Whale Sink Pump totally dead Any ideas

[New Forest Terrier]

I have a whale water pump in my conversion. Just started checking out the Bongo for the spring camping season and it is totally dead. Nothing, no noise, no pumping.

Has anyone any ideas on troubleshooting? They are fragile things, got through a couple in the past on caravans, but this one has not had much use.

[g8dhe]

Switch on Zig or management system turned on? Fuse OK? After that its inspection and use a meter to locate the problem.

[mikeWalsall]

Similar thing used to happen in my caravan ..

Maybe frowned on by the techie guys ... but I reckon they seized from calcium build up and lack of use during the Winter .. I used to give them a sharp 'crack' that seemed to free it ... and from then worked OK ..

[Northern Bongolow]

switch the power on mary, or open the tap micro etc, then give it a couple of sharp taps,(no pun intended) that usually sorts em.

edit. beaten by mike

[New Forest Terrier]

Instructions followed. Two sharp taps given with tent peg hammer. Still dead. Power all OK. Micro switch in tap clicking audibly. Zig switched correctly. Fridge working fine.

So unless I can find a loose connection tomorrow its a new pump. These things always happen first camp of the season. Last year it was a dead leisure battery. So no water pump, fridge or lights once the Bongo was switched off.

All part of the joy of camping

[Dodgey]

Mine lasted less than a year - the pipe bIt got brittle in the cold and snapped off. I'm treating is as a consumable especially at £10

[New Forest Terrier]

Update

Pool of water under Bongo this morning. Pump buzzing away. Obviously I did not turn it completely off last night. Turned off pump. Refilled water container, pump dead again.

The suspect has to be the microswitch, although it clicks away fine? Have I missed anything?

[g8dhe]

You might have connectors between the switch and the pump, also the earth for the pump itself might be intermittent.

[Northern Bongolow]

take the tap top off mary, and have a play around they are prone to oxy---oxi---- furring up, give it a clean out they are really basic sprung contacts inside.

[Terri & colin]

Iv got to replace my whale pump. The wires are ripped or snapped off, it's just easier to start again. Is it easy to refitted?
Terri

[New Forest Terrier]

Very easy. On mine the microswitch on the tap was faulty as well, so I ended up replacing both. The tap was £20 from Chichester Caravans in Colden Common, the pump I got given, but same place or Towsure in Southampton.

I have a rear conversion so access was easy, with all electrics right inside the back door. Just disconnect one bit, fit replacment the same way. Only bit to watch was the pipe was held on with jubilee clips at tap and pump ends. These had rusted solid and had to be cut off. So get replacement clips when you get the pump. The tap is fitted at the side of the sink unit with a plastic screw fitting that should have been finger tight, but had been ferociously tightened, but it did come off in the end.

A side conversion could be more difficult as you need to get at the pump to remove it from the water tank and to the junction box to make the electrical connections. For the tap you need to get to the underside to remove it, plus the junction box for the electricals.

[crazy uncle gray g]

Mary, I've found a cheaper alternative for you
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/ ... =266628806
Am I helping?

[New Forest Terrier]

Bit over the top for the washing up Crazy

[shuttle]

Had the same thing happen to me at the weekend,pump completely dead.Took it back to Andys Imports on way back from campsite.He tried a new pump which also didn't work,feed into pump was ok so he said it was probably an earth problem,so got a new piece of wire and earthed it to the cigarette lighter earth.Problem solved.Hope this helps.

shuttle

[New Forest Terrier]

Yes the earth was the next thing I checked after looking for a loose connection. Conversion electrics are a bit of the make it up as you go along variety. I had an intermittent buzzing pump doing not a lot and when I replaced it, there was water being pumped but no reliable on or off on the switch. None of these electrical bits a have a very long lifespan.