Water Pump issues

[BradKW]

Hiyas!
I just had to replace my 1  yr/old Shurflo pump, and I believe a big part of the problem is that I loose prime in hilly areas all the time.

The pump is off when driving, but it used to be that turning it on usually didn't entail it struggling to reprime itself. Now it goes through that about every time when in an area with hills.  Not sure what could have changed, but won't be surprised if the new one has a short life too...these things just aren't very robust...

[GotSmart]

If you lose prime, then you have a leak in the system. It should stay pressurized all the time, even when turned off.

[tx2sturgis]

Question:

Is the pump above or below the water tank it is pulling from? I assume it is above the tank (if it is losing prime) if so, how far above the average water level?

And yes, they do wear, and can lose prime, if mounted above the water level.

[rvpopeye]

Mine does that too. Tx is onto the cure.

I disconnected the tubing to the pump inlet and sucked on it till the water flowed then reconnected it.
Only have to do it once a year and it tastes way better than gasoline.

I might try installing a check valve at the tank outlet.......someday.

[sternwake]

I have an on demand 12v pump mounted externally and at equal height with the bottom of the 7 gallon reliance tank. I have a stem inside that tank and a check valve at the very bottom of it.
The only time mine loses prime is when that stem loosens up. Occassionally when priming the pump( I pressurize the water tank with my air compressor) a bubble might get caught in the pump if I do not fill at least 1.5 quarts of water bottles after priming.

If I lose prime and neither of these two potential culprits are possible then i know I have a leak.

I will lose prime without the check valve installed. The check valve was installed almost instantly, back when i was using a quality hand pump, which was way more expensive than the electric one i replaced it with when it and its cheap replacement did wear out. My pump is 11 years old and pumps 7 gallons every 7 to 10 days for those 11 years.

Watch it fail tomorrow now. :0

[rvpopeye]

That's two votes for check valve..

Did you throw out the old pump yet ?

[BradKW]

Sounds like a check valve is in order, the pump is 18in above the tank and stays pressurized from the pump to the faucet so no leaks. Thanks for the input!

[Blacktank]

my pump is on the floor the same level as the bottom of the tank,no issues with priming,only turn it on when needed

[BradKW]

Apparently I'm a bit of a slow learner, as this is my 4th pump in 2 years.
First one died and I learned I needed to have it on a switch t turn off while driving.
Second one taught me I needed a dash indicator light to remind me to use the off switch.
Third one died to show me I need a check valve.
I'd like to say that I feel hopeful about the 4th one, but that's really not true ?