Inside this newsletter👉
- Why your water pump is turning on and off rapidly
- What a water accumulator actually does
- Is it easy to install? (Yes — very)
- The one we installed — works a treat
- Join us on Skool — caravan tips inside​
|
Good morning from rainy Adelaide,
How are things going?
This week I want to talk about something that drove us nuts for a while, the water pump turning on and off rapidly every time you wanted a low flow of water.
I'm sure you've had this happen many times before. You turn the tap down low to rinse something, and the pump just cycles on and off like it can't make up its mind. Annoying. And as we found out the hard way, it can wear out your pump faster than it should.
Why does it happen?
Most caravan water pumps have a built-in pressure switch. When you open the tap, the pressure drops and the pump kicks on. When the pressure builds back up, it shuts off. The problem is, when the tap is only slightly open, the pump pressurises the system faster than the tap can release it — so it hits the cut-off, shuts off, pressure drops again, turns back on... and on it goes.
We had our water pump fail because of this exact issue. We replaced the pump and installed an accumulator at the same time. Problem solved.
A quick work from our newsletter sponsor today:
What is an accumulator?
Think of it as a small pressurised balloon sitting in your water system. When the pump runs, the accumulator fills up. When the pump shuts off, the accumulator releases that stored water first — before the pump needs to kick in again. It smooths out the whole cycle, so you get a steady flow at low pressure without the rapid on/off.
It doesn't stop the pump turning on and off completely. It just slows it right down, which takes the stress off the pump and extends its life.
​This is the one we installed​
Is it hard to install?
Not at all. Very basic tools, basic skills. It comes with instructions and all the fittings. You just add it into your existing water line as close to the pump as possible, on a solid surface. There's a full installation video on the blog if you want to see exactly how it's done.
→ Caravan water accumulator — do you need one?​
This is something that we'll be discussing soon in our community: Plan Save Travel. If you would like to see what it's all about, you can join for free here.
​Yes, I'd like to join →​
Articles of the week:
10 Things We Wish We’d Known Before Our ‘Big Lap’ around Australia​
Read More​ |
|
|
The Secret to a Happy Caravan Life: Finding the Right Caravan
|
|
|
Have a lovely day
Tim & Margie
PS If you need to find a way to complete preventative maintenance on your van, check out Tim's maintenance schedule. It lists everything that should be done on your van in post-departure, monthly, yearly and more sections.
​Find out more here​
PPS This week, I'll be officially launching our brand new course, The Big Lap Starter Course. If you would like to get a sneak peek, check out this page :)
You may receive a few promotional emails (I have about 3 planned over the week). Please click here to opt out of those.
