It looks like the water pump can be salvaged and repaired after all, saving a fat chunk of money that we can ill afford to spend.
Removed the pump for a second time and this time I have stripped it down to see 1) how it works and 2) what is wrong with it.
The workings are really very simple, a column of impellers each one forcing water to the centre of the pump and out of the top. The pump has a built-in check valve and there is also a supplementary valve attached to the top of the pump body. Both of these are broken and do not function, which is why the system could not keep water pressure.
With the motor and head piece removed, this is what we have on the marble workbench.
The check valve in the head piece has a split in the cap, I suspect it has been like this for a long time and possibly the secondary valve was added to cure that problem back then.
Looks like the pin supporting the valve cap has been screwed in too much. User error?
The secondary check valve disintegrated when I tried to unscrew it from the fitting, but it was already in bad shape and worse than the built-in unit.
I think this was already on its way out when we started to use the system and it then failed catastrophically a couple of weeks ago.
It is an ex-check-valve, it has ceased to be ...
So I need to buy a new valve and re-assemble it all for a good chance of having a water supply by next weekend.
My first trip to Remagrill tomorrow.
With all the pump sections opened up I might as well clean and check all the pump modules.
It´s a very simple design and I wonder if spare parts are available?
Plastic impellers
7 units with 2 impellers each
I love it when I know what´s going on, hate it when I don´t.