water pressure pump wants to run continuously

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

wayne small

My water pressure pump wants to run all of the time but deliver very little pressure to my galley sink. I just filled both the stern and forward tanks. The valve to dock side water is currently turned off( 90 degress to the run of the line ). I have had this problem with the water pressure pump before but it seemed to fix itself. When I want to switch between tanks, I point the valve to the line coming from that tank and keep it in line with the run of the hose ( the same method I use for opening and closing my thru hulls ). Am I missing something here with this setup?
 
P

Peggie Hall/HeadMistress

Sounds like it may need a diaphragm kit

As a diaphragm starts to fail, the pump will begin cycling very briefly--just a second or so--for no reason...first maybe only once or twice a day, then more frequently and longer...till finally the pump will run all the time but not be able to pump any water. It's not an expensive repair...just be sure to have the make/model/year of the pump handy when you order the kit, 'cuz diaphragm kits are not "one size fits all" even among pumps from the same mfr.
 
D

Darrel

Air Leak

Wayne, Sounds like your pump is sucking in air from somewhere. Your pressure water system cannot have any air in the system. Check all the hoses and hose clamps looking for areas that could suck air into the lines. Its possible that your pump has given up and is sucking air in. Also, make sure the tank you are drawing from has water in it or you will just suck air from there. Good luck in finding the problem.
 
H

Harry

Make sure you don't have a leak

Wayne, Another explanation for the pump running is that water is flowing somewhere. After we got our boat out of storage, the water pump would run intermittently. I checked all the faucets first (during the summer someone usually fails to fully shut off the swim platform shower). I ultimately found a connection at the hot water heater to be loose. Harry Greenspun Bethesda, MD Hunter 456 - "Czech Mate" harry@greenspun.com
 
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
And another possibility, (Wayne, these are going

to keep coming) is that the pump diaphragm is contaminated. The Shurflow in my camper started doing the same thing as yours, last month. I took it out and checked it several times and could find nothing wrong. Made no sense. Finally after many removals, I washed the diaphragm in dish soap. It had a slippery feel to it, so maybe it needed a bath. That worked. It's still perfect. Good luck
 
D

David Knauer

Bleed air out

Wayne, Could it be that you just need to bleed the air out of the lines? Open all fixtures and let the water run. If it starts to spit at the fixtures - just let it go until it runs pure water.
 
T

Terry Cox, Hunter 42, Belle-Vie

We had three separate situations on our boat...

that caused the pump to run continuously: 1) low voltage resulted from a failing charger; 2) plugged tank outlet from a wad of sealant; 3) leak from a loose fitting. Terry P.S. Oh, and that will be $25 for technical advice; cash, check or money order acceptable. :)
 
W

wayne small

I'll try bleeding the air first.

David, This sounds like an easy to do and I will try it this weekend. I suspect that this maybe part of the problem. My galley sink has been known to 'spit' quite a bit lately. How should I have the valve on my lines set? I currently set them the same as I would my thru hulls in that they are in line with the run of the hose. In this position, they are in the 'on' position. I currently get just a dribble of water at the galley sink. Next is to make sure I do not have any leaks anywhere. I guess I will try filling my tanks again. If I should have to fill them too much then I have a leak somewhere. Not sure how to track that down but I suspect food dye is a good way to go. Thanks for your help.
 
W

Will

inlet air leak

I had the same problem on mt H34. The inlet cap was worn allowing air to enter the lines. To test for this: Connect the water hose to you boat and purge the lines. Turn off the water and try the pump.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.