Water pump controller

[richard5933]

After investigating the phantom/stray voltage on our water pump switch circuit, I decided to redo the wiring to the pump. Since we use multiple switches, it seemed like using a water pump controller would be the way to go. Basically, the thing is a latching relay which open/closes the ground conductor to the water pump each time a momentary switch is depressed. The biggest advantage seems to be that the pump can be turned on/off from any switch regardless of which switch turned it on. Right now we have three switches, and it's necessary to turn off the pump from the switch which was turned on.

The controller I'm going to use is the Intellitec 15-amp Water Pump Controller 00-00776-200

Here's a link to the information/wiring diagram:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=2ahUKEwiHsYGZ8JTjAhXLHM0KHeEkDGoQFjAEegQIBRAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mikerobotics.com%2FIntellitec%2FPDF%2F5300776.000.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0u6ybFXZsWW-UYy5ZtoFn4

Seems pretty straightforward - feed the 12v+ to the pump directly from the fuse panel. Run a ground wire to the controller on one terminal and then on to the pump from another terminal. The switches all provide ground to the switch terminal, and the indicators connect to their terminal.

Question... The instructions state that the controller is for use on pumps pulling at least 5 amps up to 15 amps. I understand the upper limit, but I can't figure out why they state a low-end limit for the controller. If it's a simple latching relay, what would they need a minimum current draw from the pump? My pump is rated to pull 5.2 amps, but of course at pressure it will pull zero.

What's more confusing, is that once pressure is obtained the pump will be pulling zero amps. I still want to be able to control the on/off state of the pump even when it's at pressure.

They also have a smaller pump controller which tops out at 10 amps, but it doesn't have the dedicated 12v+ feed for the indicator lamps which I plan to use. It also wouldn't give me room to install a better pump down the road.

Anyone have any experience with these controllers that can help me understand better?

[oltrunt]

Have you thought about simply wiring it like a "hall way" switch.  You'd be able to switch the pump on or off at any switch, there wouldn't be any phantom drain and best of all you wouldn't need any of those pesky latching relays.  Jack

[chessie4905]

Keep it simple! 5,10 years from now if you have trouble, just that much more to diagnose. The water pump on our 4104 had a switch up front to shut it off when we left the coach for a while. No floods from a leak or empty water tank.

[richard5933]

Keep it simple! 5,10 years from now if you have trouble, just that much more to diagnose. The water pump on our 4104 had a switch up front to shut it off when we left the coach for a while. No floods from a leak or empty water tank.

It was simple when I first got the bus - one switch over the dash. Problem was finding it in the dark when we went to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Stubbed toes and excessive cursing followed.

Then I added a switch in the bathroom. Of course that prompted a request to have one in the kitchen. And here we are.

I've already ordered the controller. Not really that complicated to install. Once I get it I'll poke around with a multimeter and see if I can figure out what makes it tick. Maybe I'll be able to figure out what they're talking about with the minimum current spec.

I'll add a wiring diagram for whatever I install into the book I keep with all the Custom Coach wiring diagrams. Should make future work easier.

[bevans6]

I just leave my pump turned on all time.  I only turn it off when I'm not using the bus.

[richard5933]

I just leave my pump turned on all time.  I only turn it off when I'm not using the bus.

You've got lots more faith in your plumbing system than I do. I used to do that, then one day we returned from dinner to find our 90-gallons of fresh water had pumped out through a leaking fitting under the bathroom sink. The water soak the carpet upstairs and then worked its way down to the basement through the electrical bay. Fortunately there was no lasting damage, but we made a point to never leave the pump on when we're not in the bus. Usually only leave it on when we're actually using it, which is why there are switches at the two points of use.

[chessie4905]

If you didn't  have a parasitic  drain before adding extra switches... why would you turn off pump while in the coach. If it started unauthorized running, you'd  hear it.

[richard5933]

If you didn't  have a parasitic  drain before adding extra switches... why would you turn off pump while in the coach. If it started unauthorized running, you'd  hear it.

Mainly out of habit.

My initial fear was a slow leak. After we had the fiasco under the bathroom sink, I realized that it had been dripping slowly for a while before it totally let loose. I'm not always in the bus, and apparently not everyone hears the pump when it runs.

Can't tell you how many times I've heard a noise while driving and turned to my co-pilot and asked if I could get some help identifying where the noise was coming from, only to be answered by "what noise?"

Not everyone hears every tick, click, pump sound, etc. that we hear, so I would never rely on someone else hearing the pump run when it shouldn't be.

[buswarrior]

This thread brings up a principle...

Who is in charge? The busnut or the coach?

Treat the cause, or the symptom?

Adding more processes, more equipment, in the silent eyes of the rest of the crew MORE BULLSHIIT to the "busing adventure"

Ever wonder why so few busnut children turn down "inheriting" the family coach? And don't RV at all?

Could it have something to do with this sort of thing? In the case of this thread, a switch before the tap, oh, wait, the breaker has to be on... oh damn the batteries are dead... etc, add the rest of the possibilities...

Back to the principle, if the coach is any more obtuse to use than a typical house or hotel room... who wants to use it?

The best coach is the invisible coach, anyone steps into it, systems work in a familiar way, no training required? No distraction?

We've all seen the raving type A personality RV'er at a campground somewhere... suffering family in tow...

There's a common bond of suffering amongst the busnut women... but they won't say anything... yet...

Work arounds to save money, cuz if I don't, there's no fuel money, is a different thing.

In this thread's case, I'd be re-doing the wonky plumbing bits and the whole thing goes away.

That damned bus behaves or else...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[richard5933]

Buswarrior...That certainly is the goal, to make using the bus as similar as using the house. We're slowly getting there. Maybe if we can make it a few more trips without any additional plumbing problems I'll be able to start trusting the plumbing system a bit more. This is one of the problems with getting a bus already converted - it's really hard to gain access to every nook and cranny to inspect previous work.

We had water in the bathroom again this spring, and immediately my mind went to another plumbing leak. I even used my endoscope to inspect in the wall behind the shower to see if the shower valve was leaking. Ended up being a leaking window seal finding its way into the bathroom.

I think I've had my eyes on every inch of plumbing now, and have had my hands an nearly every inch. Maybe I'll trust it soon. We'll see...

[Jim Blackwood]

I sympathize with you Richard. My Coachman had improper plumbing and I had to replace every fitting. What a pain in the patootie. But, once finished I was able to leave the pump on and it never ticked over, ever. Unless someone used water. Before that sad experience, every now and then you'd hear it bump. That only means one of two things. Either the valves are bad in the pump, or you have a leak. The leak being the most likely.

If you are completely confident in your plumbing skills (as you should be) and you can confirm the integrity of the entire system, then you shouldn't have to worry with the power switch, but it wouldn't hurt to have a cutoff by the door. Same as we put a switch for the water heater by the door.

I like the pump to be loud enough to hear it clearly inside the coach.

Jim

[lostagain]

We only have one water pump switch in the kitchen. It stays on all the time we are in the bus. We turn it off when we leave the coach for any length of time. Simple.

JC

[luvrbus]

I never turn our pump off till we leave the RV or bus,we have meters for water use they are about the most useless gadget you can have .when the tank is empty I fill it up and dump the holding tanks I never read the meter  I still cannot figure how you have battery drain on a demand water pump interesting     

[chessie4905]

If the pump is keep the water line pressurized, why not add a gauge tapped into the line somewhere to monitor pressure loss.

[richard5933]

If the pump is keep the water line pressurized, why not add a gauge tapped into the line somewhere to monitor pressure loss.

Good idea, but I'm afraid that if someone doesn't recognize the pump running by the noise it makes a gauge isn't really going to help either. I'm kind of on my own with monitoring things in the pump department. Just trying to make it as easy as possible to have things turned on/off as needed.