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Subject Topic: External to internal water pump? Post Reply Post New Topic
Personveryconfused
11/8/2018 at 9:55pm
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Hi All,

Apologies if this has already been asked, I couldn't find quite what I'm hoping someone with more experience than me might be able to help me with.

I currently have a whale external water pump like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whale-Water-Master-High-Flow/dp/B00GFMSLI0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1534019547&sr=8-3&keywords=whale+water+pump+for+caravan

It seems to be broken - its not pumping having tried to wire directly to a battery as well as the usual connection. Before I buy a new one I was wondering whether I would be better off switching to an internal water pump, something like this:

https://www.towsure.com/shurflo-pump-trail-king-7-30psi

Does anyone Know if I would get better pressure (I'm guessing I would) and if I did switch to this how on earth I'd go about creating a connection to the aquaroll. The two thoughts I have so far are simply to put a pipe through the floor with some kind of cap when we are travelling and a connecting pipe that goes in to the aquaroll. The other is to keep the wale pump pipe and the bit that plugs in to the van for water to flow but get rid of the actual pump. I could then divert the current electrics to an internal pump and connect the current internal pipes to the internal pump. Sounds a bit 'botchit' but wonder if it could work. Or if there are any more straight forward approaches.

By the way I have a 2000 Bailey Ranger 500/5.

Thank you in advance for your help!


PersonPickled Onion
11/8/2018 at 11:05pm
 Location: Near Alton Towers
 Outfit: Bailey Burgundy S7 H View Pickled Onion's Profile View Profile   Reply to Pickled Onion Reply   Quote Pickled Onion Quote  
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Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm sure it's very possible to modify your system to use an internal pump, the existing connecting pipe can still be used to supply water from the aquaroll, you just don't need the power wires down to the external pump, you will need them for the inboard pump instead so a bit of electrical and plumbing work needed. No extra holes need drilling in the floor though.
I think I have seen a youtube video of the mods required, the inboard pump will be a fair bit more expensive but be more reliable.

Dave.

-------------
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.


PersonPixie_Hez
12/8/2018 at 10:22am
 Location: Liverpool
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We are currently contemplating the exact opposite to you. We loved the whale external pump in our last van as it was so quiet. Our current internal pump sounds like someone firing a machine gun under the front seat every time we switch on a tap and our dealer says this is completely normal for this type of pump.

We have tried many different suggestions gleaned from this site and from other caravan forums to try to quieten down the internal pump and although we seem to have reduced the noise very slightly, it is still far too loud for my nerves.

I have asked a local NCC engineer if it is possible to replumb our van to the whale external system and he says is it perfectly possible so I imagine the reverse is also possible but I would advise you to listen to an internal pump running before you make the switch!

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Pixie


Persontrog100
12/8/2018 at 10:54am
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i have an undersink water tank fitted to my van..

none branded pumps are very cheap.. i put a saw though a branded none working pump recently its basically an over sized piece of plastic with a cheap as chips 540 or 340 motor inside..

a none branded pump is about £9 quid off ebay.. connect two wires to it and a hose drop it in a water container and it will work fine..

i have a portable one made up with some wire and a three foot piece of garden hose attached to it.. i use it to transfer water from an external container to my internal tank when a hose isnt handy..

basically none of these pumps are repairable but quite cheap alternatives can be obtained..

trog


PersonGrandad Kenny
12/8/2018 at 6:53pm
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Like Pixie on our Elddis the pump was external, great. On our Bailey the pump is internal and what a racket it makes, over time I will look at converting to a pump that sits in the water barrel, much quieter.


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Personveryconfused
12/8/2018 at 7:54pm
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Thanks you for your replies. Hmm, sounds like I need to check the noise!


Personnavver
12/8/2018 at 8:08pm
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The external pump sits in the aquaroll and pushes water through the pipes pushing the air out as it goes.
The internal pump will try and suck water up a pipe full of air until it reaches the pump. Not so easy.
You will need some way of filling the pipe with water or priming.

Or am I missing something.


PersonGrandad Kenny
12/8/2018 at 9:23pm
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Navver, your analogy seems right but does that mean every time you turn the tap off the pipe between the internal pump and the filter in the aqua roll empties? And the noise is the air? Or once primed do all the pipes stay full which I think is the case.......


Persontrog100
12/8/2018 at 9:34pm
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i would guess there would be a one way valve in the system..

trog


PersonColin21
13/8/2018 at 6:11pm
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If you put a non-return valve at the bottom of the pipe that goes into the water container, that will solve the problem of water going back.

You will need an internal pump that is self-priming, not all of them are. And finally yes, internal pumps are much noisier than external ones, it's just the way they are. The pump is inside the van, usually in an under-bed locker, and this tends to amplify the noise. External pumps... well they are outside, then their noise is damped by being inside a water container. I used to have a boat, so no alternative to an internal tank and pump, and it was quite noisy with a lot of vibration. They are much more expensive too!

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Best Regards,
Colin


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PersonWindrush owner
19/8/2018 at 12:06am
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I replaced our shurflo onboard pump last year, the previous 1 was 31 years old, yes the onboard pump is a little noisy but they also last longer than the submergable pumps.

I'm not sure that you need a 30 psi pump, most caravan water systems don't like above 20 psi, after all it's all hoses and plastic connectors , I paid £46 for our shurflo trail king 20 psi pump from the caravan shop, they're in Scotland and it arrived next day.

The only times we get air in the pipes is when we 1st set up and have to prime the system and when the water has run out in the aquaroll, I also fitted a length of copper pipe with a couple of small holes drilled into the very bottom onto the blue water hose otherwise the hose won't sit at the bottom of the aquaroll.



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