I recently purchased a 1984 Catalina 30. The overall condition is very good. However, I can not get the House water pump to work. No water comes out of either the galley nor the head faucets. There is plenty of water in both the forward and starboard holding tanks. It did work during the survey which was conducted only one month ago. Is it simply a matter of turniing on the house battery switch and the water pump switch at the navigation panel? The fuse is good. I have two house batteries which are fully charged.Does it need to be primed? If so, how do I go about doing that? Any troubleshooting techniques woul be much appreciated. Thanks so much for any advice.
1984 Catalina30 House water pump??
- Thread starter csharp
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An electrician once told me that if a pump motor hums, it's because it doesn't know the words...
You can really save some money and get some realtime, practical troubleshooting skills out of learning to use a multimeter. 12 VDC measured right at the wires to the motor and, concurrently, you also do not see any flow through the clear (but nylon re-enforced) vinyl water tubing, means a new pump is needed. Most all of the RV/Marine fresh water pumps are self-priming. I wouldn't expect the supply water tubing going to the galley, AND the head sink would BOTH be clogged. So if you got voltage but nuttin' else, I would think: new pump. You should look for the manufacturer's data online. We have a Shurflo in our '84: http://www.shurflo.com/marine-products/marine-pumps/fresh-water-pumps/default.html
Rob
You can really save some money and get some realtime, practical troubleshooting skills out of learning to use a multimeter. 12 VDC measured right at the wires to the motor and, concurrently, you also do not see any flow through the clear (but nylon re-enforced) vinyl water tubing, means a new pump is needed. Most all of the RV/Marine fresh water pumps are self-priming. I wouldn't expect the supply water tubing going to the galley, AND the head sink would BOTH be clogged. So if you got voltage but nuttin' else, I would think: new pump. You should look for the manufacturer's data online. We have a Shurflo in our '84: http://www.shurflo.com/marine-products/marine-pumps/fresh-water-pumps/default.html
Rob
My 1982 should be the same as yours ...there is a water shutoff next to the fuel tank under the quarter berth as well as one at the v berth tank accesable by opening the door under the v berth at the step up
Make sure you have water
Make sure you have water
The older (80's) boats have a pump that is not self-priming.If your turn on the pump and hear it run either you need to prime or the diaphragm is cracked and a new pump is in order($120). Do yourself a favor and get rid of your 29 yr old pump and replace it and then forget about it.
Troubleshoot your wiring first to determine where is the problem. If it is wiring, a new pump will not fix that, just frusturating and expensive. Then evaluate whether or not a new pump is required. my thoughts, good luck!
I have replaced several pumps over the years so here is my procedure. Others might offer a different pathway, but for just being an old garage mechanic here is how I would approach it.
As aforementioned by others heres the drill:
First, do you have water in the tanks (v-berth and starboard settee tanks)? Are the flow valves open at the bottom of the tanks? Yes, then so far so good, we have a water source. I doubt you have any blockage, but you can always disconnect a line from the pump to check flow (even graviity flow) as you follow procedures.
Locate and maintain the best acces to the pump you can. Get the cushions far away as they may get wet! Make sure the water pump switch on the panel is on and your battery switch on (both batteries). Any sound from the pump? Feel any vibration on the pump? No? Even a dry pump will make noise.
Panel switch off..............find the two wires coming off the pump (proabably red and black) and if taped to another wire remove the tape so you can test the connection. Use a multi-meter, DC tester, etec, to check the circuit (once you turn back on the switch). Any current in line to the pump? Yes? Pump not running? The pump is dead........................
No current in the line? Fuse/breaker, damage in the line, faulty connection somewhere. Switch is probably the culprit. Remove another switch from the panel thats good (nav lights for example) and try that in the place of the pump switch. Work? Replace the old switch. Check the pump again.
You can always remove the pump and bench test by just adding juice to the connections. Simple 12-volt motor. It spins or does not spin.
When replacing a fresh water pump its a great idea to add an in-line accumulator that will add pressure, water reservoir and longevitiy to the system. They simply install in-line and will provide better water pressure, especially that shower!
Replacing a water pump is quite easy. Make sure you buy one with the same specs (water pressure, voltage, etc) as the old one. Its a good time to replace fittings, hose and clamps as well.
Good luck and let us know what you find
Bob
1988 Mark II
As aforementioned by others heres the drill:
First, do you have water in the tanks (v-berth and starboard settee tanks)? Are the flow valves open at the bottom of the tanks? Yes, then so far so good, we have a water source. I doubt you have any blockage, but you can always disconnect a line from the pump to check flow (even graviity flow) as you follow procedures.
Locate and maintain the best acces to the pump you can. Get the cushions far away as they may get wet! Make sure the water pump switch on the panel is on and your battery switch on (both batteries). Any sound from the pump? Feel any vibration on the pump? No? Even a dry pump will make noise.
Panel switch off..............find the two wires coming off the pump (proabably red and black) and if taped to another wire remove the tape so you can test the connection. Use a multi-meter, DC tester, etec, to check the circuit (once you turn back on the switch). Any current in line to the pump? Yes? Pump not running? The pump is dead........................
No current in the line? Fuse/breaker, damage in the line, faulty connection somewhere. Switch is probably the culprit. Remove another switch from the panel thats good (nav lights for example) and try that in the place of the pump switch. Work? Replace the old switch. Check the pump again.
You can always remove the pump and bench test by just adding juice to the connections. Simple 12-volt motor. It spins or does not spin.
When replacing a fresh water pump its a great idea to add an in-line accumulator that will add pressure, water reservoir and longevitiy to the system. They simply install in-line and will provide better water pressure, especially that shower!
Replacing a water pump is quite easy. Make sure you buy one with the same specs (water pressure, voltage, etc) as the old one. Its a good time to replace fittings, hose and clamps as well.
Good luck and let us know what you find
Bob
1988 Mark II
I replaced my water pump with a FloJet from Campersworld $90.00. My wife fried it on our last trip out last season. When I replaced it it worked fine then next trip it didn't . Used a multimeter to find out the problem was in the DP. Turned out the breaker wires were dirty. Cleaned them and everything is working fine. Good advice by everyone as usual. Good luck and welcome.
I have found that invariably, electrical component problems relate to wiring issues rather than the component itself. Also, the components are rarely fixable but are easy to determine working condition.
for what it is worth, Randy
for what it is worth, Randy
I agree with everyone else's assessment that it is likely an electrical malfunction of power not getting to the pump causing the problem. The pump should hum or vibrate if its getting power. My pump has a pressure switch wired from the faucets to the pump, which controls the pressure on off switch.
I also agree that a lot of 80's era pumps are not self priming, as a Sureflo that I used to have on our previous S 2 had to be primed in the spring after it was drained of water from winterizing. If you have the original Catalina fuse panel it is notorious for getting corrosion at the fuse terminals that can inhinbit electrical flow. Good luck.
I also agree that a lot of 80's era pumps are not self priming, as a Sureflo that I used to have on our previous S 2 had to be primed in the spring after it was drained of water from winterizing. If you have the original Catalina fuse panel it is notorious for getting corrosion at the fuse terminals that can inhinbit electrical flow. Good luck.
I note that the bottom of the water tank(s) is(are) pretty low in the hull. If the domestic water pump is not self-priming then the pump must always be lower than the tank water level if it is to function.
Rob
Rob
Occasionally, the fresh water pump on my '81 doesn't work. It quickly returns to service with a few sharp taps with a screwdriver handle!
If the pump is running and you have water try disconnecting the outlet side of the pump and turningbit on this is a common problem aftercdraing the tanks and it is called an air lock ..I have tobdo it on both my boat and rv aftet running the system out of water
Hey, Bob, I know it's been awhile since you visited this subject, but can you give me some idea where I can find my water pump? I have an '81 C-38. The pump is constantly running, but no water is coming from the taps. Plenty of water in the tank. For now power is off to the pump. The boat had just gone through some tough sailing.
I had a similar problem during commissioning last spring of my 1988 C30. The pump worked fine in the fall, but would not pump water in the spring. It is a Shur-Flo Aqua King. I checked all the electrical issues and determined that it had proper power connections. The pump is rated for "run dry" conditions, so I take that as self priming. Also, I don't remember that it made a lot of noise in this condition.
I called Shur-Flo (or a rep., I don't remember) and he suggested that I could easily take apart the pump diaphragm and check it out. There are some o-rings that can be replaced.
Before doing that, however, I disconnected the water inlet to be sure that water from the full tanks (with open valves) was actually getting to the pump inlet. Sure enough, there was water flow to the pump. I reconnected the water inlet and tried the pump once again. It worked! Maybe there was an air bubble? I don't know, but it worked all last season without a hitch. It'll be interesting to see if I have the same problem again next spring.
I called Shur-Flo (or a rep., I don't remember) and he suggested that I could easily take apart the pump diaphragm and check it out. There are some o-rings that can be replaced.
Before doing that, however, I disconnected the water inlet to be sure that water from the full tanks (with open valves) was actually getting to the pump inlet. Sure enough, there was water flow to the pump. I reconnected the water inlet and tried the pump once again. It worked! Maybe there was an air bubble? I don't know, but it worked all last season without a hitch. It'll be interesting to see if I have the same problem again next spring.
Update. I revisited my boat determined to find the problem. The pump was definitely working but nothing was going to the taps. I checked the in-line water filter and that was fine. I located the pump below the galley sink. I loosened the outflow hose to see if anything was coming out. I turned on the pump, which had been running constantly, and I started getting air and water which I just let flow into the bilge for a moment. I let it ruin about 15 or 20 seconds and the tightened the outflow fitting. All fixed. My theory: air in the line. I bled it like a break cylinder and it's working perfectly. Fixing the fresh water supply emboldened me to try fixing the freezer. Fixing only entailed connecting the hot and ground leads to the compressor, turning on the circuit breaker and adjusting the cooling level within the freezer compartment. It's running and I'm hopeful. Thanks for everyone's input. I think this forum is invaluable
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