[RPCCS]

I have a Shurflo pump operated by a speed regulator. I’ve had it for quite alot of years on either 2 or 3  on the  setting that stops the pump keeping to stop once it fills of water. The problem I have is the pump keeps stopping as if water is switched off, at first even with fully charged battery the flow speed is  so slow, even at 3 it still keeps stopping, give the pump a thump and it starts again.
 Today I had it up to flow of 4 which increases speed , after dinner it’s like a find pump , it can be reduced to 2 without any stops. The question is do I need to get a new pump wire up with the regulator operating  speed??

[Spruce]

I have a Shurflo pump operated by a speed regulator. I’ve had it for quite alot of years on either 2 or 3  on the  setting that stops the pump keeping to stop once it fills of water. The problem I have is the pump keeps stopping as if water is switched off, at first even with fully charged battery the flow speed is  so slow, even at 3 it still keeps stopping, give the pump a thump and it starts again.
 Today I had it up to flow of 4 which increases speed , after dinner it’s like a find pump , it can be reduced to 2 without any stops. The question is do I need to get a new pump wire up with the regulator operating  speed??

Before we start, please tell us about you speed controller.

A photo of the pump and controller would be helpful.

[RPCCS]

Thanks, here are some photos.

[RPCCS]

I’ve checked the wires in the  Varistream they’re all fine , pump filter is clean but can’t find anything thats making it kind of stopping to work.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I noticed your controller doesn't have the calibration feature that many modern controllers have which means your system is relying on the inbuilt pressure switch on the pump. It could be the micro switch inside it is failing. These cane be found on eBay and are easy to replace.

[Spruce]

I noticed your controller doesn't have the calibration feature that many modern controllers have which means your system is relying on the inbuilt pressure switch on the pump. It could be the micro switch inside it is failing. These cane be found on eBay and are easy to replace.

Varistreams do have a dead end feature.

[Spruce]

Thanks, here are some photos.

Williamson Pumps made Varistreams.

They recommended we disconnect the pressure switch from the circuit. I can't see enough of the photo to confirm this. However, if this issue is new, then we have to presume you have connected the wiring up OK.

The first thing is to make sure your battery is fully charged. Then I suggest you recalibrate your controller. Varistreams were calibrated to Shurflo pumps with setting "C" from the factory.

What I don't understand is that the pump runs fine on 2 but not on flow setting 3. This tells me that your battery is either low on charge or it needs replacing as it is not holding a charge. Tapping the pump to get it going is what confuses me. That could be low voltage or a worn out pump.

Then again, the pump I have connected to my Varistream is nearly 20 years old and still working fine.

I don't know if you have the earlier or the latest Varistream, but the instructions to calibrate them are the same.

[Spruce]

I don't think your controller is the latest VSD6 unit as it doesn't have the securing plate. But there is a sticker on the side identifying this controller. The first Varistreams didn't have a sticker on the side or a securing plate.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I noticed your controller doesn't have the calibration feature that many modern controllers have which means your system is relying on the inbuilt pressure switch on the pump. It could be the micro switch inside it is failing. These cane be found on eBay and are easy to replace.

Varistreams do have a dead end feature.

I stand corrected.

It looks very much like one of my old ones that didn't have that feature. Wasn't Varistream though.

[Spruce]

I noticed your controller doesn't have the calibration feature that many modern controllers have which means your system is relying on the inbuilt pressure switch on the pump. It could be the micro switch inside it is failing. These cane be found on eBay and are easy to replace.

Varistreams do have a dead end feature.

I stand corrected.

It looks very much like one of my old ones that didn't have that feature. Wasn't Varistream though.

I think there were a few that used the same enclosure.
They were just flow controllers that relied on the pumps pressure switch, a cheap pwm flow controller, a volt metre and on/off switch.

What concerns me about the o/p's photo of his controller is that the wires to the pump from the controller aren't original.

I always wonder if there something wrong with the connections inside. There is a plug that connects to the socket on the pc board.

A windie once put up a photo of burning caused by a lose connection. Resistance at this connection cause the heat as the cable was not tight.

[Spruce]

What we haven't said much about is your battery o/p.
When the pump starts to falter, what comes up on the controller screen?
If the o/p has a split charge relay on his van, does the pump and controller work fine with the engine running? If so then the battery is either flat or knackered.

[RPCCS]

Spruce, last night i unroll the hose reel bout, then refitted it with no kinks in hose.  Recharged battery last night and it seems to be working  ok. I’ll post again if there’s any further problems, Ive had it for alot of years now. With previous vans I had I was able to wire the pump to the alternator that charged the pump battery , but I have a 2016 Vivaro and need to get it to auto electrician and get the pump battery  charged off the existing  charge system .  Thanks for all replies everyone.

[RPCCS]

Two days I have used the pump all day on with revolution of 2 , it worked ok on both days. Once or twice I had a kink in the extension hose, but it worked as soon as it was undone. I checked the cable connection in the Varistream and were all fine no cables had come loose. I’m off next week so will try it got doing our own windows and see what happens.

[RPCCS]

M and C cleaning, you mentioned early about a micro switch in the Varistream and, do you have  name of the part to see if replacing makes any difference?   I took it out not long after buying the Varistream as it kept stopping the water , this is going back about 8-10 years, I can’t remember when I bought it .

[Spruce]

M and C cleaning, you mentioned early about a micro switch in the Varistream and, do you have  name of the part to see if replacing makes any difference?   I took it out not long after buying the Varistream as it kept stopping the water , this is going back about 8-10 years, I can’t remember when I bought it .

The microswitch you are talking about is in the head of the Shurflo pump. Williamson pump said to electrically disconnect it when using a Varistream. One of the pumps on my van has a burnt out microswitch from at least 18 years ago - before I bought the first MK2 controller that my son still has on his van.

The microswitch is a 16 amp one from memory and fits in the pressure switch assembly position 2 on the parts schematic.

[Spruce]

If your pump has been working fine for 2 days and now is giving trouble again, then I'm 99% certain your battery has failed and not holding a charge.

[RPCCS]

If your pump has been working fine for 2 days and now is giving trouble again, then I'm 99% certain your battery has failed and not holding a charge.

I have used it a couple of times whete it worked for 2 days before going flat and will try it again and might need to get a new battery , or get van wired up to charge the battery, I need an auto electrician to do it as it is an AGM battery and can’t charge a normal battery without this happening. On older vans I used to wire battery via relay but it can’t be done with AGM type battery.

[Spruce]

If your pump has been working fine for 2 days and now is giving trouble again, then I'm 99% certain your battery has failed and not holding a charge.

I have used it a couple of times whete it worked for 2 days before going flat and will try it again and might need to get a new battery , or get van wired up to charge the battery, I need an auto electrician to do it as it is an AGM battery and can’t charge a normal battery without this happening. On older vans I used to wire battery via relay but it can’t be done with AGM type battery.

If the battery needs replacing, getting a standard lead acid leisure battery is probably the best way to go. If you have an old van without a smart alternator, then it's much easier and cheaper to go this route.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

How old is your battery?

[M & C Window Cleaning]

M and C cleaning, you mentioned early about a micro switch in the Varistream and, do you have  name of the part to see if replacing makes any difference?   I took it out not long after buying the Varistream as it kept stopping the water , this is going back about 8-10 years, I can’t remember when I bought it .

The microswitch you are talking about is in the head of the Shurflo pump. Williamson pump said to electrically disconnect it when using a Varistream. One of the pumps on my van has a burnt out microswitch from at least 18 years ago - before I bought the first MK2 controller that my son still has on his van.

The microswitch is a 16 amp one from memory and fits in the pressure switch assembly position 2 on the parts schematic.

As Spruce says, the microswitch I was talking about is in the mechanical pressure switch on the end of the pump body, and if you disconnected it when you first fitted the Varistream controller then it is no longer part of the electrical circuit so it won't make any difference if you did replace it.