Schools out for the summer, yet we are heading back into the classroom for a true/false quiz, as we look at what we really know about our RV water pump.

True or False Quiz (Answers below)

1. Water from your RV's fresh water tank is delivered to your faucet, shower & toilet by gravity.
2. When we hook up to the city water and encounter low pressure, turning on the water pump with boost the pressure.
3. RV water pumps are noisy.
4. There is a specific way a water pump needs to be wired to operate correctly.
5. It's always best to purchase the largest capacity pump as possible.
6. There might be a leak if the water pump is running and all of the faucets are off.
7. Water pumps are not dependable.

Answers:

1. False: Water does feed the pump by gravity, but in order to get the water up to the faucets in your RV it takes the work of the water pump to pressurize the lines and push that water where you need it.
2. True: While you will experience increased water pressure if you have water in your water tank, it's only because it's being supplemented by the pump and tank and not actually boosting the incoming city water. Some RV's have a single water selector valve that does not allow the use of both tank and city water at the same time, so in that case if you answer False you are correct as well.
3. True: There is really no getting around it, unless you have the luxury of having your pump located in a storage bay that is well insulated from the rest of the rv, your going to hear the pump cycle on and off. But there are ways to limit the noise with such items as pulsation dampeners, accumulator tanks and insulation that is used under the pump and the floor or wall that it is mounted on.
4. True: If wired backwards the pump will run backwards and no water will exit the pump.
5. False: Large pumps push a lot of water and use a lot of power. Many RV's are not wired to use the larger pumps that can pull over 10 amps of power, and sizing a pump to the capacity of your water tank is going to allow that water to last longer.
6. True: If you hear the water pump kicking on and off frequently, there maybe a leak in your system and a thorough investigation of the system is immediately in order. A pump that is failing can also cycle as the internal pump vanes allow water to pass back through the pump not allowing it to maintain or build pressure.
7. False: Most pumps that are properly cared for can last over 10 years. A likely killer of an RV pump can be cold weather storage, corrosion or mineral build up and a pump left running with no water in the fresh water tank. Probably one of the most dependable RV water pumps is the Shurflo brand of water pumps. The latest one is Revolution 3.0 RV Water Pump, which is quiet, dependable, and a standard in the RV industry. Many newer RV'ers have this pump in their RV, with its high performance and reliability.

There you have it, an RV water pump that is reliable, dependable, and standard in most RVs, used for your camping and full time RVing pleasure.

By Bill Rowell
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