Water problems

Questions & answers about kitchen units, stoves, fridges, heaters, water tanks, seats, mattresses etc etc.

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Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
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Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:01 pm

On a recent first outing of our bongo camper the water supply packed up. It's a submersible whale pump, initially working fine but I noticed a leak from the tap unit that was dripping under the sink so tightened the thread which had worked a bit loose, solving that problem but at the cost of the tap no longer drawing water from the tank!
I suspect I must have disturbed a connection, possibly the microswitch itself. I've had a look today but can't find a way to access the switch directly - (sink unit is smev 9222, don't know the exact tap but looks like a florenz model). It seems like I need to remove the blue plastic 'cold' circle on the tap to get at a screw, but it doesn't feel like it wants to come out and would need gouging.
Is it possible it's an integrated unit and a whole new tap is needed? Or any other ideas on how to proceed?
Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Sun Aug 02, 2020 4:31 pm

Update: I managed to get at the microswitch but it doesn't look easily removable. There's nothing obviously wrong with the connection to the cables from what I could see though so I didn't go any further in taking the tap apart. I'm struggling to find other causes - there are two cables with bullet connectors that go to a zigg unit - again everything looks to be ok with this but I don't really understand all the circuitry. Power to the fridge and internal lights is fine though.
Could it have been water from the leak getting into the switch unit that caused the problem?
Bob
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Location: North Somerset

Re: Water problems

Post by Bob » Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:13 pm

Really difficul to diagnose, but hope you get sorted soon.
Mosschops
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Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:48 pm

Thanks Bob, definitely something happened either from turning the plastic housing lock from below, or possibly from the water leakage itself. I was hoping it might be one of those common problems with an obvious solution, or that there'd be visual clues once I'd taken the panelling off and had a look at the tap and wiring.

On a positive note it was only really a minor annoyance on the trip so it's not the end of the world if it takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
Bob
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Location: North Somerset

Re: Water problems

Post by Bob » Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:10 pm

Don't know if you could post a picture?

Always good. :wink:
Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:52 pm

Yes, all being well I'll post some tomorrow thanks
Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Tue Aug 04, 2020 11:47 am

Ok, here are a few pictures as planned, with apologies for focus quality... Best viewed from bottom to top. On the middle one I haven't screwed the backing plate fully back into place as I've only replaced it to take the pictures.

From the bullet connectors the wires go to the zigg unit. Some of the leakage ran down the outside of the water pipe and also contacted the connectors.

Any ideas welcome!
Attachments
The bullet connectors
The bullet connectors
Water from above was dripping through here
Water from above was dripping through here
The tap as fitted - water leaked from the outlet, and under the sink
The tap as fitted - water leaked from the outlet, and under the sink
Last edited by Mosschops on Tue Aug 04, 2020 12:01 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Tue Aug 04, 2020 11:51 am

... and the tap. This is as far as I got with disassembly as it looks a bit difficult to put back together, and the wires seem to connect ok with e switch.
Attachments
IMG_20200804_112841996_resize_4.jpg
Bongolia
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Location: Folkestone

Re: Water problems

Post by Bongolia » Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:36 pm

If you bridge the wires from the tap does the pump run?
At least that would prove what tree you are barking up.
Mosschops
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Water problems

Post by Mosschops » Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:32 pm

Good idea, thanks. Just tried it and the answer was ... at first no, until I went out and wiggled the connection from pump to van - then it worked fine, and still fine without the bridge!

So the answer to which tree I was barking up seems to have been the wrong one completely!

I'll keep an eye on it and report back any problems, but it looks as if was basically the pump to van interface that was playing up. Slightly mysterious the timing of it, but seems to work fine now.

Thanks for the suggestions Bob & Bongolia 👍👍
Bob
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:54 pm
Location: North Somerset

Re: Water problems

Post by Bob » Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:36 pm

Well done. :)
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