[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Hi
Been cleaning wfp only for 6wks but 10 years traditional.  I have a 650ltr van system with 2 varistream pugged into 2 flowjet pumps.  However some mornings one or both of the pumps just won't get going for about 5 mins. The light on the varistream will flash green on and off very fast.  I turn the units on and off several times, try sucking the pipes and then for some weird reason they will start working.
Could it be a problem with the battery overchargeing on the journy and getting too hot?  Or is it something else?
Has anyone else had this problem?  It's very frustrateing when you are parked on a customers drive sucking water out of a pipe!

Simon

[AuRavelling79]

Airlocks and/or battery low can cause those symptoms - tho' my money's on airlocks.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Should I just keep sucking then?

[Andy@w.c.s]

 Hi Simon
yes this happens at lest once a day
all i do is unplug the power cable to the pump replace it and start the engine and run it for a few minutes this seems to cure it
i am not sure why this happens it sometimes starts playing up after lunch when we have had the radio on or if ive been charging my phone ?
Andy

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Thanks Andy at least I'm not the only one with this problem.  I find it only happens though if I switch the pumps off for a while I normally leave them on for lunch as I don't eat that much.

Simon

[Andy@w.c.s]

Simon
we switch our pumps off even between jobs
the only other thing i can think of is that the battery starts to lose its charge and by switching on the engine it starts to charge again its on some sort of trickle charge thing 

[sair]

air locks only happen when people try to put pumps higher than the outlet of the water tank. pumps are not designed to pull there designed to push this causes many problems

it may just need the flow control turned up 

put pumps lower do away with hose lock  fittings and get some plumbing fittings youll have no more problems

jon guest or speed fittings will do m

if you want help can call or e mail

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Andy
I'm thinking it might be more of a Battery problem as they both come on at the same time today after 5 mins of messing around with both of them.  But it was on our first job after a 20min journey.  A few wcs down here in Basildon have had the same system fitted by the same man, they never mentioned any problem like this but they have all changed the chargeing system as it was kicking out about 18volts which fried the varistreams that they fitted themselves.  I'm thinking that if mine is doing the same it might be cooking the battery on the journey.  Does that sound reasonable.
Simon

[Andy@w.c.s]

Simon
Jeff 1 is our battery man
 if your cooking your battery the surely it would not work at all ?
maybe its just a lose conection ?
I know its something i can live with ,
I had all the electrics done by this guy he also wired up a strobe orange flashing light on the back of the van so as we will be seen on some of our more exposed job and if we leave this on for anuy lenght of time it seems to start playing up then
its just a qurk of my system ?

[brightnclean]

Rapid flashing green of the light on the varistream means low battery power. I should know. I left the sidelights on in my van all night recently

[jeff1]

Hi Simon

Here are the instructions on varistream lights

GREEN constant on  = Pump Running
GREEN Flashing        = Battery Voltage low

RED                           =  Power is on but pump is stopped
                               ( for example when user disconnects hose)

OFF                           = Varistream Switched Off

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Hi
Does anyone know what the voltage has to drop to for the varistream to say you have a low battery and not work?

Simon

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Think I've sussed what problem is, just in case any body else has a similar problem in the future.
Tested voltage on batt today it was okay at about 13.5.  The varistream worked.  Then took the truck on a 10 mile round trip, retested the batt and it's kicking out 16.65volts and the varistream are flashing.  It seems that the varistream will not work if the voltage is too high.  So the flashing green light can mean batt too high and too low.  The chargeing unit is from water-fed pole systems ltd.  But it doesn't seem to work with the varistream

I might get some pics of my system up, and hopefully a post on how it's been solved.

[Tim Morton]

Think I've sussed what problem is, just in case any body else has a similar problem in the future.
Tested voltage on batt today it was okay at about 13.5.  The varistream worked.  Then took the truck on a 10 mile round trip, retested the batt and it's kicking out 16.65volts

Hi there, you might want to get your alternator checked out, it may well be overcooking your battery, and it you might be risking damage to your vehicle's electrics as they are designed for 14.4-15v.

Tim

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Good point must admit didn't check voltage across the truck battery just the deep cycle battery on the system.  Will have to do that.  However the voltage measured on the system battery was 13.something before the engine was running and also when the engine was running but went up to 16.5+ after a long journey and continued at that after the journey even with the engine switched off.