Camp Shower

Read a thread on another forum, guy having the same problem ?? he ended up getting a bilge pump for boats, from BCF, said after 4 trips away, he is very happy said it was also rather cheap !! maybe worth a try ??? dazren

Hi Barry
I have had one for years no probs but here is what I do. As soon as I am finished using the shower I immediately take the pump out of the water, the reason for this is :- The air in the pump body would heat up with use and expand thru the shaft seal and when cooling down would suck water into the motor housing and as they are a cheap unit manufacturing tolerances would not be great so left sitting in water not running could also be another cause of water getting into the motor housing and causing a failure.

Greenant

Barry,

Charging batteries directly from a generator (even the top quality ones) is not recommended because the voltage is unregulated. Without a load such as a battery the generator voltage will be very high, as you've found. I wouldn't expect the cheap little camping shower pumps to survive this treatment for long.

Suggest run the shower off 12V, not 18 and it will last pretty well. We've used one for years. Certainly I wouldn't invest in a better, more expensive pump and then run it directly from the generator as it will almost certainly be killed too. Those little pumps don't take much to run, so the vehicle battery won't notice it if you run it from the vehicle.

Cheers

John

Barry, if you are connecting the shower pump directly to the generator's "12v" outlet and if it is delivering 17.82 volts to the pump then this represents almost 50% over-voltage against the pump's nominal 12 volt rating. A bit much I think. After three failures I would think that this could be a common factor.

The "12 volt" outlet of portable generators is not well regulated and is designed to deliver the 12v at the typical rated load of 8 amps. At less than 8 amps the voltage will be proportionally higher. As your pump probably uses less than 8 amps it will be subjected to excessive voltage.

Changing to a marine bilge pump may not help as although being probably a better pump it also may suffer from the higher voltage.

A simple way of reducing the generator voltage when using the pump would be to simultaneously connect additional load such as a 12v 60w lamp. This should then pull the generator output down to a more acceptable voltage.

I asked the same question a few months back as I was tired of my cheap 12v submersible pump type shower seizing up. Basically the impella rusts. One reply was to pump a small amount of water soluble lubricant through it when finished.

I've also been using a bilge pump I picked up from Comec in Welshpool Rd Welshpool for a couple of years now as a shower. Works excellent and never a problem with parts seizing up. You get what you pay for. Pump was around the $100 mark. Originally got it so that I could pump out of a creek if needed. Now have the shower hose and head from the cheapy shower fitted to it.

I had no luck with those little 12v shower things..lasted no time at all, so moved onto
the bilge pump solution..payed $50 odd bucks for one..worked fine for one trip.
Refused to start when checked for next job, so binned it too. Now have a 12v
diaphragm type..off ebay for about $60. I used the switches, shower head etc off the
dud jobs & it works brilliantly. Had to install an adjustable bypass to lower the volume
but easily done. We always like our shower away from the camp site , & if located
strategically can usually do without screens etc. Power by a Battery Booster means
distance is no problem. We use the same booster for lighting & dont need a battery in
the C/t. Re charge while driving via a 12v outlet in back of Jack. These type of pumps
are similar to those used in caravan & upmarket C/ts.....oldbaz.

Hi Barry, I have used a $20 yellow coloured made in china shower for 5 yrs....the only problem I have had was some grit caused the impeller to stick...I cleaned it...pumped some CRC onto the shaft/impeller & all has been well for the past 12 mths. I run the shower off a 12v outlet on the side of the camper. I charge the battery on the camper via a 15 amp battery charger/monitor using a Honda genny....I never charge any battery directly off the genny.

G'day Barry H (WA). Quote"When plugged into the 12v outlet on the CT no result"Unquote. Question. Does the new 12v pump work from the 12v CT outlet for a short time then stop? If so, for a short period of time and then requiring the extra boot direct from the generator, it may be corrosion on the working parts giving resistance. The extra boot needed to spin the impella, eventually destroys the electric motor. Possible remedy. Give the next new pump a spray of WD 40 or something similarly suitable. Probably a good idea to wipe off the excess after the pump has stood for a while. You don't want to walk around smelling like a can of WD40 after your shower.