- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 5 years, 9 months ago by
CLOC-Admin.
CLOC-Admin.- Topic
CLOC-AdminDoes anyone know if Carriage used a latching controller on their water pump circuitry-specifically the rigs that have multiple pump on-off switches.I’m replacing the ShurFlo pump, which just died in my 201136FWS, with a FloJet 4.5 VSD pump and it’s my understanding that in situations where the wiring isn’t substantial enough to withstand a 15 amp draw, a latching controller (a relay, basically) can be employed to allow for safe operation. I can’t locate one of these in my coach. The wiring to the pump is 14 gauge, which is rated for 15 amp. Switch rating plays into this as well.
What I need to find out is if one of these were employed, the vast majority of them would have been 10 amp rated. And if it’s buried somewhere I can’t find it, I may run the risk of burning it up or worse! My hope is that, in addition to the wiring and switches being rated high enough, there isn’t any other components in the pump circuit that would not be able to withstand a 15 amp draw.
Your help, knowledge and expertise is appreciated, well in advance.
Harry
Posted: 3:33 PM – Oct 10, 2014I don’t think they did. looking behind the convenience center at the pump switch shows a 14ga wire, the switch on the inside panel, over the door is 14ga as well. I think they just ran the switches in series as when I turn on my inside switch, the outside lights up as well.
I believe running a relay would have been too complicated for them…Posted: 3:36 PM – Oct 10, 2014I installed the Flojet four years ago, in my 2011 Carrilite. Still runs fine on the factory wiring.Posted: 3:38 PM – Oct 10, 2014Thanks Gents. That’s what I suspected, but wanted to confirm with those that have gone before.Harry
Posted: 6:14 PM – Oct 10, 2014It is actually 2 switches in parallel. If you turn the pump with one switch you must turn it off with the same switch. It will not turn off with the other switch like a 3-way switch in a home.Pat
Posted: 7:53 PM – Oct 10, 2014Thanks Pat. Good to know. I was thinking they were wired as a house 3-way.The only issue I’ll have is finding the right location to mount the new pump. It’s a bit larger, but it will give me the opportunity to clean up the plumbing and wiring mess that Carriage created.
Posted: 9:33 PM – Oct 10, 2014Harry,I mounted my pre filter about midway up the holding tank, a drain off line / dry fill line just below it, and the pump above the filter and tank against the forward bullhead in front of the holding tank. I added a real pressure reducing valve in front of that. To get it done, I temporarily removed the forward wall in the main storage area. I had no relay and did not install one on my Sept 2009( model year 2010).
HarryH wrote:Thanks Pat. Good to know. I was thinking they were wired as a house 3-way.The only issue I’ll have is finding the right location to mount the new pump. It’s a bit larger, but it will give me the opportunity to clean up the plumbing and wiring mess that Carriage created.
Posted: 6:54 AM – Oct 11, 2014Yeah, it’s a little tight in the “crawl space”. Removing some sections of the surrounding walls would definitely make it easier. I’m not as nimble as I used to be!Thanks for giving me some suggestions on placement.
Posted: 10:13 AM – Oct 11, 2014Harry:Anita and I had quite a job removing and replacing our water pump last week to free up the check valve on our stock Shurflo. Let us know where you mount your unit, as we may replace ours in the not too distant future. Installing it on the ceiling of the storage compartment looks like a good place, but it may not work upside down.
Rick
Posted: 1:50 PM – Oct 11, 2014Harry/Rick,My oem pump was pretty small and if I remember correctly it and a tiny pre-filter screen were both mounted 1/2 to 3/4 up the fresh water holding tank. There was no ware near enough room for the larger pump there. I placed the up sized screen filter in that location and the pump above the fresh water tank on the wall forward of the tank. The new pimp is supposed to be able to run dry and self prime but I was concerned about the almost 3 foot draw if the tank were close to empty.
We don’t need to winterize here but I planned for that necessity by adding an extra drain from the higher pump that also can be used to pressure feed with shore water to get the pump primed. I only needed to prime it this way when the feed line, screen filter, and pump were dry on first run after install. I suspect if I winterized and blew out the lines I would be back in the same predicament. That drain feeds off the line going to the pump from the bottom of the water tank, at about the level of the overflow. I put an extra shut off valve below that is normally open. If no shore water pressure us available, I can fill a hose with water from the tank drain, and raise the hose over my head to gravity feed back into the suction line almost to pump level. Once you turn on the pump and it states sacking from the shore pressure feed or your gravity feed you open the “added” normally open shutoff valve and close the one on the drain that you are using to back-feed prime the pump.
After the install but before fastening the black bulkhead wall back up I used a 6 inch hole saw to cut access to the pump mounting bolts and water fittings. My eyes look through the sliding access door, but my hands and tools go in through that 6 inch hole. I saved that 6 inch piece and plan to hide the hoke some day by using the old sheet each patch trick – 1×2 about 2 inches longer than hole with screws to hold it in place across opening and a single screw through the 6 inch piece into the center of the 1×2.
rwb_wl wrote:Harry:Anita and I had quite a job removing and replacing our water pump last week to free up the check valve on our stock Shurflo. Let us know where you mount your unit, as we may replace ours in the not too distant future. Installing it on the ceiling of the storage compartment looks like a good place, but it may not work upside down.
Rick
Posted: 7:25 PM – Oct 11, 2014Rick,Like John, not much room between the tank and the rear of the outdoor access water connection panel. My plan is to mount the new pump vertically (rotated 90 degrees clockwise) in the same space. The pump is physically longer than the old one and another issue is that the strainer that came with the pump mounts directly onto the inlet side of the new pump widening the pump dimensions to a point that it’s too large for the space regardless of how I mount it. I have a FloJet inline strainer coming on Monday that will give me the flexibility to move the strainer from its direct connection at the pump inlet to below the pump head and closer towards the tank itself. I will have a total run from the tank to the pump of about 15″ with the strainer inline.
The old pump strainer was always a pain to get to and now I can mount it where I can look at it and clean it when it needs cleaning. The other items I want to clean up is the tangle of wiring and plumbing that look like a bunch of chimpanzees were turned loose in there. I guess the mantra “Outta sight-outta mind” was the prevailing assembly philosophy during the last few months of the Carriage dynasty.
When I get finished with the installation, I can snap a few pictures and post them up.
Harry
B.W.Gentry
Owner/Admin
2007 Carri-Lite XTRM5
Breckenridge, TX
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.