Freshwater Pump Issues

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Jun 4, 2004
67
Catalina 310 LaSalle, MI
Last Autumn, I winterized my water system by bypassing the water heater and running a couple of gallons of antifreeze through all of the outlets (faucets). Today, I drained the antifreeze, recommissioned the water heater, and filled up the water tank. Although the pump seems to be working, I am having two separate issues...1. With the faucets closed, the water pump seems to cycle on and off every 10 seconds or so, and 2. With the faucets closed, all the faucets are dribbling water...this only stops when I turn off the pump from my control panel. Question: do I need to bleed the water heater of air? I can't believe the gaskets would go on both of my faucets at the same time. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,667
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
You need

You need to get all the air out of the system or the pump will cycle as you describe..
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
yes and anty will do that

The air in the system will cause the pump to keep running. Anty will lubricate the gaskets on the sinks and cause a dribble till all of it washes off. Do a more thorough bleed. The circuit is tank, pump, cold water line to heater and then hot water line to the first facet in the cold water line circut. The sequence is to purge the lines from the pump to the last faucet. In my 37.5' the lines start at the forward sink, go to the aft head and then the gally sink so the procedure is: turn on the pump, open the cold water on the forward sink till air stops coming out, close it and open the aft head cold water and wait till air stops coming out, close it and open the gally sink cold. When no air comes out close the cold water and open the hot water. When no air comes out close it and open the hot water on the aft head sink. When no air comes out close it and open the hot water on the forward sink. When no air comes out close it and check to see if the pump stops cycling. If the pump continues to run you have to repeat the process. The first hot water in the purge is where most of the air comes out of the hot water heater so give that one a good long perge. Good luck
 
Apr 28, 2008
60
Hunter 340 Havre de Grace
filter

WHILE YOU'RE AT IT MIGHT AS WELL PULL THE FILTER ELEMENT AND WASH IT OUT THEN BLEED THE WHOLE SYSTEM AS NOTED SO THOROUGHLY ABOVE T
 
Jun 4, 2004
67
Catalina 310 LaSalle, MI
My problem is, as yet, unresolved...

I did check the Beneteau owners site, but that problem (although similar) is not the same as mine. In a nutshell, I have four outlets...the galley sink, the head sink, the shower in the head area, and the shower in the cockpit. When I turn on the pump, I DO get water from the galley sink, and the head sink. I get nothing from the head shower, or the cockpit shower. With the faucets shut, I get a steady stream of water coming out of the galley sink, and the head sink. The head shower just leaks and nothing out of the cockpit shower. This boat is fairly new (2005), and I had no problems last year, so I'm wondering what the hell is going on. The pump cycles on and off every 5-7 seconds. I'm thinking of draining everything, bypassing the heater (again), and starting all over to see what happens. I have been following the troubleshooting tips in the Shurflo owners manual...one of the tips talks about adjusting the pressure on the pump...why would I need to do this now, when I've not done this in previous seasons? Plumbing sucks and I am not a plumber, so any suggestions would be most welcome.
 
May 18, 2004
385
Catalina 320 perry lake
I'm confused

If I understand you right, both the galley faucet and head faucet run water when they are on. The head shower and the cockpit shower don't. Where I get confused is that you say "With the faucets shut, I get a steady stream of water coming out of the galley sink, and the head sink." So no matter what position your sink faucets are in, they run water right? You might disconnect the water lines (hot and cold) from the faucets and get 4 caps/plugs depending on whether the ends are male or female couplings and block off the faucet lines altogether. With these blocked and the shower fittings closed, the pump should pressure up and stop. Then you should be able to test the head and cockpit shower heads to make sure they are not plugged. If the shower fittings are ok then it has to be that the faucets need repair or replacing (not likely in such a new boat). Another thought, you said you bypassed the water heater when you winterized, did you drain it? When I bought my boat 5 years ago, the PO hadn't drained the tank and it split inside the insulated housing. You couldn't see that it was split but I couldn't get the pump to stay pressured. I kept finding water in the bilges and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. You might bypass your water heater while you are trying the other things, this would let you know if it is part of the problem. Good luck.
 
Jun 13, 2005
559
Irwin Barefoot 37 CC Sloop Port Orchard WA
You have me confused as well

First you should have some air in the system, in the accumulator tank. It is intended there so your pump doesn't cycle on and off when you draw small amounts of water and it smoothes the pump pulse at all times. You are not supposed to have air in the lines, and running the pump with a faucet open should purge that air. Your pump does shut off so you are building pressure. It comes on because you have leaks and two of them appear to be your faucets. Can't say more now. Got to go to MD Brunch> Good luck Joe S
 
Jun 13, 2005
559
Irwin Barefoot 37 CC Sloop Port Orchard WA
OK I'm back from Brunch

You evidently don't have air trapped in the pump and you are not out of water, or your pump would run constantly. It is cycling every 10 seconds or so, which is much too fast for the compressed air in an accumulator tank to be doing its job correctly, so either you don't have one, or it is nearly solid water. Your faucets should not leak when they are turned off and it appears they are. perhaps some water froze in or around the valve seats, screwing them up. Check them out and look further for leaks. you may have a leak at the accumulator tank (if you have one), or in or around the water heater. It is also possible that some water froze in or around the pump itself screwing up the pressure control. In other words your cut in and cut out pressures may be too close. I am still puzzled about your lack of water at the showers though. with all your other other problems I wonder if you misconnected some water lines when you connected everything back up. Re-inspect the whole system, look for leaks, and make sure your lines are all OK and then give us some feedback. We would all like to help you but your description of the problem is missing something. Joe S
 
Jun 4, 2004
67
Catalina 310 LaSalle, MI
Thanks Guys...

I'm not so sure I have an accumulator. I'll have to try and follow the lines to find it (if I have one). I don't believe I have any leaks in the system...everything is dry below the cabin sole. I do have the lines hooked up correctly, and I followed the exact same proceedure as last year, so I'm stumped. Also, with the faucets shut (and the pump on) there is a trickle of water coming out of the faucets...it's not full bore. As to why I get nothing out of the shower, or the cockpit, I am still stumped. Tomorrow, I will be going down to the boat to trace all my lines, and possibly go through the whole proceedure again. I just can't believe the seals would go on both faucets at exactly the same time. They were winterized and the boat was covered all winter, and if they went, water would not be coming through the nozzle, it would be leaking from the fittings (right?).
 
Jun 4, 2004
67
Catalina 310 LaSalle, MI
Update

Well, 2 problems are solved and 2 remain...I emptied my tank and bypassed the water heater to take it out of the loop. Nothing really changed, so I hooked up the water heater and bled the system. My cockpit shower now works fine (it didn't work before because the switch on the nozzle was in between spray and pulse...go figure). The faucet in my head area now also works fine, however the shower in the head still does not work and leaks like crazy when the pump is on. The galley sink still trickles water when the pump is on and the faucet is closed. I'm not sure if any of you can help me further, but I just thought I'd update anyone who was interested. Thanks for the help...I'll keep working to find a solution.
 
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