Some RVers aren’t content with the water pump that comes standard with their travel trailer. For example, Ray at LoveYourRV replaced his FloJet brand water pump on his Cougar fifth wheel trailer with an aftermarket SHURflo water pump:
The Cougar fifth wheel came with a FloJet brand water pump. Being only a cheaper 3 chamber style pump, it was noisy with a machine gun vibration. Even more so because of the way it had been plumbed without a flexible hose on the output piping.
Sometimes though, you might not need to replace the pump at all! If your pump is cycling on and off and giving you an uneven mix of hot and cold water, you might need to simply adjust your water pump’s pressure switch.
What is a Pressure Switch?
A pressure switch is a type of switch that creates an electrical circuit when a certain set pressure has been obtained. The switch could ‘activate’ either on a pressure rise or a pressure fall.
Chris from Rocky Mountain Four Wheel Campers will show you how to adjust the pressure switch on a SHURflo water pump. Don’t suffer from jerky water pressure or fits of hot and cold water any longer!
…water leaves the shower side of the system much slower than it does in the sink. So when you turn the sink on it may not cause the pump to cycle, but then when you’re running the shower fixtures, either inside or outside, you may start to witness the pump cycling and then again, therefore an uncomfortable mix of water.
Adjusting a Shurflo pump pressure switch.
https://youtu.be/jtjssFGWA-I
Quick review of the steps involved in adjusting the pressure switch of a SHURflo water pump talked about in the video:
- You don’t need to take the pump out of the camper – or take the pressure switch apart!
- Look for the allen screw on the top of the pressure switch
- Turning clockwise will result in a more sensitive switch (more likely to cycle)
- Turning counterclockwise makes the pump less likely to cycle
- Use your shower and determine when the pump cycles
- Turn the allen screw counterclockwise until the pump no longer cycles while the shower is on (the pump should remain on while you are taking a shower, and turn off when you shut the shower fixture)
Important to remember: you don’t want the pump turning off when you’re taking a shower!
