Fresh Water Pump Whine

[radcaddy]

Fresh Water Pump problem:

I did not drain my fresh water system or winterize, and was told / thought / hoped that running a couple of heaters in the cabin would be enough here in eastern NC to prevent frozen plumbing.

And that was the case for the last few weeks - it is pretty toasty in the coach, but this weekend the temps went to 19° and the Shurflo pump began making a high-pitched hum. I turned it off and hope when the temps rise tomorrow and Tuesday that it will spontaneously return to normal.

My guess is the water in the tank may have frozen so the pump can not work? Or perhaps it is more serious and I am in for a new adventure.

Any guesses as to what went wrong (beyond the obvious issue of me not knowing how to take care of a motorhome). And are there any low-skill first-aid actions to take?

 

[RF_Burns]

Its more likely the water in the lines and even the pump froze rather than the tank itself. If the pump is making a noise, I'm guessing the motor is still turning.
The pump and lines are behind walls where the heated air is unlikely to get to them. If you are lucky nothing broke. In any case, drain the system and preform a winterization as soon as possible.

 

[kidjedi]

Water lines will freeze faster than the tank, but if it's been below freezing for more than a week and your freshwater tank is isolated from the cabin heat, your freshwater tank is almost certainly frozen. Stock GMC's dont really have provisions for keeping the freshwater tank warm without making some adjustments to the system. My stock tank was against the propane compartment, so basically an exterior situation (only separated from the exterior by a thin sheet if fiberglass).

Future reference (and maybe you already did this)... it's important to open cabinets and access panels so heat can reach the water lines, etc., especially the bathroom door and cabinets. Also, there is almost NO insulation around our famously thin plastic/fiberglass wheel wells, and if the water heater is stock, it's mounted over a wheel well. Adding some insulation where possible (especially wheel wells) will help some, but the only good way to do it is during a tear down of the interior. I keep my rig active in the winter (the interior has been removed and re-installed), but if it gets super-cold (teens and lower) I still remove my water pump and store it in the house. Removing a Sure-flo type pump is as simple as unscrewing two hoses and unhooking two wires.

 

[radcaddy]

It is warming back to the 60s this week, so I will assess and report. Thanks for the input.

We use oil sump heaters in airplanes, basically heating pads. I wonder if doing that on the side or bottom of the fresh water tank would be feasible. I have a year-round use as a mobile office, so don't "want" to drain the fresh water - but also do not want to have to repair stuff. Our temps are not typically so frigid but sometimes can be for a few days. I would like to know more about insulation options and efforts.

Meantime, maybe a few weeks in Key West will do it!

 

[kidjedi]

It is warming back to the 60s this week, so I will assess and report. Thanks for the input.

We use oil sump heaters in airplanes, basically heating pads. I wonder if doing that on the side or bottom of the fresh water tank would be feasible. I have a year-round use as a mobile office, so don't "want" to drain the fresh water - but also do not want to have to repair stuff. Our temps are not typically so frigid but sometimes can be for a few days. I would like to know more about insulation options and efforts.

Meantime, maybe a few weeks in Key West will do it!

I use a couple of 12v warming pads for tanks inside the rig. I have been known to use "oil pan heater" pads (120v) on exterior tanks, but I don't rely on the exterior ones too heavily.

 

[radcaddy]

My fresh water pump managed to have the outflow hose come off. Meanwhile, once the water in the tank melted and I was going to test the pump, when I turn it on, it began to spray out where the hose had come off. This was for a very brief moment, and what water came out seems to have left via the bottom of the floor there or a drain hose..

Anyway, once re-attached and the hose clamp secured, it was Ops Normal.

What I think occurred was that the pump, and pliable hose, were installed in Florida in the heat. The hose clamp was poorly located. So when it got plenty cold here, the hose fell off. I relocated the hose clamp to a more secure position. Otherwise, no harm no foul. And I learned a few things from y'all. So another victory.