Sorry if this is a repeat, but nothing came up through searching! First time owning a boat with a pressure-demand fresh water pump vs. a switch on/off pump.
Just brought hull #1120 (1991) up to Toronto from Manitowoc, WI where she spent two years on the hard. Everything seemed operational, but after ensuring BOTH fresh water tanks were full, when I turned on the the switch for the "Water Pressure Shower Pump" the following happened:
- Sump in the shower seemed to work from the switch in the shower area.
- Turning on the cold tap in the head turned the water pump on and flushed pink antifreeze out.
- Hot tap just hissed air.
- Pump continued operating happily.
- Turning on cold tap in galley flushed antifreeze.
- Hot tap just hissed air.
- Pump continued pumping.
- I closed and opened the two separate water tank valves with the pump going to ensure both were fully open. They were.
- Pump SLOWED (as though struggling) and stopped.
- Neighbour said it should stop after shutting off the taps.
- Turned galley cold tap open again and nothing happened.
- Shower sump no longer works (might not have been working earlier).
- Checked switch, turned on/off, opened/closed taps in both head and galley -- nothing.
- Also, the battery charge meter switch (toggle to see charge level on battery #1 or #2) stopped working.
- Everything else seems fine.
Ideas? Next I'd attempt to:
- Check for power at the switch.
- Check for power at the pump.
- Hot wire the red wires at the outside end of the water pump which I believe are likely the pressure sensor/switch, but I'm unsure if this the right thing to do!
- Unclear as to why the battery charge meter stopped functioning.
Might there be some silly thing I'm unfamiliar with that I should do simply to get the pump functioning normally?
Appreciatively,
Kevin
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada
Kevin,
Sounds like it could be a couple things, seems like you could have a plugged filter at input to the pump (if you have one there), as water does not seem to be getting from pump to faucets. Power issues (and maybe hot water supply issues) may all be related to the hot water tank. Check the drain on the h/w tank to make sure it has water/antifreeze in it. Check wiring and plumbing to the hot water tank to make sure that the breaker is functional. Disable the ac power to the hot water tank for now...
Next check your battery levels with a multimeter to ensure that they are at 12.6 volts or more..
Let us know what you find.
---- Howard & Linda Matwick ----
--- S/V "Silhouette" - Nanaimo, BC ----
--- 1999 C36 MkII #1776 M35BC ---
Going from memory, but I believe the water pump and the shower sump are both on the same circuit. That sounds like you might have a loose wire on the panel or a bad switch. Meter in same general area so loose connection, wire sounds plausible.
Where the boat has been on the hard perhaps the previous owner disconnected the waterline from the hot water tank. That could be the reason you are not getting anything from the hot water tap. I suspect the HW tank was also drained and it could take sometime to get water back through the system. So I would check the drain for the HW tank and make sure it is closed so tank will fill. Make sure the feed for the HW system is plumbed correctly to the HW tank for starters.
Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine
I'd also check voltage at the water pump. Also, are you getting 12v electrical to other systems? If not, check your grounds. Yes, the shower sump pump and the water pressure pump should be on the same circuit, but I don't recall where they tie together (series or parallel).
When I winterize Troubador, I disconnect the hot water heater from the water lines, and put a bypass line in place. I also drain the hot water heater, and leave the valve opened. This could be an idea for the hot water problem.
Robert Trinkle
Troubador, 1995 C36 MKII #1433, SR/WK
Universal M35A
Kinsale Harbor Marina
Kinsale, VA
Thank you Howard, Gary and Robert! I will perform all those checks as the 25 amp breaker burned out which shut down the pump, sump and (I'm sure) the battery meter. As the 30 amp hot water heater breaker was also burned out (i.e. it was not resettable -- the button lost it's ability to be reset) I suspect there's something shorted out in there. Also there's a leak of fresh water in the bilge in that area, so I'm suspecting the hot water tank could be leaking or open? (Might not be if the system was holding pressure though?)
I bought a bypass fuse holder with the removable auto fuses and will try jumping the terminals at the fuse panel to see if a 30 amp fuse burns out or not when connected (I can try using the meter, but I'm a dunce at electrical technical readouts...). This will save buying $25 breakers (ordering them) and burning them out.
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada
Kevin -
You must make certain that the hot water tank is filled before you apply electric power to the heater.
Otherwise, you'll burn out the heater element (don't know if that's why the breaker tripped). And do be careful "jumping the terminals" for that breaker -- it is, after all, 110 AC line voltage that you are messing with.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Had similar problem when commissioning our tanks this month. Turned out that the mesh strainer in the faucet handle was plugged with winter crud and so there was no relieving of pressure when opening the faucet. Unscrewed faucet head and pried out mesh with knife. Mesh was completely blocked with white material - unknown. Once the mesh was removed the pump started when the pressure dropped.
Thanks again for the comments/suggestions. Our boat sat on the hard for two years prior to our buying it, and the previous owner had clearly 'let things go' before putting her up for sale, so many little things are broken/worn. I replaced the fresh water pump and it work fine. There was a leak at the top water inlet fitting on the water heater that I tightened, which led to the underside of the aluminum tank leaking badly (I suspect that calcium in the water doesn't work ideally with aluminum -- after 24 years it was like Swiss cheese upon inspection). The heater is now on back order, but all the fresh water leaks are solved!
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada