Water pump recommendations

[Hardknockskoold]

I’m building my bus now and ready for water system. Any recommendations on brand or sources for a fresh water pump and accumulator kit as well as any other items that I might be overlooking. I was looking at seaflow pump with tank but see other options thanks.

[turf]

I'm not into labels, so......

i'll go down to the farm store and get a noname 12v demand pump off their shelf.
look for one in the 3-5 gpm range.
look for the switch parts available next to the motor... as the switches fail.

my pump is 11-12 years old, i've changed the switch twice.

[Hardknockskoold]

Thank you is accumulator a necessary item?

[Danjo]

I got a pentair brand pump. IDK offhand which one, but it’s had a tough life and it keeps on going. I have a shower with a trigger sprayer and routinely forget to turn the shower valve off. One day I got a call from the storage lot. My bus is making noises. Turns out i left the valve on; the cheap shower hose had burst and all the fresh water was in the grey tank. IDK how many days the pump had run. I thought it was worn out but it’s still going.

[Danjo]

Pentair said the pump didn’t need an accumulator. I installed it anyway because I bought it.

[turf]

with a pressure switch and a small rv system, in my opinion, you don't need the accumulator/expansion tank on your cold water. the pressure switch is adequate. the accumulator may extend the life of the pressures switch... but thats less than a $20 part.

if i used an accumulator/expansion tank, it would go after the hot water heater. thats code for indoor plumbing. water expands when you heat it. the expansion tank lets it happen.

rv systems are so small that the accumulator really doesnt matter.

imo

i don't have one on my bus. like i said, i've had very few issues 10 years+ down the road. the pump only runs when the water is being used. the accumulator would make it run a bit less.

[Rucker]

I have one of the larger shurflos. Works fine.

Be sure to mount it on something other than the middle of a wood panel to avoid inadvertently creating a large speaker inside your bus. I put mine on a small piece of plywood standing off the cabinet under the sink with four rubber bungees.

It's also connected via two flex lines each half looped. The idea is that any vibration isn't transmitted to the plumbing system.

I have an accumulator and where it helps most is when you are running only a trickle of water out the faucet, it reduces pump cycling.

[Rucker]

And make sure the pump is very accessible so when it eventually needs to be replace you can access it.

And put a switch on the pump so when you aren't using the bus for an extended period you reduce the risk of experiencing what Danjo mentions....

[Hardknockskoold]

Thanks for input it’s my first build and hate doing things twice or more lol. I’m on fence with several things and of course budget is an issue. I’d like some ideas on hot water heater’s also. I’m setting my bus up to use as race car hauler-rv for family I can also carry family vehicle in back of bus I’ve cut and built a ramp truck inside rear of bus. So front 14 ft is living area. My shower pan and bathroom is framed in and most of the place’s I want finished are basically framed and covered I can remove panels still to do plumbing and any electrical work or anything else behind walls still. Needless to say Space to put things is dwindling quick. I still need a hvac system ,water system 12vdc and 110vac systems , mainly. I’ve already installed my 38 gallon fresh tank and in process of getting a black tank can I run a combination of black and grey water in same tank? Any input at this point is welcome.

[turf]

black/grey combo is fine. more water is better.

what is your power source for the hot water? which ever really works for you. some use tanks , some use instant hot water.
tanks have the advantage of keeping hot water in between power(gen) events.
instant tanks up less space.
if you get a small tank heater, i'd add up the gallons to your other tanks and look for a waste tank about that size... 38g + 5 or a 40-50gallons size waste tank.

if you have a flush toilet..... probably the only advantage for an accumulator, you can flush in the middle of the night without activating the water pump.

[rossvtaylor]

Yes, like Turf said...a combo black/gray tank is just fine. There are circumstances where you might need to keep them separate, such as being able to dump/sprinkle/vaporize the gray tank but leaving the black. But usually folks are dumping at a dump station and having a single tank with lots of liquid is often easier to dump than having a black tank with a poo mountain in it (that looks just like the poo emoji, if you don't have enough liquid in the black tank). Even better, I prefer to use a macerator pump which lets me pump out the combo tank through a hose into our house septic cleanout 100'+ away.

[Hardknockskoold]

Great information thanks guys I’m planning on installing a 40 gallon black-grey tank I wouldn’t mind going bigger but the dimensions I’m finding that are reasonably priced that will fit where I want measurements wise. As far as hot water I’d really like to find something that had propane and 110vac I’m installing a generator so I don’t care if it’s electric honestly.

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by Hardknockskoold

Great information thanks guys I’m planning on installing a 40 gallon black-grey tank I wouldn’t mind going bigger but the dimensions I’m finding that are reasonably priced that will fit where I want measurements wise. As far as hot water I’d really like to find something that had propane and 110vac I’m installing a generator so I don’t care if it’s electric honestly.

The nice thing about those 110VAC propane instant heaters is you can run them from a dinky little inverter if you later decide you'd like a quieter campsite.

Originally I had mine set up on a separate 250 watt inverter.

[rossvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Rucker

The nice thing about those 110VAC propane instant heaters is you can run them from a dinky little inverter if you later decide you'd like a quieter campsite.

Originally I had mine set up on a separate 250 watt inverter.

I think you have the same one I put in our MCI (and have installed in others, too)...and it works great. I much prefer it to the cheaper ones without the digital temp setting and actual temperature regulation, instead of vague water flow and gas flow dials.

[Hardknockskoold]

Do you happen to know manufacture of the hot water heater?

[rossvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Hardknockskoold

Do you happen to know manufacture of the hot water heater?

The one I'm referring to...which I think Rucker also has...is this Camplux. I've been really happy with it. I'd put the same one in my Crown conversion plan too, except the upright form factor doesn't fit as well in that plan (so I bought a Suburban Nautilus for that bus).

[Hardknockskoold]

Awesome thanks for the info That crown looks like an awesome project best of luck I’m a diesel mechanic- machinist if I can help you in any way lmk.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

the pump i picked up is an on the shelf item at the local RV repair/sales place and it specifically says not to use an accumulator. dont know why? i already had a 5gal expansion tank from work but didnt really want to take up the room.
have yet to try it out and my system is so small the only time it would help is the short term sink use.
this is a one person rig so the only long run times will shower.

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223

the pump i picked up is an on the shelf item at the local RV repair/sales place and it specifically says not to use an accumulator. dont know why? i already had a 5gal expansion tank from work but didnt really want to take up the room.
have yet to try it out and my system is so small the only time it would help is the short term sink use.
this is a one person rig so the only long run times will shower.

Most of these pumps have improved over the last few years and do a better job of reduced cycling. I think they advertise there is no need for an accumulator as a feature.

There's certainly no harm in having one.

[Hardknockskoold]

I got my pump and accumulator installed this past weekend. I’m happy so far it holds 2.5 gallons and the pressure seems great. Now I need to find and decide on a hot water heater and my plumbing will be complete.