What's Needed For Shore Fresh Water

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Pgitug

Pgitug

Guru
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
1,231
Location
Usa
Vessel Name
Escapade
Vessel Make
Nordic Tug 37 2002
I have what I would call a closed fresh water system. A water storage tank, 12vdc water pump pushing water out to the galley and head fixtures.
I have been wondering what I would need to do to use the dock water with presumably better water pressure and save running my pump and pulling from my water storage tank when at the dock?
 
I am not a fan of that type of system due to its potential for major problems. If you go that route anyway a tee, valve, and backflow device would be needed. Tee in anywhere between the pump and the water heater intake line with a backflow device limiting any water from heading back towards the pump. Locate the valve on the line feeding the dock water.
 
The easy way if you don't mind..is go to the Sureflow pump website...look up any pump and it install directions.

Usually it gives the basics for a solid system.

There are add ons that make the system easier to manage or safer...they are complications that are great if you understand theirvlimitations.

Not connecting to city water is 200 percent foolproof. If done correctly...you might be 99.99 percent not likely to sink yourself with city water...roll the dice.

I do...but I can see both sides...so a lot of times..I use the tanks when travelling, but when sitting forcawhile, I do use city water direct.
 
Pgitug said:
I have what I would call a closed fresh water system. A water storage tank, 12vdc water pump pushing water out to the galley and head fixtures.
I have been wondering what I would need to do to use the dock water with presumably better water pressure and save running my pump and pulling from my water storage tank when at the dock?
Click to expand...

I would not directly connect to the dock water. Over the years have seen many boats with water damage and several sink. If you want higher water pressure buy a higher psi pump. 18 years we been a live aboard and have filled the tanks. :thumb:
 
In all my years living aboard and working USCG and working salvage...I have only heard of stories about boats sunk by city water....never personally saw or involved with one.

Can it happen? Sure, so can being sunk by a meterorite.

Maintain the system, and it is no worse than A/C raw water cooling systems or engine cooling, or saltwater washdown, etc...etc....

Sure it is higher flow, but with proper safeguards, it can be made as or even more safe than other sysrems.

Using only tanks a good idea? You bet, but for some boats with smaller tanks...done the right way....no big deal either.
 
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We use the dock water when along side and just turn the tap off when leaving the boat for any longer than a few hours.

I would suggest a Shurflow or similar inlet fitting with pressure reducing valve. We use a 60 psi one but you can get them at various pressures. From there just run a line to a T fitting in the pressure line from your pump. I would think you would have to make sure there is or place a non return valve somewhere in the supply line from the tank to prevent back flow.

We find it very convenient and just manage the risk as we live on board.
 
It's funny that just last week I was on my buddies boat and he says, I think I hear water running. He checks both heads nothing. He moves his carpets and furniture, lifts an engine hatch and water is spraying everywhere. Run out shut off the city water. Simple fix, the hose had merely popped off the fitting on the inline filter from the city water connection and needed only to be reconnected and the clamp tightened. Had we not been on board it could have been another story. Most at our marina make it a point to shut off the city water hose when not on site and I think that is a wise move. I don't have one and am contemplating installing one same as you.
 
We had a boat on our home dock that had the hose on his ice maker pop out of the fitting and he put four feet of freshwater in his master berth and engine room. He had to replace the genset and rewire the engine room.

On our boat, a SeaTech fitting cracked and our freshwater pump put 300 gallons of water in the starboard bilge alley, One more inch and our main wiring chase would have flooded. After clearing out items stored in the alley and pumping the water out of the boat, I had to rebuild two vacuflush generators because the motors were destroyed.

I would love to have higher water pressure in the galley but not enough to connect to the marina water supply expect when filling our tank. I also have water sensors in every compartment below deck now - any water above 1/2" sounds an alarm that can be heard from the dock.
 
To hook your boat to city water safely you need to remember to shut off the water every time you leave the boat.

I have also heard of people using devices that shut off the water after a set amount has passed through it. Set it for say a hundred gallons and if something in the boat breaks, you're not likely to sink. You would need to reset it every few days. Here is an example of what I'm talking about.
https://www.freshwatersystems.com/p...115D7D92AA4A&gclid=CN7a55rTms8CFURbhgodSnMLyg
 
AS there is a sinking risk , a belt and suspenders concept should be used.

A quality water pressure regulator should be the first installed item behind the deck inlet.

A RV water pressure unit unit that is adjustable/rebuildable (not sealed) should be on the dock before your water feed hose.

IF your current delivery is too poor , perhaps a better pump is in order.

Many times the same pump head is used on a bigger more powerful DC motor for deck washing.

WE use this for FW and it seems to last "forever" even in a liveaboard high use setup.

Of course avoiding the low price items , and looking at a Headhunter style pump may cost 5-6X as much and 3X the power consumption , but dockside . who cares?
 
My experience with the "City Water Inlet" components HopCar posted (thank you, BTW) is that I've had a number of them start leaking when the system is pressurized by the boat's internal pump.

Maybe the PO hooked them up wrong. Maybe (my suspicion) they weren't properly winterized. Or maybe they just have a limited lifespan. After replacing two, I've taken mine out of the system entirely. Now I'm looking for something else to cover up those two holes.

Something to think about before cutting new holes and adding components you may or may not end up liking.
 
Lots of reasons to not connect to shore water. Only reason I can see is if the storage tank is so small as to require filling every day or so. Although when in Georgetown, Bahamas, seemed like a lot of sailboaters would go ashore every day to fill 5 gallon jugs!!
But, there are devices available that will shut off the shore water supply in the event of a leak/flood. There are fully integrated electronic valves and also devices that connect to existing valve and mechanically turn the valve (Home Depot) to the off position. Both utilize water sensors that activate the valve controllers. Some are wireless, some not. The valve controllers require 110V power but it may be possible to hook up direct to shore power. Sort of a fail safe for live-aboards who are not home when the gremlins strike!!
 
HopCar said:
To hook your boat to city water safely you need to remember to shut off the water every time you leave the boat. =WM2000B&gdffi=ff5c75bf59634981b5f1d9c11393bf6b&gdfms=54C7463E3E7942DB8FCE115D7D92AA4A&gclid=CN7a55rTms8CFURbhgodSnMLyg
Click to expand...

That doesn't account for the chance that some other boater will turn it back on thinking he is turning on a different hose.

I am in the "don't do it" camp. Just because someone posts that he has never heard of a boat sinking because of being connected to city water doesn't mean it can't or won't happen.

Boating means taking some chances for sure, but this is one chance you don't need to take. I fill my tanks, use the water and refill my tanks. No permanent connection and it works just fine.
 
I would use a pressure regulater valve with preesure gage to safely supply dockside water to your boat. They are available at the big box stores.
I preferr to fill my water tanks.
 

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Nothing the matter with using the fresh water pump. That way you know it is ready to go when you are cruising. Do you have an expansion tank?
 
psneeld said:
In all my years living aboard and working USCG and working salvage...I have only heard of stories about boats sunk by city water....never personally saw or involved with one.

Can it happen? Sure, so can being sunk by a meterorite.

Maintain the system, and it is no worse than A/C raw water cooling systems or engine cooling, or saltwater washdown, etc...etc....

Sure it is higher flow, but with proper safeguards, it can be made as or even more safe than other sysrems.

Using only tanks a good idea? You bet, but for some boats with smaller tanks...done the right way....no big deal either.
Click to expand...

:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
Phil Fill said:
I would not directly connect to the dock water. Over the years have seen many boats with water damage and several sink. If you want higher water pressure buy a higher psi pump. 18 years we been a live aboard and have filled the tanks. :thumb:
Click to expand...

We have a low pressure 30 psi pump. The main reason as a live aboard to not waste water. 30 psi is good for 95% of our needs. Also we can hold 400 gallons but only fill 100 gallons as 100 gallons just in case there is a leek. Also when we leave for more than a day we turn the pump off.

Land dwellers waste and use far more than is necessary. :nonono:
 
No expansion tank, we have a Shurflow Revolution pump, and 300 gallons of water in two tanks.
 
My boat has this type of installation with pressurize water or city water. I will not say that there cannot be any issue with it but will share my own experience.
First trip we made, when reaching our berth, the day after a pipe popped out and water has been flowing in the bilge, fortunately we were onboard and we just shut down the water without damaged, just some water to pump out of the bilge.
After inspection I found out that due to aging the pipe (clear braided pvc pipe) were becoming softer at warm temperature and the pressure has just push the pipe out of the fitting. The real issue here was not the city water but a list of fault in the setup:
1. The pressure regulator on the water inlet was not working properly.
2. The pipes were aged and becoming softer during warm sunny days as well as the part going near the engine room.
3. All the fittings were barb fitting which is in my sense not ideal.
4. Pipe were not double clamped which is a mistake.
5. After many years of repairs with piece of pipes there were so many fitting that I cannot count them

After this, I removed the whole plumber and rebuilt it using only pex pipe, with modern whale quick connect fitting using barb only where it was forced (sometime you cannot do anything else). I changed the inlet pressure regulator and removed all the useless fittings using direct connection as much as possible (ultimately you should have a manifold from where all the pipes are going out and direct to the faucet or its target connection).
This plumber repair and rebuild cost me less than 100$ and only required some of my free time to do it right. Now I have the same plumber as in my house and I am pretty confident that the city water connection is not an issue anymore.

So in conclusion, in my sense and novice experience, most problem occur not because of the water pressure but because of a badly maintained plumber.
One thought though, I always shutdown the water when I am leaving the boat so I can relax and be sure that there will be no damaged while not onboard but this is common sense isn't it?
 
Watch out for water pressure issues--as in too much--. Most docks are to one extent or another downhill from source, and the pressure can get very high. When I lived aboard, initially I hooked to shore water. Early one morning, I woke up because the boat just didn't "feel right". It seemed to be a bit down toward the bow. The master was in the stern. The sore water hookup was on the bow and yes, it had a pressure reducer in-line but it had apparently failed. When I got into the forward stateroom, I was standing in 2 feet of water. A line on the fresh water washdown pump had come off the stem. The bilge pumps below were not keeping up with it because of pressure and volume. I don't know if it would have been enough to sink it eventually, but the water did damage wood and soft-goods. I never hooked to shore water again. The side benefit is that the water in the tanks was always sweet and fresh.
 
My bilge is extra fresh and clean today as yesterday after filling my only 40 gallon tank, a compression fitting to my hot water heater came loose and spewed into it! I'm glad that I stuck around after filling it and very happy that my bilge alarm caught my attention!
 
And someone posted I the other water thread how they were filling tanks, forgot went home and came back to a sunk boat the next d.

So even filling tanks is not foolproof.

You have to be smart enough to risk manage the big ones...
 
Do you have a fresh water washdown hose bib on your boat? I have a similar system with the FW washdown hose bib. I have connected mine with a Camco RV pressure regulator, a female-to-female hose adapter to connect to dockside water. It works on my vessel and the regulated water pressure prevents the pump from cycling.

As mentioned by others, it's not something I'd want turned on when I was away from the boat unless I had a device like Hopcar linked above to prevent too much water from entering in the event of a failure.
 
Al, good idea. No new hardware to install. Wait a minute! I don't like that!
 
One up side to using your onboard tank at the dock is it will stay fresher and not get stagnant, just refill from the dock water as needed, keeps the water in the tank fresh
 
I use or turn over the water every third month ....and it stays fresh enough I don't notice any difference..

Drinking water from the tanks goes through a 2 stage Whirlpool filter system.
 
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