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Old 08-11-2018, 03:00 PM   #21
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I have been know to create solutions where there really aren’t any problems. However, I really have a hard time understanding the OPs need/desire for such a device. I would go along with the keep it simple approach.
It was easy for me. The OP wants to keep his tanks full all the time when at the dock for his own reasons that he has stated and is looking for a way to achieve this. For him, this isn't creating a solution without a problem.

I like the idea for a different reason. To me, adding water to my tanks is a PIA. I've even considered asking the boat washer to fill my tanks for an extra fee. This is not too different from swimming pool owners feeling that adding water to their pool weekly in the summer is a pain (I'm sure many here can relate), so builders now build pools with an auto-water-fill system. Why not boat water tanks too.
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Old 08-11-2018, 05:39 PM   #22
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In the RV world, this has been done, so go look at some of the solutions there.
I can't inspect the plumbing in my motorhome, but with the "auto tank fill" switch on, I get both a full tank and street pressure inside the motorhome. With that switch "off" I still get street pressure. When disconnected from the street line, doesn't matter what position that switch is in, but the on board pump has to be on to get any pressure inside.
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Old 08-12-2018, 05:13 AM   #23
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"With that switch "off" I still get street pressure."

Depending on the town this can easily be 90 PSI or more, far above what many boat or RV are built to handle.

Some cruisers use a pressure regulator at the hose , others install a better regulator on board.
Due to local hard water these need to be repairable devices.
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Old 08-12-2018, 09:14 AM   #24
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Quote:
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"With that switch "off" I still get street pressure."

Depending on the town this can easily be 90 PSI or more, far above what many boat or RV are built to handle.

Some cruisers use a pressure regulator at the hose , others install a better regulator on board.
Due to local hard water these need to be repairable devices.
I guess my post was incomplete.
Naturally, there are other factors to consider, such as street pressure, water hardness, chlorination, filtration, etc. Once addressed, the incoming water is under control.
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Old 08-12-2018, 12:52 PM   #25
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Professor Henry Higgins asked "Why can't a woman be more like a man?"


It's just the nature of a boat, when filled with water, they sink. Auto-sink mode, no thanks.
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Old 08-13-2018, 07:54 AM   #26
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Can I suggest -even though it sounds a bit strange a toilet float mechanism rigged into the top of the tank- just don’t use a used
one
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Old 08-13-2018, 09:46 AM   #27
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Livestock water tanks have automatic fill systems.

But they're generally not on boats. Maybe the Ark had one. Until it sank.
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Old 08-13-2018, 10:42 AM   #28
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Livingaboard in the winter near Toronto we have heated water lines from the shore to the boat.
I use the shorewater inlet with a ball valve where it enters the boat.
My water pump is easily accessible and I have put a bypass before and after the pump with another ball valve. When the tanks are low I open the shorewater valve and open the bypass valve so city water fills the tank. Then I shut both off. No struggling with frozen hoses and no worries about sinking the boat. Sixteen years and three boats later I am still happy with the bypass and have witnessed two boats sink in winter that just didn't listen to advice.
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Old 08-13-2018, 11:05 AM   #29
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To avoid sinking the boat with a dockside water hook up you should install two things in the incoming hose, a pressure regulator to limit the pressure of the incoming water and a flow meter with shut off. You can set the flowmeter to a safe number of gallons and it will shut off the water before damage is done.
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Old 08-14-2018, 03:41 PM   #30
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Thanks all for your comments! I for sure picked up a few ideas and feel better moving forward. For the curious this is what I've decided on:

Potable drinking water hose inside of old fire hose to keep water cool and protect from the sun.

An easy to access ball valve at the end of our finger pier to shut off the water when we leave.

A filter (probably just sediment filter outside).

A gallon / flow meter that can be set to shut off after 200 gallons.

Hopefully the filter and waterminder / shut off meter can be installed in a battery box (water lines in and out instead of battery cables) that can be painted to protect from UV.

At the boat a SHURflo pressure saver water entry.

Inside the boat and BEFORE the fresh water pump a 3 way valve with a limiter screw (probably just a wood screw stopping the handle from turning very far).

To fill the tank the valve can be turned a bit to back flow into the fresh water tanks. I can also remove the fill caps and turn the water on at a higher rate - hopefully helping to keep sediment from piling up on the bottom of the tanks. (My tanks have decent access ports and I already cleaned them out. There was years of stuff on the bottom including some big rust bubbles where the baffles were welded. All pinhole type leaks I've encountered in the past appeared to be a result of corrosion under gunk / sediment.)

Once the tanks are full I just turn the valve the other way for unlimited water in the boat.

When underway the valve is turned to open the lines from the tanks instead of from the city water. It will be easy to remember because there won't be any water coming out of fixtures until I do it.

The freshwater lines from the tanks and best place for the water entry happens to be under the galley sink so this all works out.

I'm already in the process of upgrading the bilge pumps.

I thought of a toilet ball valve bluevee but I had a hard time figuring out how to install it and I'm not sure they are completely potable as there is a lot of plastic involved. I can imagine a frame to hold the float valve and an inlet line to the top of the tanks where the city water could be attached. But there isn't room for that on any of my tanks and I don't want to mess with the cabinetry

HopCar, the waterminder type gallon meters look kind of cheap but they are specifically for potable water. We have a good carbon filter for drinking water but if I can cut down on how much plastic we drink I'm up for it.

As was mentioned, once the tanks are full I can just switch to city water and won't need the 'autofill' for the tanks. We use the boat more than once a month so hopefully sediment (in the fresh water and fuel tanks too) will get suspended and flushed out. Running the freshwater pump long enough to pump out the tanks entirely will take a long time. I think I can remember to do at least one tank a month (we have three) and that will be enough to keep everything fresh.

Whew! Now I just have to buy the rest of this stuff and install it!
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Old 08-14-2018, 06:17 PM   #31
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This functions like a toilet valve but should be easy to install in a tank.
Google ball valve. There are dozens of versions of it.
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Old 08-15-2018, 05:40 AM   #32
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"Running the freshwater pump long enough to pump out the tanks entirely will take a long time."

A 2 inch sea cock in the tank ,,dumping the water into the bilge' will allow poor quality water sometimes taken aboard to be quickly dumped when a better water becomes available.
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Old 09-05-2018, 04:07 PM   #33
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I finished my city water project (mostly . Here is a link to what it looks like:
https://www.youtube.com/attribution_..._playlist_user

Hm, maybe this will work better: https://www.youtube.com/attribution_..._playlist_user


The tanks stay full at the dock and I can fill them from inside the boat.
There is a gallon meter that will stop the boat from sinking (if anyone has links to a better one please let me know!)
Pressure regulator is built into the Shurflo water entry (get it from Amazon - waaaay cheaper)
I added creature comforts like an undercounter water filter and hot and cold water dispenser (also Amazon)

I ended up using braided vinyl. I thought PEX would be 'more professional' but no one carries a full line of fittings. The vinyl is easier to move around though anyway.

It takes the same amount of time to disconnect the water as it does to disconnect shore power. The hose, filter and gallon meter do take up more room than just the hose. There is still plenty of room to stash it all in the flybridge when we go on trips.

Thanks everyone for your help in getting me thinking about all the things I needed to think about.
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Old 09-05-2018, 06:23 PM   #34
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I like your use of the bucket. Keeps things neat on the dock.
I’m sure inspectors Dog and Cat were very helpful.
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Old 09-05-2018, 08:44 PM   #35
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I like your use of the bucket. Keeps things neat on the dock.
I’m sure inspectors Dog and Cat were very helpful.
They are helpful in more ways than I ever could have imagined

Inspector Cat did keep an eye on those connections long after quitting time. He didn't come out until dinner...

I can't remember why I got that lid for the bucket. But it has been sitting at the end of the dock empty so I put it to use.
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