RV Water Pump – How to Install One and Top Products

With all the modern and new RVs being released today, an RV water pump is probably already included with your RV. Nowadays, RVs are comprehensive and complete such that they rival real homes.

If you’re unsure how to install your water pump properly, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to discuss how to replace a worn out and old water pump.

Drain Water Tank

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is to drain the RV water tank, making sure that there’s no leftover residue and that everything has been flushed out.

You connect a water hose to the tank’s base and siphon out the water inside the tank to accomplish this. You have the option to preserve the water that comes out of the tank by putting the hose into large pails or drums.

Once the water tank is empty, disconnect the link from the water pump to the water tank. You should expect there to be some water that falls out when doing this.

Remove the Old RV Water Pump

Disconnect or remove the battery from your RV. Then, using a screwdriver, detach the wires that are attached to the old water pump – the wires you’re looking for should be red and black. You’ll also find some hoses that are attached to the water pump. Disconnect those as well.

Remove the screws and bolts that are holding the old water pump in its place, and then carefully unseat and remove the old water pump from its place.

Install New RV Water Pump

Grab your new RV water pump and line it up in the place where the old pump was installed. Fasten it in place with a screwdriver, ensuring that it’s bolted tightly in place.

Grab some Teflon tape to wrap the pipes’ threads with. Then connect the outlet hose and the inlet hose and use the supported clamps to secure them both.

Reconnect Electrical and Water System

After you have the new water pump in place, it’s time to reconnect the electrical and water system. To do this, reconnect the water pump and the line to the water tank, and securely fasten it.

Next, reconnect the red and black wires that you disconnected earlier. Finally, hook up the battery of the RV. Now there should be power going to your new  water pump.

System Test

You’ll want to validate the system to make sure that the new water pump is set up correctly. To do this, start your RV to see if the water pump goes into standby mode. You should be able to hear sounds coming from the water pump, and this signifies that the pump is on and is working.

The sound that you’ll hear will vary based on the type of pump that you just installed. If you don’t hear anything, you’ll want to check the electrical connections to ensure they are properly connected. Additionally, you might check that the RVs battery is connected and working.

Test the RV Water Pump

After you’ve figured out if the new water pump is working, check all the connections and lines for holes and leaks. Then, fill the water tank to about a quarter of the way full of water.

Turn on the water pump and have it run. Go to turn on the sink faucet. It could take a couple of minutes before any water comes out since the water pump is still filling the lines with water.

Top Products

Now that you know how to properly install an RV water pump, let’s talk about some of the best ones on the market today.

Pentair SHURFLO RV Water Pump 4008

The SHURFLO 4008 is the 3.0 gallons per minute (GPM) RV water pump that is used everywhere. It’s reliable, affordable, and does a great job pressurizing the RV water system when you’re not connected to city water.

Pros:

• Direct replacement for most existing RV water pumps
• 3 GPM water flow rate
• Built-in check valve
• Can run dry and is self-priming
• 7.5 amps power draw
• 55 PSI pump shut-off pressure

Cons:

• Noisier pump operation because of constant speed – either off or on.

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Pentair SHURFLO 4048

This RV water pump made by Pentair is a constant speed, high volume RV water pump. It has an output of 4.0 GPM, and this 12v RV water pump has a 33% higher flow rate than the SHURFLO 4008.

Pros:

• Can use more than one faucet at once
• 4.0 GPM water flow rate
• Built-in check valve
• Able to run dry and is self-priming
• 10 amps power draw
• 55 PSI pump shut-off pressure

Cons:

• Noisier water pump operation because of the constant speed feature – either off or on
• You may have to upgrade your water pump circuit to handle the higher amperage

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Remco Aquajet

This water pump is a variable speed pump and is a high volume pump with an output of 5.3 GPM. This is the best RV water pump for RVs where you want to reduce the water pump cycling and when you’re looking for constant water pressure when using the RV water pump.

Pros:

• Made in the USA
• 5.3 GPM water flow rate
• 10 amps power draw
• Variable speed
• Can use multiple faucets at one time
• Can run dry and is self-priming

Cons:

• Might require you to upgrade your water pump circuit to handle the higher amperage
• Costly

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Conclusion

If you own an RV, the chances are high that you’re going to need an RV water pump. Knowing how to properly install a water pump is very important. And knowing which ones are the top products can be helpful when you’re searching for a new one. Hopefully, this article helps you identify and install a new RV water pump properly.