Water Pump GPM for bus house systems?

[Dave Siegel]

OK, OK........I guess I burned up my FloJet water pump, and I have resigned myself to buying another one. I Have looked at Camping World and they are very expensive so I went to E-Bay and there is an assortment there. But here's the question. Mine says "4.5" GPM (but it never felt like it). All the pumps I see on E-Bay say 2.8 GPM.  is 2.8 the typical size? Do you think I will experience a drop in flow?

Before I bought something I thought I should ask the experts.

Dave Siegel

[Kristinsgrandpa]

Dave, I'm not an expert but, I went thru what you are doing. I asked seveal people and was told that 3 GPM (2.8 is close enough) should be the minimum. With 5 being a lot better.

When I priced the 5 GPM pumps I decided to try a 3 GPM. If I'm dissatisfied I'll change to a 5 and keep the 2.8 for a spare, or give it to some one I don't like.

Since you boondock it might be more mportant to you than me. I'll just need it for use on the road.

I have spent some time in a coach with a 2.8 and it seemed adequate. Maybe if I was used to a 5, I would have been dissatisfied.

Ed.

[Dave Siegel]

Thanks Ed,
The Flowjet that I had was 4.5 GPM. But, like you said , when you look at replacement prices that 2.8 pump starts looking pretty good.

We do very little boondocking,our coach is all electric and the only thing 12v is the water pump, a few lights and the radio. I am almost thinking to go to an electric (110v) water pump.

dave

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Dave,

I have the SureFlo 5.7 gpm smart sensor, which is variable speed. Quiet, and the preasure is like in my home.

Taking showers is just the same as home.

Nick

[wrench]

I got that 5.7 smart sensor too, & won't go back to 2.  but a way to do that may please you if you got the room is to install a 5 gallons blader tank, it will push a larger volume of water for few seconds & the pump will replenish when you tun the faucet off. The thank can be install remotely & pipe in the pressure side of the system.
        wrench

[WEC4104]

To Ed:

You mentioned that if you aren't satisfied with the 2.8, you might later upgrade to a 5 GPM, and keep the 2.8 as a spare. Just a thought, but maybe you could just add another 2.8 and plumb them in parallel.  If you have room to set it up this way, it would cost less and should provide greater flow.  You would have a "hot back up" so that you wouldn't have to make an emergency repair at 10 pm on a rainy night.

Hopefully the water flow would be signifcantly different, or you would include a test switch, so that you wouldn't have a pump fail and not know it.

Wayne

[Len Silva]

Per Fred Hobe:
http://users.cwnet.com/~thall/fredhobe3.htm


How many times have you been on the road, tired and want a good shower, and that 12 volt pump that you have just wont put out more than a trickle. Here is a way to get a shower just like the one that you get at home. Go to Home Depot and get a Flotec Model FPOF300AC. This little pump works off your 120volt system it only draws 2 amps and put out twice as much water as your 12 volt one.

     I put a T in the line that runs to the 12 volt pump and install the 120 volt pump. Hook it up with a check valve, and tie it into your water system. You need a pressure switch that is set at 35 pounds pressure on it. Run the power to a switch in the bath room. Now you can turn it on and off as you want. This pump is very quite, and you can use it as a spare or use it all the time.If you need a lot of water at one time you can run both pumps at the same time. Put a hose fitting in your bay and hook up a hose and you can use it as a fire fighter if needed.


Len