My water system is spitting at me....

J

jmicklov

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This is the first time I've experienced the condition where it appears air is getting into the pressurized side of the water system. When I turn on the hot or cold faucet, you can hear air and water coming out.

I accidentally left the system and the vac u-flush head on from our previous trip the previous week. When I returned to the boat the next week, the tank was empty. It did not go into the black water tank as I had just pumped it out and it was still empty. But about 20 gal of water went somewhere. The bilge looked normal and did not come on abnormally when we went out the following week.

I noticed that the fresh water pump is coming on every 20-30 seconds, indicating it's losing pressure. I've ruled out the head, but that leaves 5 faucets left.

Any ideas on how to localize where it's leaking or somehow getting air into the system?

Thanks,
Jack
 
The spitting water probably is coming from an empty, or nearly empty, fresh water tank, where the pump is trying to pick up water and is sucking air, too. It also could indicate a cracked suction line from the f.w. tank or a loose intake fitting at the pump. Fill your water tank and open each faucet for a bit. If your spitting stops, then you just ran out of water. If it does not, then check the suction line from the f.w. tank or your pump's intake fitting (on the f.w. tank side, not the pressure side).

Your fresh water pump's cycling every 20-30 seconds indicates either a slightly open valve or a leak in your pressurized line. You'll just have to check each valve and trace the lines to see if one is weeping/cracked/open.

V/R
 
Good thought. Did not consider possibility of cracked lines. So, if air is getting in on the f.w. side, then the pump will push both air and water on the pressurized side as well, from your description.

Usually, this is indicative of the first time I turn on the faucets after it has been winterized and the air gets blown out. Once that's done on all faucets, it's just water after that.

Will fill the tank and go through each hot and cold faucet to see if the air is eventually removed.
 
quote:
Originally posted by williamabernathy

The spitting water probably is coming from an empty, or nearly empty, fresh water tank, where the pump is trying to pick up water and is sucking air, too. It also could indicate a cracked suction line from the f.w. tank or a loose intake fitting at the pump. Fill your water tank and open each faucet for a bit. If your spitting stops, then you just ran out of water. If it does not, then check the suction line from the f.w. tank or your pump's intake fitting (on the f.w. tank side, not the pressure side).

Your fresh water pump's cycling every 20-30 seconds indicates either a slightly open valve or a leak in your pressurized line. You'll just have to check each valve and trace the lines to see if one is weeping/cracked/open.

Click to expand...


Good post. I'll just add that a pump that cycles every few minutes could also be a symptom of a failed check valve internal to the pump. The water (under pressure on the output side) leaks back through the pump's check valve to the unpressurized side and the pump comes on to repressurize the output side.
 
Ron while this is true what happened to the 20 gallons on water? My money is on cracked line/fitting leaking into bilge and bilge pump is doing its job so there is no sign of it.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II

Ron while this is true what happened to the 20 gallons on water? My money is on cracked line/fitting leaking into bilge and bilge pump is doing its job so there is no sign of it.

Click to expand...


I was just adding onto the possible causes of a pump cycling on and off, not trying to diagnose your problem. I didn't want to repeat what Bill posted, just add on to it.
 
Well, it appears as though I had two issues. First, I found a small leak at the cold water inlet to the water heater, which may have accounted for losing all my water. Secondly, I could not find any wet fixtures anywhere. I filled up the tank and let the faucets run for a while. I'm thinking I never got all the air out of the system from when it was winterized. After shutting off the faucets, the pump cycled a few times at about a minute interval. After that, it did not cycle back on for over 10 minutes. Now comes the trial period the next time we go out. Listen for the pump....

Thanks for all of your suggestions. Much appreciated.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmicklov

Well, it appears as though I had two issues. First, I found a small leak at the cold water inlet to the water heater, which may have accounted for losing all my water. Secondly, I could not find any wet fixtures anywhere. I filled up the tank and let the faucets run for a while. I'm thinking I never got all the air out of the system from when it was winterized. After shutting off the faucets, the pump cycled a few times at about a minute interval. After that, it did not cycle back on for over 10 minutes. Now comes the trial period the next time we go out. Listen for the pump....

Thanks for all of your suggestions. Much appreciated.

Click to expand...
You might want to run out with the pump off. Turn it on when your ready to use the system. That way you can pay attention to getting to your destination. Once there turn it back on, you will know soon enough if the issue is solved.
Bill
 
Yep, that's what I did when we went out the last time before I had the opportunity to do the troubleshooting. Only turned it on to flush & wash (not in the same place).

The head will certainly get more use on the way back than on the way out ;-)
 
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