Just bought a Hunter 410! So many questions

[stackwalker]

Just bought a ‘99 hunter 410. I’m new to big boat ownership. I didn’t get any kind of handoff on systems so I know almost nothing

I’ve got a few thousand questions but I’ll start with a couple that I have since we’re staying on it all this week.

How long should the water pressure pump take to charge the system? I’ve left it in for 5-7 minutes and it doesn’t stop running.

for the vacuflush system, I’ve been switching it on when we use the toilet and the turning it off right after at the panel. Should I be leaving that on or is it appropriate to turn it on only for use?

is there a way to isolate the house batteries from the starter battery when off shore power? I have a switch for draw from inverter which I understand the purpose of. But on my older boats I had a switch that I could isolate just bank 2 and leave the starter battery charged and out of use.

Those are the pressing ones for the moment. I got a good lesson on all the engine servicing I have to do today from the yanmar guy in town so that should be interesting.

thanks for any info you can offer!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

How long should the water pressure pump take to charge the system? I’ve left it in for 5-7 minutes and it doesn’t stop running.

it should be almost immediate.

for the vacuflush system, I’ve been switching it on when we use the toilet and the turning it off right after at the panel. Should I be leaving that on or is it appropriate to turn it on only for use?

I leave it on.

is there a way to isolate the house batteries from the starter battery when off shore power? I have a switch for draw from inverter which I understand the purpose of. But on my older boats I had a switch that I could isolate just bank 2 and leave the starter battery charged and out of use.

Depending on how it’s wired, switches may or may not isolate from a charging source.
The boat should have a means of isolation when not being charged, typically a relay ACR or similar. If not, add one.

 

[stackwalker]

The water pump stays running and the tanks are full so I’m guessing I have a leak somewhere? The faucets run so and the pump kicks up a notch when a faucet is on

The vacuflush makes a repetitive noise most audible in the aft stateroom behind the bulkhead. The toilet flushes but that noise doesn’t go away when left on

lastly my tank indicators don’t seem to work. Where is the holding tank on this beast? There’s a tank in the aft port lazarette but I think it’s the diesel tank of if I followed the hoses right. I’m going to need to empty the holding tank sooner than later as my partner has a tiny bladder and has been using the head a lot over the past few days

 

[Stu Jackson]

The water pump stays running and the tanks are full so I’m guessing I have a leak somewhere? The faucets run so and the pump kicks up a notch when a faucet is on

If you have more than one tank, there should be valves to isolate them. Do not leave both valves open at the same time. Opening both valves is usually the cause of pump running as you describe. Otherwise, you have an air leak somewhere in the system.

 

[marcham]

Did your survey pick up issues with the plumbing??

Do you have the original owners manual?

It might be worth while to pay a captain or mechanic for 3 or 4 days to go over all the systems...

 

[DidierRacoupeau]

Since one year i am a French owner off a 2002 Hunter 410.
I know very well This boat but i can reply only in french if interesting…

 

[feudalkaos]

Hello

I have a 2001 Hunter 410 and lived aboard for 5 years so I can probably offer some support.

You're water system is almost certainly leaking. The water pump should only be on for a few seconds at most unless a tap is open. One of the most common, and worst, places for a water leak is actually immediately underneath the forward head floor. We recently had this leak and it was a pain to deal with. The best way to find it is to open the forward most floor panel in the main saloon area. This should be where your depth/speed sensor is mounted. If you have a water leak forward of this point, this is where the water will pass by. It may only go past the weeping hole and so you would have to look into that hole or feel around for water. Ultimately, the water will always end up in the bilge.

For the holding tanks, the 410 is designed with 2 entirely separate systems, one forward and one aft. You should have a single 25 gallon tank in the aft immediately under the bed right next to the 5 thru hulls. You should have a second 25 gallon tank immediately under the forward bed. This one is in the forward most postion under the bed and only has an access panel so you can get to the top of the tank.

I cannot say much on the vaccu flush because our 410 only has standard manual pump heads.

For the electrical, you should have either 1 or 2 battery switches. If one, it should have 3 positions, "house, start, both, off". Setting to house or off with disconnect the start battery from the main system. Alternatively, you may have 2 battery switches, one on the aft side of the nav station and one on forward side. If this is the case, then one is for house bank and one for start and you can just shut off the start battery with its switch.

The small solar panel built in to the top deck is connected to a controller then directly to the start battery to keep it trickle charged.

I have attached the complete manual for the Hunter 410 which covers most of what I mentioned.

 

[BigEasy]

With regards to water pump continuously running, yes it’s possible that you have a-water leak as evidenced by having water in the bilge Or air in the system. You may also have a pump diaphram or pressure switch problem. Was having same problem with my Jabsco pump running & not shutting down. The model pump that I have has an internal adjustable pressure switch; making pressure adjustments didn’t help. Not sure whether the problem was the diaphram or pressure switch. Replacing both was 2/3 the cost of a new pump. Pump was 12 years old, so I replaced the pump; problem solved.
congratulations on purchasing your new boat!

 

[Benny17441]

The water pump should pressurize the water lines almost immediately after the valves are shut off. Failure to do so will indicate a leak or lack of water in the tank to start with. For example we once had a line disconnect from the cockpit shower fixture and the tank was emptied into the inside of the hull. We realized it when the bilge pump started discharging water non=stop.

 

[marcham]

There could also be a pressure tank in the fresh water system. With a torn or under inflated bladder, it could lead to longer cycle time for the fresh water pump.... Or there could be a leak (or more than one) and a faulty pressure tank.....