Water pump for storage tank! Help

[Derry]

Hi All
In Belguim sitting back watching the rain slowly getting through a bottle of rum wondering what's wrong with me water supply fuse is ok but not receiving any water! pump not kicking in when you twist tap/shower thingy....

Anyone know where the pump is situated or have any tips to what could be the problem?

Thanks in advance

 

[Hotel California]

Hey , the waterpump sits in the watertank , if you unscrew the plastic cap under the rear cabinet . (T5)

Are you visiting Belgium at the moment or just passing thru?

 

[Derry]

Oh I was wondering if it was in the tank

We are here till Friday hope it cheers up soon we are just outside Antwerp de lisle Bergen it a nice spot!

 

[Hotel California]

If use the search button , theres quite a few items about opening the watertank , not so easy....
I had my frech waterpump replaced under warrenty when Cali was 6 months

Did you check underneeth the sink/ cooking burners , theres also wiring ....if there 's something loose could cause a problem
It's above the draver and things in the drawer could damage the wiring
Remove the drawer and take a look(with flashlicht)


Lilse bergen , never been there camping but can imagine its nice : quiet , nice green invirement, beach with open water to swim ( not at the moment doh...)
Its little less than an hour drive for us....

 

[BarrieE]

We had a similar problem a couple of years age. The pump can become detached from the pipe that feeds the water to the sink. My problem was getting the tank cover off and had to go to VW for them to use the specialist tool. They also put a jubilee clip on the pipe and confirmed that this was not an uncommon thing to happen. best of luck

 

[mrcheesbrough]

I've had a similar scenario recently with my water supply (replace the Rum with Sloe Gin). I may have some ideas but the first question - what age is your Westfalia? There have been a few different incarnations of time during it's lifetime. Mine is a later one and has the tap fixed to the sink, but some earlier ones had the tap on a hose that could be poked out of the window to use as a handheld shower.

Either way I suspect they both used a similar microswitch in the tap to activate the pump. This tiny switch gets coked up contacts after years of use which reduces the current to the pump. If your fuse is fine and the pump was working fine till recently it may be this. It could be the pump too but they're pretty robust and have a fairly easy life really. I'd probably go in under the sink and locate the wires leading into the tap. If you're lucky there will be a connector block there. Disconnect it and identify which wires head to the pump. The next thing is to complete the circuit at the connector block - a short piece of wire with the insulation stripped off each end should do. When you do this the pump, if its working, should come to life. If that's the case the switch in the tap head is the issue.

Hope this helps in some way. I know how frustrating it is to have 20 litres of inaccessible water aboard and the rest of a holiday to enjoy.

 

[Derry]

Thanks for replies

Drunk all me rum! Now making me way through the wine we bought at Calais.... :crazy

Mines a 1993 with a tap and hose that can be used as a shower outside the van, yes a tad annoying having lots of water and unable to use :x but will wait till we get home before taking it apart looking for the problem all was working fine on last outing but never checked before we left
Buying water to see us through hols but will check all tips given and thanks for replies it's always nice to know there are fellow owners out there and shows how valuable forums are when help is needed

 

[Billabus]

Before blaming the water pump, have you checked whether the tap is to blame? I recently had a similar problem with our lack of water and I disconnected the two wires to the tap micros witch and the pump worked! The failure was the tap micros witch, which was solved by replacing the tap - a very fiddly job, but cheaper and easier than a water pump.

 

[Derry]

Thanks for all tips I have sorted the problem out and it was the water pump the impeller had seized all it took was a little push with me finger and off it went nice when its a simple fix

Although I'm pleased it did pack up as the bottom of the tank had a lovely layer of sludge on the bottom and the pipe to the pump also had a nice brown sludge growing on it :? .....
All cleaned up know and pleased we have never drunk any of the water from the tank when it did work.
How easy is it to sterilise the tank could I just pop a load of those tablets we use to throw in with the baby bottles to sterilise them :!: and what about the pipes surely they must have a nice build up of slim over the years.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Once a year I run a sterilising fluid through it, think the last one was from the caravan section of halfords.

Seems to do the trick. We drink the water and haven't died or grown third arms or anything.

dan