Posted this on the "ask all sailors" forum also, but wanted to put it here too, in case this is something peculiar to the plumbing system in the h34??..... We're being distracted/annoyed by the 'water hammer' of the water pump pressurizing the plumbing system and pumping water when a faucet is open.... (its very loud!... feels like 1/2 the marina can surely hear it!) ....considering adding one of these 'accumulator tanks' I see in the West marine and BoatUS catalogs... but, "do they work"? I see different sizes - from rather small looking, up to a 1 gallon tank... and different pressure ratings, where some appear to be fixed and other seem to be adjustable with a bicycle air pump... ....looking for any and all feedback about how these work, installation tips, etc? Thank you!
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Jim Rushing
Accumulators
Yes they do work. I added one to my 35.5 to give me a more constant water flow. The larger they are, the fewer pump cycles. Not pump running time, but cycles.
Yes they do work. I added one to my 35.5 to give me a more constant water flow. The larger they are, the fewer pump cycles. Not pump running time, but cycles.
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Steve O.
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Mike D
Works for us !
Ted, We added one of the small Jabsco Black plastic tanks and it works well. I cut it in downstream of the pump, relacing one of the 90 degree elbows with a tee fitting. A valve was added prior to the tank to isolate it should there be a problem. Also, added was a drain line with a valve. This allows you to isolate the tank, drain it by opening the bleeder cap on the tank. THe manufacturer specifically tells you that the tank can become flooded in time. We know when it does because it stops doing a great job. We highly recommend it. Mike D
Ted, We added one of the small Jabsco Black plastic tanks and it works well. I cut it in downstream of the pump, relacing one of the 90 degree elbows with a tee fitting. A valve was added prior to the tank to isolate it should there be a problem. Also, added was a drain line with a valve. This allows you to isolate the tank, drain it by opening the bleeder cap on the tank. THe manufacturer specifically tells you that the tank can become flooded in time. We know when it does because it stops doing a great job. We highly recommend it. Mike D
Not going to help the noise
Ted: The accumulator tank does not help the noise, but it does keep the system from cycling as much. All it does is keep pressure on the diaphram on the pump. The noisy pump can be remedied by replacing the pump with one of the newer/quite models. You may also want try putting rubber feet on the pump mounts to isolate them from the bulkhead. I know that when I am in the aft bunk near the pump ours sounds VERY LOUD too. When you are in other parts of the boat, it does not seem to be that noisy.
Ted: The accumulator tank does not help the noise, but it does keep the system from cycling as much. All it does is keep pressure on the diaphram on the pump. The noisy pump can be remedied by replacing the pump with one of the newer/quite models. You may also want try putting rubber feet on the pump mounts to isolate them from the bulkhead. I know that when I am in the aft bunk near the pump ours sounds VERY LOUD too. When you are in other parts of the boat, it does not seem to be that noisy.
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George Kornreich
Small ones work well
The biggest effect is on preventing rapid cycling when the water is running very slowly (brushing your teeth, etc). I saw a very clever way of mounting the pump in a magazine last year and used their trick, which works well (better than rubber feet). Email me if you want the details (gkornreich@houston.rr.com). But Silence Ain't Golden in this case, as you want to be able to hear it a bit if you have a leak and it keeps cycling when it shouldn't.
The biggest effect is on preventing rapid cycling when the water is running very slowly (brushing your teeth, etc). I saw a very clever way of mounting the pump in a magazine last year and used their trick, which works well (better than rubber feet). Email me if you want the details (gkornreich@houston.rr.com). But Silence Ain't Golden in this case, as you want to be able to hear it a bit if you have a leak and it keeps cycling when it shouldn't.
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craig
ours blew up
our accumulator blew up within a yr of purchase. Prob. owner error but i would ask how old is your pump? our pump made that heavy racket, replaced it and that went away. could be your pump has seen better days.
our accumulator blew up within a yr of purchase. Prob. owner error but i would ask how old is your pump? our pump made that heavy racket, replaced it and that went away. could be your pump has seen better days.
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Ted
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Before you replace the pump...
Try mounting it on a 1" piece of foam rubber (you'll need longer screws). That should reduce the noise by about 90%. An accumulator will reduce how often it cycles. However, with or without an an accumulator, it shouldn't cycle at all unless somebody opens a faucet.
Try mounting it on a 1" piece of foam rubber (you'll need longer screws). That should reduce the noise by about 90%. An accumulator will reduce how often it cycles. However, with or without an an accumulator, it shouldn't cycle at all unless somebody opens a faucet.
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