Fresh water pressure problem on my 2014 385

Aug 25, 2019
12
catalina 385 Northport, NY
My new baby arrived about 6 weeks ago. Having fun learning the boat and some good sailing. on fresh water front, galley sink comes out weak, Head sink is just slow drip and not usable. but shower is ok. i tried turning on both water tanks one or the other and both at same time. Any ideas anyone (other than replace fresh water pump) ? Thanks.
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
Thanks. seems like it might be an air lock problem. i will check the aerators as well.
AIR locks occur on the intake side of a pump. The fact that you have flow to the shower and to a lesser degree the sinks belies this as the culprit. While the aerators are a good possibilities, I'd suggest that you inspect the lines to ascertain that a weekend plumber didn't crimp the line somewhere... It happens...
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
When you say "low pressure", you really mean "low flow", right? There is normally a "pump saver" screen strainer installed just upstream of the fresh water pump. It's not a filter, so does not clog easily, but if it's never been cleaned out, sometimes this causes low flow. This will look like a large lawnmower fuel filter, so just an inline bulge in the inlet line with a hard, clear plastic body which can be unscrewed after removing from the line. Undo the body, and you will find a mesh screen, like a window screen which can be washed. Alternatively, back-flush the screen while still installed in the strainer to avoid disassembly. Other than that, aerators, old pump with missing impeller blades, pulling air? Depending on the pump age, you may be able to disassemble and replace parts of the fresh water pump without replacing the electric motor itself - depending on how handy you are.