I want to put a fitting on my boat that allows me to use the water faucet at my slip for freshwater.I also understand that the water pressure will allow me to not use my 12v water pump.What do I have to do and where do I hook it up in the boat.For my how water to work as well do I have to hook it up on the out side of the water pump?Do I have to reroute some lines?Any help would be appreciated by anyone who knows how to do this.
City Water hookup.What do I have to do?
- Thread starter Paul Aubrecht
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Ours has a fitting
We have a 460 and it came with a hose hookup on the back of the boat. Have you checked to see if you have one?
We have a 460 and it came with a hose hookup on the back of the boat. Have you checked to see if you have one?
A word of caution
You should be careful with this hookup and never leave pressure water connected from land when you are not on the boat. Many boats have been sunk this way. As to how to hook it up, I would think will requre a couple of valves and a tee at output of fresh water pump, a hose inlet fitting and the plumbing between these items. One valve at the output of the DC fresh water pump so the water will not feed back through the pump and overfill the tank. The other valve to shut off the shore connection so your on board tank does not empty out the shore hose connection. There may be some simpler ways to do this with check valves etc but that is my take on this.
You should be careful with this hookup and never leave pressure water connected from land when you are not on the boat. Many boats have been sunk this way. As to how to hook it up, I would think will requre a couple of valves and a tee at output of fresh water pump, a hose inlet fitting and the plumbing between these items. One valve at the output of the DC fresh water pump so the water will not feed back through the pump and overfill the tank. The other valve to shut off the shore connection so your on board tank does not empty out the shore hose connection. There may be some simpler ways to do this with check valves etc but that is my take on this.
Paul,
This is one of the easiest upgrades on any boat. PLEASE heed the advise of turning off the water when you leave. Go get one of these: west #262865 http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=22416&catalogId=10001&classNum=71&subdeptNum=70&storeNum=11 Then buy a "T" the correct sze for the hose coming out of your pressure pump, and 3 hose clamps. Cut the output hose as close as posible to the pump, install the "T" clamp everything. Run your new hose to the deck connection and clamp on the hose. DONE..... The pump and the deck fill have check valves built in. If you put the "T" right after the pump your system will function normaly, including hot water. Pat
This is one of the easiest upgrades on any boat. PLEASE heed the advise of turning off the water when you leave. Go get one of these: west #262865 http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=22416&catalogId=10001&classNum=71&subdeptNum=70&storeNum=11 Then buy a "T" the correct sze for the hose coming out of your pressure pump, and 3 hose clamps. Cut the output hose as close as posible to the pump, install the "T" clamp everything. Run your new hose to the deck connection and clamp on the hose. DONE..... The pump and the deck fill have check valves built in. If you put the "T" right after the pump your system will function normaly, including hot water. Pat
Anywhere in the Cold Water System
Pat is right about it being easy to do. I would add that you do not have to bring the new shore water hose back to the pump. Tee into the cold water hose at any point and it will work fine. Bill
Pat is right about it being easy to do. I would add that you do not have to bring the new shore water hose back to the pump. Tee into the cold water hose at any point and it will work fine. Bill
Dont you have to have a valve......
for controlling the water pressure from the hose?It seems like the water pressure difference betwwen the Jabsco pump and the water hose might cause a problem.I guess what I am saying is,Is the water system on the boat capable of taking the pressure of the munincipal water system?
for controlling the water pressure from the hose?It seems like the water pressure difference betwwen the Jabsco pump and the water hose might cause a problem.I guess what I am saying is,Is the water system on the boat capable of taking the pressure of the munincipal water system?
reduce pressure
Town water pressure can spike and blow out a connection put an inline reducer between hose and the shore spigot these are cheap and just screw onto faucett. screw hose into outlet end do not turn water on without this i bought two and carry onee for trips to other marinas also all advice about turn off is good i would add DISCONNECT hose from boat when you leave, even for a shore dinner. . someone at slip will turn on wrong valve and you will be at risk. T.
Town water pressure can spike and blow out a connection put an inline reducer between hose and the shore spigot these are cheap and just screw onto faucett. screw hose into outlet end do not turn water on without this i bought two and carry onee for trips to other marinas also all advice about turn off is good i would add DISCONNECT hose from boat when you leave, even for a shore dinner. . someone at slip will turn on wrong valve and you will be at risk. T.
pressure reducers
The part I refrenced has a pressure reducer built in. It lowers city pressure to 35 psi for the boat.
The part I refrenced has a pressure reducer built in. It lowers city pressure to 35 psi for the boat.
NEVER
We have lived aboard out 450 for four years now and have never hooked directly to dock water and never will. Only one mistake of not cutting off the water from the dock and it can sink your boat. You boat will never sink from a leaky sink faucet because you already have all the water on the boat that can leak. I would just rather listen to the 12v pump come on and know that it shuts off when it gets quiet again. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it! Good luck.
We have lived aboard out 450 for four years now and have never hooked directly to dock water and never will. Only one mistake of not cutting off the water from the dock and it can sink your boat. You boat will never sink from a leaky sink faucet because you already have all the water on the boat that can leak. I would just rather listen to the 12v pump come on and know that it shuts off when it gets quiet again. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it! Good luck.
City Water Hookup
Paul, I installed a pressure regulating inlet on my 1984 Hunter,ran a hose to the outlet side on the pump.This will cause the pump "not to cycle on" when on city water. I do shut off the water at the dockside outlet, when leaving for longer than one hour! Several feet of hose,one tee and some clamps and no yard labor charge,which in my area is $68.- per Hour!!! A very simple installation and it's been work- ing for me for 4 years.I live on the boat. If the pressure regulator ever fails,it will dump the water into the canal,NOT into the Boat. Good Luck, Claus.
Paul, I installed a pressure regulating inlet on my 1984 Hunter,ran a hose to the outlet side on the pump.This will cause the pump "not to cycle on" when on city water. I do shut off the water at the dockside outlet, when leaving for longer than one hour! Several feet of hose,one tee and some clamps and no yard labor charge,which in my area is $68.- per Hour!!! A very simple installation and it's been work- ing for me for 4 years.I live on the boat. If the pressure regulator ever fails,it will dump the water into the canal,NOT into the Boat. Good Luck, Claus.
More paranoia. Several boats sunk this way???
It would take ages to sink a boat by way of a blown fresh water hose. It would have to blow the pipe/hose completely off, somewhere inside the boat. Then you would have to NOT notice. Then you would have had to leave the bilge pump off. Then your neighbors would have had to not noticed. Most of us here are better plumbers than that, aren't we? (I have no hose in my system) Once I learned that our marina has all live-aboard boats hooked up with shore water, (many live-aboards)I built the system into my 34 prior to launch. In fact, I placed an inlet on both sides of the hull, in former factory plumbing locations that we no longer were using. A shutoff is inside the hull on the starboard side, but only for convenience to save from having to step onto the dock to stop water flow in case of modifications or maintenance. I hooked the plumbing up just like my campers' factory work. Anywhere on the pressure side of the fresh water pump will do. In fact, that's the ONLY way that it can be done. The only problem with the new system is that the shore water pressure is too LOW. The inlet valves pressure regulator is set by the factory, very conservatively.
It would take ages to sink a boat by way of a blown fresh water hose. It would have to blow the pipe/hose completely off, somewhere inside the boat. Then you would have to NOT notice. Then you would have had to leave the bilge pump off. Then your neighbors would have had to not noticed. Most of us here are better plumbers than that, aren't we? (I have no hose in my system) Once I learned that our marina has all live-aboard boats hooked up with shore water, (many live-aboards)I built the system into my 34 prior to launch. In fact, I placed an inlet on both sides of the hull, in former factory plumbing locations that we no longer were using. A shutoff is inside the hull on the starboard side, but only for convenience to save from having to step onto the dock to stop water flow in case of modifications or maintenance. I hooked the plumbing up just like my campers' factory work. Anywhere on the pressure side of the fresh water pump will do. In fact, that's the ONLY way that it can be done. The only problem with the new system is that the shore water pressure is too LOW. The inlet valves pressure regulator is set by the factory, very conservatively.
Fred, I hate to break it to you, but
"It would take ages to sink a boat by way of a blown fresh water hose." Only about 4 hours, actually. I personally know of someone who left his dock water on for only a little over an hour one Sunday morning while he took his dog for a run...and came back to nearly 2' of water in the cabin of his sailboat...another hour and the boat would have been on the bottom. A few years ago someone on this site posted that he woke up in the middle of the night to to go the bathroom (prob'ly brought out by the sounds of gushing water) to find water almost to the top his v-berth. 8 was the average annual number of houseboats that sank in their slips between the time their owners went home on Sunday and Monday morning during the last years I was there. And this posted on another side just a few days ago: "Last week we had a boat just get launched of Fri and ran the boat in that night to get in slip... hooked up dock side water(turned it on) and left..... I got up Sat am to go to work and his boat was sitting on the bottom totally filled with water (over 4 ft inside).....the owner was in a was in a hurrry and did not check but the drain plug in the hot water tank had been removed for draining and not replaced... It was an unbelievable sight.... The rub rail was below the water..." I could list a dozen more...but I think that's enough to make it obvious it doesn't take much time at all for a dock water connection to sink a boat. Even the amount of water continuously draining from a hot water tank is enough to do it overnight. "It would have to blow the pipe/hose completely off, somewhere inside the boat." Which is exactly what does happen when the pressure reducer fails...which it will, 'cuz there are only two kinds--those that have failed, and those that will. "Then you would have to NOT notice." Easy to do if you're away from the boat or asleep. "Then you would have had to leave the bilge pump off." Nope...the bilge pumps on all the aforementioned boats were working. The boats sank because the volume of water from a hose connected to a faucet on the dock is more than even 3 BIG bilge pumps can keep up with. "Then your neighbors would have had to not noticed." Assuming any of 'em are on the dock AND right next to your boat. What's the likelihood of YOU paying any attention whatever to a boat 6 slips away from you until something happens to call attention to it? "Most of us here are better plumbers than that, aren't we?" Do you really want ME to answer that one?
Shore water connections are a wonderful convenience and very safe--IF they're connected ONLY when someone is aboard and awake to hear the FIRST sounds of gushing water and turn it off. Even as little as an hour can be too long to prevent a water-logged cabin..much longer and all anyone will see above the water is the mast.
"It would take ages to sink a boat by way of a blown fresh water hose." Only about 4 hours, actually. I personally know of someone who left his dock water on for only a little over an hour one Sunday morning while he took his dog for a run...and came back to nearly 2' of water in the cabin of his sailboat...another hour and the boat would have been on the bottom. A few years ago someone on this site posted that he woke up in the middle of the night to to go the bathroom (prob'ly brought out by the sounds of gushing water) to find water almost to the top his v-berth. 8 was the average annual number of houseboats that sank in their slips between the time their owners went home on Sunday and Monday morning during the last years I was there. And this posted on another side just a few days ago: "Last week we had a boat just get launched of Fri and ran the boat in that night to get in slip... hooked up dock side water(turned it on) and left..... I got up Sat am to go to work and his boat was sitting on the bottom totally filled with water (over 4 ft inside).....the owner was in a was in a hurrry and did not check but the drain plug in the hot water tank had been removed for draining and not replaced... It was an unbelievable sight.... The rub rail was below the water..." I could list a dozen more...but I think that's enough to make it obvious it doesn't take much time at all for a dock water connection to sink a boat. Even the amount of water continuously draining from a hot water tank is enough to do it overnight. "It would have to blow the pipe/hose completely off, somewhere inside the boat." Which is exactly what does happen when the pressure reducer fails...which it will, 'cuz there are only two kinds--those that have failed, and those that will. "Then you would have to NOT notice." Easy to do if you're away from the boat or asleep. "Then you would have had to leave the bilge pump off." Nope...the bilge pumps on all the aforementioned boats were working. The boats sank because the volume of water from a hose connected to a faucet on the dock is more than even 3 BIG bilge pumps can keep up with. "Then your neighbors would have had to not noticed." Assuming any of 'em are on the dock AND right next to your boat. What's the likelihood of YOU paying any attention whatever to a boat 6 slips away from you until something happens to call attention to it? "Most of us here are better plumbers than that, aren't we?" Do you really want ME to answer that one?
Shore water connections are a wonderful convenience and very safe--IF they're connected ONLY when someone is aboard and awake to hear the FIRST sounds of gushing water and turn it off. Even as little as an hour can be too long to prevent a water-logged cabin..much longer and all anyone will see above the water is the mast.
Peggie, I was referring to a 45 footer.
I think the interior volume is a little larger than on a 22 footer. Our hookups are with a garden hose. Maybe a garden hose can beat three bilge pumps but I wouldn't bet on it. Unless they were just shower sump pumps. And I see what you mean about the 'better plumbers'.
I think the interior volume is a little larger than on a 22 footer. Our hookups are with a garden hose. Maybe a garden hose can beat three bilge pumps but I wouldn't bet on it. Unless they were just shower sump pumps. And I see what you mean about the 'better plumbers'.
Fred, the houseboats are all 50'+....
Most houseboat fresh water systems are hard-piped. My friend with the dog has 37' a sailboat...I seem to recall that the poster here had a 36' sailboat...the powerboat that was sunk by an open valve in his water heater was 28'. They all had real bilge pumps, appropriate to the boat size. And garden hoses were connected to the dock water in all cases. I suggest you do a little research into the amount of water/hr or minute that 3/4" hose--which is the standard garden hose size--can deliver (which, btw, at average "city water" pressure is about the same amount that enter the boat through an open 3/4" thru-hull) vs the amount of water your own combined bilge pumps can remove...I suspect the result will be a bit of a shock to you. But it's ok with me if you want to risk YOUR boat...it is, after all, your boat. But do so knowing that dock water left on while no one is aboard is fast approaching open seacocks as the #1 cause of boats sinking in their slips.
Most houseboat fresh water systems are hard-piped. My friend with the dog has 37' a sailboat...I seem to recall that the poster here had a 36' sailboat...the powerboat that was sunk by an open valve in his water heater was 28'. They all had real bilge pumps, appropriate to the boat size. And garden hoses were connected to the dock water in all cases. I suggest you do a little research into the amount of water/hr or minute that 3/4" hose--which is the standard garden hose size--can deliver (which, btw, at average "city water" pressure is about the same amount that enter the boat through an open 3/4" thru-hull) vs the amount of water your own combined bilge pumps can remove...I suspect the result will be a bit of a shock to you. But it's ok with me if you want to risk YOUR boat...it is, after all, your boat. But do so knowing that dock water left on while no one is aboard is fast approaching open seacocks as the #1 cause of boats sinking in their slips.
OK Peggie, that did it!
I went out to the boat last night and got my watermaker running, put RO water in the tank, shut off the city water (inside lever, in the boat) and quit trembling! You scared the hell out of me! P.S. I've seen my boat flooded. She sat for 10 months at Crabbs Slipway on Antigua with over a thousand gallons of water in the main cabin because of hurricane Louise. I've decided not to risk that disaster again. Oh No, wait,, I'm insured now!
I went out to the boat last night and got my watermaker running, put RO water in the tank, shut off the city water (inside lever, in the boat) and quit trembling! You scared the hell out of me! P.S. I've seen my boat flooded. She sat for 10 months at Crabbs Slipway on Antigua with over a thousand gallons of water in the main cabin because of hurricane Louise. I've decided not to risk that disaster again. Oh No, wait,, I'm insured now!
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