Replace submersible pump fresh water tank
If the fresh water supply in the California goes on strike, there may be various reasons for this.
- The fuse has blown (you will find the 5A fuse under the driver's seat)
- The Microswitch on the tap no longer switches through
- The Submersible pump in the fresh water tank has given up the ghost
To identify which problem is actually present, we will first tackle the simplest problem. Check the fuse under the driver's seat (Fig. 1). The best way to access the fuse is to turn the seat. If it is defective, replace it and try again.
If it is not due to the fuse, you can use a multimeter in the cabinet by the fresh water tank to measure whether there is current at the pump. To do this, simply disconnect the plug on the cable that leads to the feed-through in the tank to the pump and then measure whether 12V-14V is present on the two pins when the tap is activated. If there is no voltage here, you should replace the tap. If current is present, then it is now time to replace the Submersible pump.
Workload:
approx. ½-1h
You will need the following for the exchange:
- Optional mutlimeter (check what is really defective)
- New submersible pump
- Pipe wrench
- Side cutter
- Stripping pliers
- Insulating tape
- Soldering iron
- approx. 20-30 cm wire (helpful, but not necessary)
Before working on the electrical system, be sure to pull out the fuse for the fresh water pump and check that there is really no more power at the pump plug.
First you need to make space in the cupboard by the safe and the fresh water tank.
The round plastic cover for the tank can then simply be levered upwards.
You will find two plugs under the cap, each covered with foam.
One goes to the water level sensor, the other directly into the water tank via a feedthrough.
Unplug both (push the two plastic lugs towards the center and pull carefully).
The water level sensor can now be unscrewed. It is usually very tight. You can apply a little more torque to the cover using a wide-open pipe wrench.
Now you have direct access to the submersible pump in the tank.
The hose on the pump is only plugged in and can be removed with a firm pull.
Now use a pair of side cutters to cut the power cable of the pump outside the tank between the pump and the plug. To be on the safe side, get as close to the tank as possible so that there is enough cable left for the new pump.
The hose can now be attached to the new replacement pump.
The two cable ends of the new pump must be pulled from the inside through the feedthrough to the outside. As this is not easy, we use a piece of wire that we push into the tank from the outside and attach the cable ends to it with insulating tape.
The cut-off piece of cable with the plug is now stripped and connected to the new cable ends. Our master mechanic Felix recommends soldering the cable ends together and then insulating them.
Now everything should be checked again. The sensor can then be screwed back into the tank and the fuse plugged in. The water tap in the Cali should now supply water again.
Have fun repairing!
Thank you for this article. It helps and I will now try my hand at repairing it.
LG Herwart
Vous etes formidable, grace a vos conseils nous avons pu reparé notre pompe
Encore merci
Je recommanderai votre site
Excellent Article!
Many thanks for sharing this valuable insight.
Do you have any additional info for California Ocean that has the optional hand shower at the back of the van?
Kind regards
Thanks so much!
Muchas gracias por el tutorial de como hacerlo , me ha servido de mucha ayuda