I'm brand new to this forum. Just bought a 1985 Catalina 30. Ran the fresh water tanks dry. Filled them both. Now the pump runs continually, and there is very low pressure. I read somewhere that the pump is not self-priming. Does anyone know what might be wrong or how to prime the pump?
How to prime house water pump
- Thread starter Berkeley 30
- Start date
You don't mention what sort of water pump,you have, but I think you just need to run the pump until you get water out of a faucet...this should ensure the pump shuts off correctly. Air in the lines will trigger the pump to run.
When I refill my Tanks in the spring, I just add water and turn on the pump and open faucets until they run water.
If your pump has run for a long time and still wont pull water, then we might need to know what pump you have.
Good luck,
Greg
When I refill my Tanks in the spring, I just add water and turn on the pump and open faucets until they run water.
If your pump has run for a long time and still wont pull water, then we might need to know what pump you have.
Good luck,
Greg
Welcome to SBO...
We can help solve many problems but pictures of your pump or model numbers help.
Make sure you have a open spigot when you start you water pump up.
Jim...
We can help solve many problems but pictures of your pump or model numbers help.
Make sure you have a open spigot when you start you water pump up.
Jim...
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Welcome to SBO
This in an older thread on the same topic that might help
1984 Catalina30 House water pump??
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...
forums.sailboatowners.com
I read that one but couldn't tell if his pump was running but not generating pressure, like mine, or just not running.
All potable water pumps that I am aware of are self priming. Most are diaphragm and if they do not prime is is because there is an air leak somewhere on the inlet side. If it is designed to hold pressure it must be self priming.
I just re-read the old thread I linked. The last post had both a “potential”
location of the pump and a solution I would try. If you can find the pump and confirm it’s actually running, crack open the outlet side and see what happens.
Good luck
It migh be filling up you hot water heater or flowing out of a leak. Check your bilge.
Before this situation arose, I would turn on the pump, it would run briefly, and then there was pressure. If I turned off the pump there was no pressure. Does that mean it is not designed to hold pressure. If so, does that suggest it might be a non-self priming pump? What does the fact that there was no pressure when the pump was off simply mean that something is broken?
Also, while the pump is running, there is some pressure, but only enough to push a trickle of water out of the faucets. I find that really puzzling. And, to make matters even more confusing, when the pump is on pushing out this trickle of water, turning off the tap does not cause the water to stop. The taps were definitely not leaky before. Now turning off the tap has no effect on the water flow at all. I feel as if some evil genie entered into my boat while I was filling the tanks.
Okay ignore the part about leaky taps. The taps just turn on backwards. One puzzle solved.
You have emptied the tank and refilled. Which means that your pump might have pulled whatever was at the bottom of the tanks. There is generally a filter/skimmer as per the attached in between the tanks and the pump. So this might be a dumb suggestion but it might be so dirty that the pump has trouble priming itself and giving a full flow. If so, stop the pump, undo the filter, clean and reinstall. I generally have to do it when I recommission the system each Spring. Good luck
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Depends...not too long, but if the water tank was drained and the pump is filling it, it could take 15 minutes...
How long did it run With a faucet open?
Greg
You might also check the little aeration filter/screen things on each faucet...right where the water comes out. Often, these can get clogged with sediment and other scale and stuff...the result is the “trickle” of water you are seeing. Same for the water line strainer that @Claude L.-Auger mentioned above...
Greg
Just found a massive leak. Puzzle solved. Now I just have to figure out how to fix it. Thanks to everyone for your help.
For a normal diaphragm water pump, if you have the system running and close the tap, the water between the pump and faucets is still under pressure and the pump will shut off once the set pressure is reached. The pump will then come on once the faucet is opened which lowers the pressure and triggers the pressure switch to turn on the pump. If you turn off the breaker for the pump at the switch, you will still get some water out until the pressure is all released. If you need to turn off and on an electric switch then you probably do not have a pressure system.