Water Pump Accumulator

Aug 11, 2011
857
O'day 30 313 Georgetown MD
When I pulled all the old rusty pumps out of the boat, I also removed the accumulator. Ive replace the old motor/Belt driven pumps with new Jabsco units. Is the accumulator really neccersary?
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
It lessens the on/off cycling when the faucet is on, but it propbably does not eliminate it. Try it, you can always trash it later.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Not essential. It is a pump saver. It absorbs some of the pressure and then returns it to the system as you open the the faucet. Means there is a little bit of time longer water runnign before the pump needs to repressure the system.

If you have one it can help.
 
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jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
An accumulator is a big upgrade to a system lacking one. If it's large enough, like 2.5 to 4 gallons, you can use the water several times without the pump running; nice at night.
 
Jul 5, 2011
702
Oday 28 Madison, CT
What he said. Who wants to hear the pump firing at night, waking you up? I run a little 1 gallon Groco and that is enough to do the job. Charge it at bedtime and it's good for several runs to wash hands, etc. in the night.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Charge it at bedtime...
I wish I had a button I could push that would force the pump "on," and fully pressurize the accumulator, before lights out. As it is, the pump only runs when the pressure hits the low limit. To force it to pressurize you have to waste water, opening a tap until the pressure drops enough to trigger the pump. Since I mounted a pressure gauge in the head I guess I could just energize the pump with a button, bypassing the pressure switch, and hold it until I hit my high pressure mark. But automatic would be so nice!
 
Jul 5, 2011
702
Oday 28 Madison, CT
You are right of course. We typically do not run our pump up to shut off as I do not like to stress the hoses (Have had a couple leaks over the many years). So, at bed time there is little water wasted to get it to fire and charge.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
After the cruise, I shut off the pump and open the hot faucet to "de-stress" the hoses.
I do that all the time: before sailing when I'm going to be "upstairs," before bed, and usually anytime I don't need to use the water for any extended period of time.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Ah, gotcha. I happen to take great delight in returning to the boat after a week ashore and finding that with the power off, I still have water pressure!

Mine is always sitting somewhere between 10 and 30 psi (the switch needs to be replaced to restore the 20 to 40 psi range).

What kind of hoses have you? My previous boat had those clear, reinforced vinyl tubing that went onto hose barbs and was hose-clamped. I hated it. My new boat has semi-rigid, polybutylene tubing, with Parker O-ring fittings, which I love! I suffered through small leaks, drips, hardened, old vinyl tubing, etc., etc. This other stuff is really good. If you change over, I can advise on tubing (replacement for polybutylene), fittings, and the one tool you need - a tubing cutter, which is a razor blade in a pair of pliers, for square cuts.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
An accumulator is a big upgrade to a system lacking one. If it's large enough, like 2.5 to 4 gallons, you can use the water several times without the pump running; nice at night.
This. There are pumps that can operate without an accumulator, but they operate better with one. It is the correct way to do it.
 
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Jul 5, 2011
702
Oday 28 Madison, CT
I don't understand this.
What I mean is I do not leave the master breaker for the water pump in the "on" position, i.e. I operate it manually, switching breaker to "on" when I need some water. A full run might be 2 minutes to auto shut off. I run mine up for maybe only 30-45 seconds and hit the master breaker to shut off. This is enough water for 3-4 hand washings and does not result in putting lines under full pressure.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
What I mean is I do not leave the master breaker for the water pump in the "on" position, i.e. I operate it manually, switching breaker to "on" when I need some water. A full run might be 2 minutes to auto shut off. I run mine up for maybe only 30-45 seconds and hit the master breaker to shut off. This is enough water for 3-4 hand washings and does not result in putting lines under full pressure.
O.K., I get it now, thanks. Do you know the cut-in/cut-out pressures for your pump?

It seems to me you're living in a razor's edge, between 'happy, leak-free plumbing," at some max pressure, and "bursting pipes!" at some higher pressure.

A solution would be to install an adjustable pressure switch that you can set at a lower pressure for cut-out, and put it in series with the pump power. The pump will turn on at it's own low limit, and turn off with the new switch's upper limit.