Galley Water Pump

[maureena5]

Hi All,
We recently installed a Shurflo water pump in the galley sink of our l982, 34ft C&C. We did this because the water pressure was so weak. The new pump has made no difference. We cleaned the faucet of all gunk and still no difference. Any thoughts or suggestions on this matter? Thank You!

[cditzen]

Hi there,

a couple of things come to mind. You could have air in the system, or your accumulator tank is going out. I typically get air in the system if I run it completely dry (e.g. forget to refill the tanks in time). If that''s the case, the easiest thing to do is to run the system continuously for a while to help the bubbles get out (works for me). However, if you have some real loops in your water hoses, air might just get stuck there, and you''ll have to resort to nastier methods.

The accumulator tank actually provides/maintains pressure in the system. Basically, the water pump turns on and builds a certain amount of pressure, and then shuts off. If you now turn the fosset on, the accumulator tank provides the initial pressurized water. If it''s busted, your initial pressure will be low, and the pump may cycle excessively on/off.
Hm, one other possibility is that you just set the pressure to low on the ShurFlow pump. If I remember correctly, most of them have an adjustor close to the inlet/outlet. However, this will only make a difference if the accumulator tank is working.

...Chris

[Headman]

Maureena5
You didn''t say if the pressure was weak at every faucet on the boat or not. If it is one faucet, look for a kinked line or something crushing the line or a trapped air bubble at the top of a loop. Is it hot and cold side? Accumalator tank could be problem, but I would think that would cause the pump to cycle often and the pressure to fluxuate accordingly. If the pump isn''t running and you have low pressure at the outlet, I would bet on a kink. One other test you can do is to turn the faucet off and wait for the pump to quit running then turn it back on. If you get a burst of pressure and then weak flow, look for the blockage in the line. I have had to take a spare valve assembly and break into the water system up-stream of the faucet and try it there. Then it is just a matter of isolating the section of piping/hose to see where you are loosing in. Try as close to the pump as possible first to eliminate the pump as the problem. Good luck.
Tom S.

[maureena5]

Chris & Tom S.,
Thanks for your advice! I really appreciate the insight. The faucet in the head works great. I''ll check out your suggestions. This is our second season with the boat and we are learning, learning & learning more. We''re enjoying great sails too! This board is great. Thanks again.

[yandina]

Remove the screw on strainer that is on the spout of the faucet. Be careful not to lose any of the little diffusers inside and take it apart and wash out dirt that has been trapped there, then re-assemble.

[atemplet]

If the above doesn't work, try the valve cartridge. Remove the handle, then usually a crescent wrench to back off and make sure there is no trash in the valve seat area.

good luck,
ap