retired4fun
Northern Colo
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Joined: 03/22/2002
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I have one of the midget Shurflo tanks. 
Actually think about taking it out. I don't think it keeps the pump from running any more than without one and I am tired of listen to the pump run several seconds after I shut the water off. Never did have a noise problem before the accumulator so I really didn't gain anything.
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aka chopperbill
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Reddog1
El Dorado, CA (above the fog & below the snow)
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retired4fun wrote:I have one of the midget Shurflo tanks.
Actually think about taking it out. I don't think it keeps the pump from running any more than without one and I am tired of listen to the pump run several seconds after I shut the water off. Never did have a noise problem before the accumulator so I really didn't gain anything.
I think you experience is because you installed too small of an accumulator.
Wayne
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pjay9
Tacoma, WA
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Joined: 04/30/2002
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I messed with my accum today trying all the different pressure settings and it still did not make much difference, so it goes back. But here is the funny part in my old Lance 880 withthe pump under the sink, I installed the same tank as above which i just took out of the new camper and it workd very well, keeping the pump form on off all the time... inever touched it after puttin it in...it just worked! I wonder if the pumps are different and that is the issue? I'll need to check...the old camper is a 1997 and original equipment, the new one is a whisper at 45#...hummm!!! Capt PJ
5 mins later: Just checked it is the same pump with 45# switch...go figure! I give up!
2005 Lance 1161/2004 Dodge CTD 3500 Dually
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rjsurfer
North Carolina
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What are you gaining with an accumulator tank or tanks? I can't see that the water pump runs less time overall?
Granted the pump won't come on every time you open a faucet and it might be quieter but what's the big deal, plus your just adding more points of possible leakage.
And I find with the pump going off all the time my wife and I are more cognizant of water usage and a slight leak somewhere might go unnoticed for some time with an accumulator tank, not so without one.
Ron W.
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JoeChiOhki
Keizer, Oregon
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With non-variable speed pumps, the accumulator evens out the pumps running to steady on/off periods. At low pressure outputs, when say a faucet is only slightly open, a one speed will strobe on and off constantly which speeds up the pumps wear out. Using an accumulator allows the system to only cycle the pump when needed to refill the accumulator, at which time the pump will come on a full, steady speed, and run long enough to refill the accumulator bladder at which point it will cycle off and not run again until needed.
While yes, if your plumbing is leaking it might not be immeadiately obvious, losing 4-5 gallons of water through a leak will show up in fairly short order if it is in a primary pipe and not a leaking sink faucet.
Accumulator's also allow for an increase in your hotwater heater's efficiency (One of their original uses, most use expansion tanks, which is another name for an accumulator, I believe there's a post here about it that happened in either this thread, or another recent accumulator thread.)
pjay9: Is your newer camper's pump a variable speed or single speed? Accumulators do not work properly with variable speed pumps.
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rjsurfer
North Carolina
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Still not convinced it's worth the effort, guess I'm just lazy.
Ron W.
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JoeChiOhki
Keizer, Oregon
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Don't worry Ron, I haven't installed any yet myself, though I could use one or two with the 10+ year old Shurflo water pump my system uses.
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pjay9
Tacoma, WA
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JoeCO..it is not a variable...looked at one today at Camping world and saw my pump also...150 plus bucks for variable.
Sooty1234 said he installed a switch...I asked him to post info and still don't see him here...hope everything is OK! Capt PJ
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JimBollman
Upstate NY
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I have the same Shurflo tank. I liked it but I can't keep the fittings from leaking. Because of space, I capped one inlet and put a T on the other side. Because of the adapters I needed to go to push on hose type connectors I ended up with 3 threaded joins plus 2 push on joints. I have tried teflon tape, leaked immediately. I tried silicone sealer, lasted a couple of months. Tried some special sealer from the hardware that is suppose to seal anything, leaked immediately. So currently it is out of the system till I can find different adapters or sealer to try.
I liked being able to get small amounts of water in the middle of the night with out the noise. Didn't really have a big pulsating problem to start with.
Jim...
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JoeChiOhki
Keizer, Oregon
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Did you try brass threaded fittings with 1/2" Poly-butyl lines? They have a compression fitting that squeezes down into the opening. Using a brass dual male threaded 1/2" connector with teflon fully threaded into the openings and snugged down should eliminate the leaking. You need two pex to 1/2" threaded fittings to go between your existing pex cold water line and the poly-butyl plumbing. You can eliminate the poly butyl and go with some of that steel jacketed rubber flexible sink line instead if you want.
I have an advantage here as I can simply T into the existing PVC cold pipe and add a female T, a brass male to male to thread into that, then one of those rubber and steel flexible lines to run to a stock expansion tank (Only one water fitting on those).
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