I've just taken receipt of a new Bravo BTP12. Great bit of kit, however, it keeps switching to piston mode after only a few seconds of low pressure filling. I've tried switching off and on again but it repeats the same thing. I've tried moving the tubes around so there is air space around the valve and various other methods but all result in the same almost immediate switch to high pressure...
I suspect that you are not using the correct connector - resulting in the valve not being fully open, but rather being opened by pressure buildup. One to play around with....
By Jove you're right. I just compared the HONWAVE adaptor I bought with the pump with the original Honwave connector supplied with the boat and the adaptor I bought does not have the central pin to depress the valve...
If it's any help (and I AM on a roll here) the pressures in that system are very low and adaptors and hoses can be held in place with duct tape products. I prefer Gorilla Tape, but I'm picky. I expect that you will be able to use the original adaptor or modify the new one.
Yes and in addition if you are in the habit of having an inline dial type gauge on the end of the hose and it has a rubber flap non-return valve that extra restriction can trick the pump into going to HP mode too soon. Another reason as you wondered about is when the boat is totally flat the valve can be sitting on the fabric below creating a seal that puts the pump immediately into HP so you just need to pull the valve up an inch to allow the full LP fill.
For the Honwave in particular I bought a genuine Honwave pump blue hose that came with the OE connector and connected this hose as an extension to the Bravo one that's a bit short anyway.
Hi Fenlander, does the Bombard 380 state the pressure on the valves, I haven't unpacked the boat yet, will use BST HP pump on Saturday. If not, can you let me have the pressures for the various tubes?
It seems on the newer ones thay have not fitted the tube tabs (near the valves) printed with the correct pressure, just to the HP floor.... but if yours is older they should be there for tube & floor. Your instruction book if you got one will tell you but it is...
240mb tubes and 800mb floor sections.
If you didn't get a book I can let you have the important pages as images.
