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1980 Westy water system

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Andrew View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 1980 Westy water system
    Posted: 08 Apr 09 at 23:38
Hi, you Westy gurus!  Need some help with the kitchen water:   Last autumn the tap switch and pump suddenly stopped working.  The system is such that the little switch on the panel over the fridge needs to be 'on' for the pump to work.  Suddenly the diode (water level) flickered from green to red, occasionally came back to green for a second or to before packing up completely.  I've checked the pump and it works.  The switch on the tap also makes contact when turned on.  I can't get a voltage reading on any of the water equipment.   Must the water tank have some water in it to make the system work?  I'm thinking of the contacts on the tank which measure the water level and the little black box these are coupled to.  Grateful for any tips!
Andrew in Norway
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red Westie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 15:09
First thing to do is pull off and bridge the two spade connections going to the tap micro-switch (remove the cutlery draw to get to it) if the pump then starts to work you know it is a micro-switch or tap fault.
Other pointers......there is a bullet connector above the cold water tank (storage area) that is prone to poor connections...either the bullets come loose or the wires in the bullets..
Also try pulling out the pump from the tank and give it a knock.
Martin 
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Andrew View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 15:28
Pump works, tap works, still no power to the pump.  The lowest red light on the control panel lights all the time, battery level indicators work as they should.  Even with a full tank none of the water level diodes work.
Andrew in Norway
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badger View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 16:42
[QUOTE=Andrew] I've checked the pump and it works.  The switch on the tap also makes contact when turned on.  I can't get a voltage reading on any of the water equipment.   QUOTE]
 
1) How did you check the pump?
 
2) You say the switch makes contact - how have you checked this?
 
3) No voltage at any of the water equipment - not even on one wire on the tap?
 
I'd hazard a guess based on your above comments that there's a broken wire somewhere - the circuit isn't complex - start with checking the supply to the tap, bridge the switch if necessary; check the supply to the pump, if it's being supplied with 12v, maybe the earth wire is broken - confirn this by checking the resistance between pump negative and the van body.
1989 Westy California 1.9 AAZ
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 20:45
The pump is only powered when the panel is on - that's the way they were originally wired.  It is possibly worth cleaning all the contacts on the back of the control panel and blowing off any rubbish.  also, there is a regulator Zenner on there.  If it gets hot, the pump stops Ouch.  if the contacts on the switch are dirty, the pump does not regularly work - been trhough all these on mine and it is just a pain to work through - but there is an end.  BTW, if the pump is one of the brown in-line ones on the floor of the sink cover, check it is not split - it is a far quicker way of rusting out a Westy side panel than fridge condensation.
My van is better known in these parts than I am
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Andrew View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 21:54
Badger: I disconnected the pump at the bullet connectors and put a battery charger on it, worked fine.  Coupled out the tap switch and checked it with an ohmmeter, it makes contact when switched on.  Johnb: The switch on the control panel works fine, sending 12V where needed.  Earth contact ok.  All contacts on the back of the panel are fine and clean, even resoldered some of the joints as the green battery diode flickered.  Fine now.  I notice that a yellow lead (pump supply) which comes from a largish semiconductor (Zenner) seems dead.  Can this alone be replaced if defective?  The pump is quite new, from GoWesty, and is housed inside the water tank.
Andrew in Norway
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 09 at 19:26
It's a simple board, would not be a major problem to solder in if anyone can identify the component.  Maybe the larger submersible pump has blown the board?

The original early Westy pump was floor mounted and quite feeble.  I replaced mine with a Whale in-line booster pump which is quite low rated.
My van is better known in these parts than I am
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