Clearsource Nomad RV Water Filter System Pump Will Not Pull Water - What Should I Do?

Updated 04/30/2026 | Published 04/27/2026

Question:

Good morning, I purchased this system from Etrailer to use at an off grid cabin. It has a hard pipe connection to a 500 gallon water cistern. The cistern is 12foot away and sits 2foot lower than where the pump is installed. I used 3/4inch pex to connect the pump to the water line from the cistern. The line that comes from the bottom of the cistern is 1inch pvc. The cistern is completely full. I cannot get the pump to pull the water from the cistern and am wondering if this system needs to be primed? Or maybe I missing something else? In the attached photo the valve on the right in the group of 3 is the incoming water. Appreciate any feedback you can provide

asked by: Isaac

Pump and valve System
(click to enlarge)

Expert Reply:

Hey Isaac, thanks for reaching out. What’s likely happening here is the pump isn’t primed, and in that setup it won’t self-prime on its own. You’ve got about 2 feet of vertical lift plus 12 feet of line, and with that air sitting in the suction line, the pump can’t create enough vacuum to start pulling water from the cistern.

You’ll need to manually prime the system. That means filling the suction line and the pump head with water so there’s no air in it. Easiest way is to disconnect at the pump inlet and pour water into the line and pump until it’s full, then reconnect quickly so it stays flooded. Also make sure every connection on the suction side is airtight, even a tiny air leak will keep it from pulling. Once it’s primed and sealed up, it’ll pull from that cistern without an issue.

expert reply by: Jesse M