How to Install a Pennine Leisure Cold Water Tap Kit in a Campervan with a Leisure Battery

Installing a cold water tap kit in a campervan is actually quite straightforward once you understand how the system works. The Pennine Leisure kit is a simple 12V setup: the pump sits inside your fresh water container, pushes water up the hose to the tap, and the tap itself acts as the on/off switch. When you open the tap, the pump runs. When you close it, the pump stops.

That makes it a great option for self-build campervans because it is compact, simple to wire, and doesn’t need a complicated pressurised system.

What comes in the kit

A typical Pennine Leisure cold water tap kit includes:

• a folding cold water tap

• a 12V submersible pump

• fresh and waste water containers

• clean water hose

• waste hose

• hose clips

  
  

You’ll also need a few extra bits to fit it properly into your van.

What else you’ll need

Before you start, make sure you have:

• a leisure battery or access to your 12V leisure system

• an 8A inline fuse and fuse holder

• 12V cable

• crimp connectors or terminals

• wire cutters and crimpers

• a drill

• a 22mm hole saw for the tap

• a sink and waste fitting

• a screwdriver

• sealant

  
  

How the system works

Before installing anything, it helps to picture the flow of both water and power.

The water side is simple:

fresh water container → submersible pump → hose → tap

The waste side is just as simple:

sink waste → waste hose → waste container

The electrical side works like this:

leisure battery positive → 8A fuse → tap switch → pump positivepump negative → leisure battery negative

So instead of using a separate switch on the wall, the tap itself switches the pump on and off.

Step 1: Decide where everything will go

Start by planning your layout under the sink unit.

You need space for:

• the fresh water container

• the waste water container

• the pump sitting inside the fresh water container

• the water hose running up to the tap

• the waste hose running down from the sink

• the electrical cable running back to the leisure battery or fused 12V supply

Try to keep both containers easy to remove. You’ll want to lift the fresh one out for filling and the waste one out for emptying, so don’t wedge them into a space that is too awkward to access.

Step 2: Fit the tap

The tap needs a 22mm hole.

Mark the position carefully on the worktop or sink surround, making sure there is enough room underneath for the tap body and water connection. Drill the hole, insert the tap, then tighten it from below so it sits firmly in place.

If your tap folds down, check that it can move freely and doesn’t catch on the Sink, splashback, hob lid or nearby wall.

Step 3: Fit the sink and waste

Install your sink first if it is not already fitted. See How to Install a Sink

Once the sink is in place, fit the waste outlet and connect the waste hose to the sink. The supplied waste hose is 3/4 inch internal diameter, or 11/4 if you've ordered a sink along with your kit.

Push the hose onto the waste outlet, secure it with the provided jubilee, and run the other end into the waste water container below.

Try to keep the waste hose sloping downward as much as possible. A smooth downhill run helps water drain better and reduces the chance of standing water sitting in the hose.

Step 4: Put the pump into the fresh water container

The submersible pump sits directly inside your fresh water container.

Attach the clean water hose to the pump outlet and tighten the hose clip so it is secure. Then lower the pump into the fresh water container.

Run the hose from the container up to the underside of the tap and connect it to the tap inlet. Secure that end with another hose clip.

At this stage, the water side is basically done. Once powered, the pump will lift water from the container and send it straight to the tap.

Step 5: Wire the tap and pump to the leisure battery

This part matters most, because the tap is not just a tap — it also works as the switch for the pump.

You need to wire it like this:

• run a cable from the leisure battery positive

• fit an 8A inline fuse into that positive feed

• continue that positive cable from the fuse to the tap

• run another cable from the tap to the pump positive

• run the pump negative back to the leisure battery negative

That creates a complete circuit, with the tap interrupting the positive feed. When you open the tap, the switch inside it closes the circuit and powers the pump.

In simple terms

Think of it like this:

• the battery provides the power

• the fuse protects the circuit

• the tap turns the pump on and off

• the pump moves the water

If the wiring is wrong, the system will not work properly, so it is important to keep that order right.

Step 6: Connect it into your campervan’s leisure system properly

If your van already has a fused 12V distribution panel, you can take the feed from that rather than connecting directly to the battery terminals, as long as the tap and pump are still protected by the correct fuse and powered from the leisure battery side of your setup.

The important thing is that the sink system runs from your habitation electrics, not from the starter battery. That way you can use the tap without risking your engine battery.

Step 7: Secure hoses and wiring

Once everything is connected, take a few minutes to tidy it up properly.

Make sure:

• the water hose is not kinked

• the waste hose is not kinked

• the cables are clipped neatly

• nothing rubs on sharp wood or metal edges

• the water containers cannot slide around while driving

This is one of those jobs that is easy to rush, but a tidy install will save problems later.

Step 8: Fill the tank and test it

Fill the fresh water container with clean water and make sure the pump is fully submerged.

Check that the waste container is empty and positioned correctly under the waste hose.

Now reconnect the leisure battery or switch the 12V supply back on. Open the tap.

You should hear the pump start immediately, and after a moment water should come through the tap and into the sink. Then check that the waste water drains cleanly into the waste container below.

What to check if it doesn’t work

If the pump doesn’t run:

• check the 8A fuse

• check the leisure battery has power

• check the positive goes to the tap first, then to the pump

• check the pump negative goes back to battery negative

• check your crimp connections are tight

  
  

If the pump runs but no water comes out:

• make sure the pump is actually in water

• check the hose is connected properly at both ends

• check the hose is not kinked

• make sure the pump is sitting properly in the container

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Final thoughts

This type of campervan water setup is popular because it is simple, lightweight and easy to maintain. There is no pressurised plumbing, no complicated control panel, and very little to go wrong. Once installed, you just fill the fresh water container, empty the waste container when needed, and the system does the rest.

For most self-build campervans, it is a neat and practical way to add running water without overcomplicating the build.