume of water (GPM) as you would
have hooked up to city water supply but still adequate. I actually
installed the 4.0 model rather than the 5.7 as I like a longer shower
in the am before the hot water runs out.

Terry Neal

Bozeman, MT

82PT40 6V92TA

74FC34 6V53T











Ryan Wright wrote:







Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed



pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all



manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure?







I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to



city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up.



Terrible with my current water pump.







Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the



pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they



work OK together?







Thanks in advance for any advice.







-Ryan



'86 PT-40 8V92





 
				

[Leroy Eckert]

I don't know about your 86. My shore water is regulated to 40 psi per the book. My pump operates between 30 and 45 psi. The air accumulator is intended to smooth out the water flow and really does not have any thing to do with water flow except when the pump is turned on. It smooths out the water flow. If you have an air toilet you may be asking for trouble there also. I have plenty of water. Perhaps you pump is not doing the job. Leroy Eckert 1990 WB-40 Royale Dahlonega, GA Smoke N Mirrors --- On Wed, 7/2/08, Ryan Wright wrote: From: Ryan Wright Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Installing a new SureFlo water pump... To: "wanderlodgeforum" Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 6:03 PM Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure? I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up. Terrible with my current water pump. Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they work OK together? Thanks in advance for any advice. -Ryan '86 PT-40 8V92

[Pete Masterson]

The typical pressure with city water is about 45 psi inside the coach. The fill system (at least on the later 'birds) has a built in pressure limiter that holds to about that maximum.

Water pressure in most city systems is at least 65 psi and can be well over 100 psi. (The water pressure at my home is about 90-95 psi most of the time.)

The first thing to do is get yourself a water pressure gauge. Home centers often have then with a female hose-fitting coupling. I installed a hose-thread end on my outside faucet, replacing the original aerator end. (Home center again.) You can put the hose thread on most faucets with the simple conversion kits available at most home centers. (These were originally designed to help folks fill water beds...) Then you can screw on the water pressure gauge and check the pressure at that point. Then you'll know where you're starting.

The plumbing in my RV is similar to plumbing used in regular homes built at about the same time. Unfortunately, the type of plastic pipe used did not have the life expectancy under full city-water pressure and it was eventually recalled from that service and is no longer on the market. However, it has not shown any signs of difficulty dealing with the 65 psi provided by the 5.7 gpm variable speed pump. 

The pump cycles on when its internal sensor detects a drop in water pressure, then it matches speed to the demand for water, holding the pressure relatively constant. When a faucet is turned off, then the pressure goes up slightly and trips the pump to slow down or shut off. 

The variable speed pump does not require the accumulator tank. The accumulator tank helps a single speed pump by buffering the pump output as it cycles on and off to supply the demand. For example, say you have a 4 gpm pump that operates with 45 psi. When you open a faucet the pressure is first provided by the accumulator tank as the internal rubber diaphragm presses against the water. The pump will sense the lowered pressure and will then run at full speed until either the accumulator tank is repressurized or as long as the pressure is below the set point. When you close the valve, the pump will continue to run until the accumulator tank is back to the set level (usually about 45 psi).

If you attach the accumulator tank with a variable speed pump, you'll not have any particular advantage and the pump might actually run longer to bring the accumulator tank back up to pressure when you open a valve. Since the variable speed pump starts within a fraction of a second when the pressure drops, you won't ever notice any lag to your water pressure and the variable speed pump matches your needs quite well. Indeed, without the accumulator tank, hearing the water pump cycle (when there is no water being used) is a sure sign that there's a minor leak somewhere. If the accumulator tank is installed, you might never be absolutely sure when you hear the pump cycle with all valves closed if it's just topping up the accumulator tank or not. Anyway, removing the accumulator tank simplifies the plumbing.

If you do install the variable speed pump, be sure to mount it with sound deadening in mind. It has rubber grommets in the mount  --- but attaching it to a solid piece of wood, well anchored to the coach, is likely to reduce the noise transmitted through the structure by the vibrations of the pump. My pump is attached to a bulkhead in one of the basement compartments. I can hear it when it cycles, but it is not particularly intrusive. (e.g. when someone uses the toilet in the night, it doesn't wake everyone up). However, if the pump is located under your bed (as in some of the earlier coaches), then more consideration of mounting to reduce noise transmission will probably be more important.

I can't say right out that the 65 psi won't be a problem, but the concern for RV plumbing handling too much pressure goes back to the early days when tanks were pressurized to provide water pressure (as I recall from 1966 or so). While RV plumbing goes through more severe service issues than does plumbing in a home, 65psi isn't generally a major concern in most RVs. If your coach has copper plumbing throughout, then you're probably ok for 65 psi or much higher. 

I note that PPL has the Shurflo 5.7 Variable speed on sale. See:

<http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pu...r-pump.htm>

Shurflo also offers a 4 gpm variable speed that only goes to 50 psi. See:

<http://www.shurflo.com/pages/RV/rv_categ...treme.html>

for details. Both pumps are linked to this URL at the manufacturer's web site.

I note that the 5.7 pump seems to be the more popular (or, at least, the most heavily promoted). The 5.7 seems to be widely available, but I didn't notice the 4.0 gpm variable speed pump offered as frequently.

Note: if you get either of these pumps, you'll also need a new screen/filter rated to work with the pump. Don't forget to order one at the same time.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jul 2, 2008, at 3:03 PM, Ryan Wright wrote:

Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed

pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all

manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure?

I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to

city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up.

Terrible with my current water pump.

Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the

pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they

work OK together?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

-Ryan

'86 PT-40 8V92

-

[Pete Masterson]

Well, that's the difference. I have the 5.7 and I get more water pressure from the pump than I get from city water.

I like those long showers too. The 5.7 pump and the "forever" hot water of the AquaHot makes for a happy camper.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jul 2, 2008, at 3:18 PM, Terry Neal wrote:

Hey Ryan,

I put the Shurflo in my PT40 & it works great.  No pulsation at all & very quiet.  Not quite as much volume of water (GPM) as you would have hooked up to city water supply but still adequate.  I actually installed the 4.0 model rather than the 5.7 as I like a longer shower in the am before the hot water runs out.

Terry Neal

Bozeman, MT

82PT40 6V92TA

74FC34 6V53T

 

 

 Ryan Wright wrote: 
 



Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed

 pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all

 manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure?

 

 I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to

 city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up.

 Terrible with my current water pump.

 

 Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the

 pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they

 work OK together?

 

 Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

 -Ryan

 '86 PT-40 8V92

 
 
  
  

[Pete Masterson]

The Microphor toilet prefers water pressure under 50 psi. It won't cycle the flush water properly when the pressure is too high. With the variable speed pump, I find if I turn on the bathroom water faucet, then immediately hit the flush lever, it works fine. On my "to do" list is to install a pressure regulator on the water supply line to the Microphor. The plumbing is reasonably accessible in my coach for that installation.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jul 2, 2008, at 3:52 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

I don't know about your 86. My shore water is regulated to 40 psi per the book. My pump operates between 30 and 45 psi. The air accumulator is intended to smooth out the water flow and really does not have any thing to do with water flow except when the pump is turned on. It smooths out the water flow. If you have an air toilet you may be asking for trouble there also. I have plenty of water. Perhaps you pump is not doing the job. Leroy Eckert 1990 WB-40 Royale Dahlonega, GA Smoke N Mirrors --- On Wed, 7/2/08, Ryan Wright <"ryanpwright@gmail.com"> wrote: From: Ryan Wright <"ryanpwright@gmail.com"> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Installing a new SureFlo water pump... To: "wanderlodgeforum" <"WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"> Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 6:03 PM Just need some advice on size, etc. I like the 5.7 variable speed pump, but is 65psi excessive? Am I looking to get myself into all manner of plumbing problems brought on by the pressure? I only need the pump to match the pressure I get when hooked up to city water. Showers are great when I have city water hooked up. Terrible with my current water pump. Another question, I'd like to keep the factory pressure tank so the pump runs less often. Will the Sureflo 5.7 eat it up, or will they work OK together? Thanks in advance for any advice. -Ryan '86 PT-40 8V92

[Ryan Wright]

Thank you for the responses. I ordered the 5.7 from pplmotorhomes, and
the screen/filter for it. Look forward to installing this. I'm going
to go through and tighten any hose clamps I can find before
installation, just to be safe.

I do think I'll keep the pressure tank. I usually keep the pump off,
only turning it on when necessary. The pressure tank allows me to wash
my hands and flush the toilet a couple of times without turning the
pump on, which is nice, especially in the middle of the night.

Appreciate the replies!

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

[Scott Forman]

Where is the pressure tank?

Scott Forman
86 PT38
Memphis

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Thank you for the responses. I ordered the 5.7 from pplmotorhomes, and
> the screen/filter for it. Look forward to installing this. I'm going
> to go through and tighten any hose clamps I can find before
> installation, just to be safe.
>
> I do think I'll keep the pressure tank. I usually keep the pump off,
> only turning it on when necessary. The pressure tank allows me to wash
> my hands and flush the toilet a couple of times without turning the
> pump on, which is nice, especially in the middle of the night.
>
> Appreciate the replies!
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
>