Fresh Water on-board

[Tallulah]

Have a GB 42, Classic but keeping water running is an issue. I fill 2 of 3 tanks and after 2 days no water from faucets. We use very little. I keep port and center water tanks open all the time, starboard half full in case of urgency. Should I keep only one on at a time? Anyone else having this issue? I know I have to run water out of starboard side, really difficult to get to value, hence, “in case of urgency”. Suggestions welcome.

 

[Mac2]

Can you give more details? What is the total gallons for all tanks? Are you suggesting a leak? Are you at the dock? If your at the dock, you should be using all your tanks. When I started living aboard, I was shocked at how much water two people use a week. I'm guessing around 500 gallons a week.
Also, there are electric valves if you continue to turn your starboard tank off and on.

 

[Simi 60]

. When I started living aboard, I was shocked at how much water two people use a week. I'm guessing around 500 gallons a week. on.

Really?

We use water whenever we want and use about 100 gallons, fresh water flush toilets as well.

 

[Mac2]

Really?

We use water whenever we want and use about 100 gallons, fresh water flush toilets as well.

Laundry, dishwasher, multiple 30 minute showers for the wife. I'm much more conservative at 28 minutes a shower (I leave 2 minutes before she gets out)

 

[Slowmo]

Its difficult to diagnose but as I recall each of these tanks is about 100 gallons. I'd expect that amount to last much more than a couple days - a lot more. I'd guess you're either losing water due to a leak in a tank or line or for some reason you're unable to draw below a certain level. First thing to do is look for fresh water in the bilges (assuming you're in salt). Also I assume that when you're not actively using water the pressure pump is not cycling. If it is, then you've got a leak on the pressure side. We had this problem due to a couple loose hose clamps. I'd also try isolating tanks and seeing of only one of them drains quickly, if so you have you're culprit. Finally, if there are no leaks, its possible that you're having difficulty pulling the water out of tank. I'm not sure how GB configures its water tanks but if they use dip tubes one of them could be loose.

 

[socalrider]

Laundry, dishwasher, multiple 30 minute showers for the wife. I'm much more conservative at 28 minutes a shower (I leave 2 minutes before she gets out)

<spits out coffee>

30 minute showers on a boat?!? Good lord.

 

[BruceK]

30 minute showers on a boat?!? Good lord.

But that`s for 2.
Even so....

 

[Lepke]

Either you're using more water than you think or you have a leak.
A leak into the bilge could be pumped overboard by an automatic bilge pump.

 

[DennisB1]

I had a similar problem on my GB49 classic. Total two of the three tanks were full and third was a shut off. The pump pump would loose prime with when the tanks dropped in level about the 5 inches. I search all lines and saw no leakage.

Problem was a small air leak on the suction side of the line from the tanks to the pump. There was a very small hole in the plastic hose that would leak air into the line when the tank level dropped below the level of the hole air then would leak into the line and the the freshwater pump would end up sucking air and would loose prime. It was small enough that if you just let the pump run with an open facuet if would work. It it sat for a period time a large bubble would form and the line would drain back to the tank and air in the line would prevent the pump from creating a vacuum and priming.
Solution: look very carefully on on the supply lines to the pump from each tank. Also check each hose clamp. It took me over a year to find the small holes two actually in different locations. Now the pump empties the tanks drawing air as it should only with a empty tank.

 

[hmason]

On my GB 46 I needed to use 1 tank at a time. If all three tanks were opened one of the tanks would always empty first and the pump would suck air and lose the prime. I would keep an eye on the water level gauge and when the in use tank got low I would close the valve and open the next tank. Hope this helps.

 

[backinblue]

500 gal a week? Are you also changing water in the hot tub daily? I only have 40 gal capacity and we are good for 3 days at least and that includes daily "brief" showers. We are not roughing it at this rate, but we also don't have laundry and dishwashers. Maybe it's because we were used to managing showers with each of us sharing a single sun shower that was 3 gals. 100 gal/week sounds reasonable to me w/o undue sacrifice, just a little frugality and care. I'll check my water bill when home, but doubt we go through 500 gals/wk in our dirt home.

 

[ksanders]

Really?

We use water whenever we want and use about 100 gallons, fresh water flush toilets as well.

Solo, including laundry I use close to 40 gallons per day.

 

[Mac2]

500 gal a week? Are you also changing water in the hot tub daily? I only have 40 gal capacity and we are good for 3 days at least and that includes daily "brief" showers. We are not roughing it at this rate, but we also don't have laundry and dishwashers. Maybe it's because we were used to managing showers with each of us sharing a single sun shower that was 3 gals. 100 gal/week sounds reasonable to me w/o undue sacrifice, just a little frugality and care. I'll check my water bill when home, but doubt we go through 500 gals/wk in our dirt home.

Shocked me too! This is at the dock. Same usage as if in a home. A lot of water goes back overboard when we are using the drinking water (r/o unit under the sink) and icemaker. I've used sun showers as well backpacking. I don't backpack on my boat. As for the hot tub. Yup! But I fill with the dock water, so this doesn't count for the boat tanks.

 

[socalrider]

Solo, including laundry I use close to 40 gallons per day.

When I'm solo I use zero gallons per day on laundry

With the wife, 2 dogs, 3-4 kids on board we are at 40 gallons per day; about 10hr of water maker run time every 2 days to stay even. 95% of laundry gets done ashore; we've got a little manual unit we use in a pinch to extend our time out.

Before we got the water maker, our 400gal tanks covered us for 3 weeks, but we had to be a bit frugal. Now we take short showers & are conscious of water use, but not restrictive. Very nice upgrade.

 

[backinblue]

Thanks socal. Just curious, what does it take to run watermaker for 10 hours? Generator? Batteries?

 

[socalrider]

Thanks socal. Just curious, what does it take to run watermaker for 10 hours? Generator? Batteries?

I have a super-efficient 12VDC Spectra Venture 200t. 8gal/hr & draws only 10A (120W) so very easily powered by my solar array. I run it during the day mainly because I like it to be dead quiet at night, but I could run it through the night if need be (660ah FLA bank).

It's a good solution for a non-generator boat. If I had a generator I'd pick a high capacity, much less efficient 120VAC solution to minimize generator run time. I just don't like generators & we're blessed with lots of sun here.

 

[backinblue]

That you are. Sounds like a good solution.

 

[Billeilers]

We have a GB 32 with about 120 gal fresh water. We have no trouble going over a week and taking at least 6 showers and still have a quarter of a tank left. I suggest that you practice much more water conservation

 

[Billeilers]

I suggest that you stay in a marina plugged in and hooked up to water if you want to take multiple 30 min showers. Try a Navy shower less than 5 min

 

[Mac2]

We have a GB 32 with about 120 gal fresh water. We have no trouble going over a week and taking at least 6 showers and still have a quarter of a tank left. I suggest that you practice much more water conservation

Why? I look directly at the Ballard locks. I'm seeing hundreds of thousands of gallons an hour being dumped wastefully into puget sound. I'm trying to do my part to reduce this waste by using as much water as possible. I suggest you move to the ship canal here in Ballard and start helping out instead of telling people how to live.

 

[jrhodes777]

GB Water Problems

I have a 46 1988 GB classic. Two suggestions:
First you should draw from one tank at a time. On the 46 and probably the 42 the tanks are at different elevations. So what highest tank suction gets uncovered before the other tanks at lower elevations. On my boat the aft tank is lower than the forward tank.
Second check you tank pickup tubes. On my boat the forward tank pickup tube had a pinhole halfway up the tube only allowing to draw half of the tank.

 

[Tim]

Water Tanks

My gb42 has 3 tanks 2 100 gals and one 60. All interconnected and I draw from a manifold. Use all three tanks, never a problem. But if you are using that much water you should install a hose connection with a pressure regulator that will allow you to by pass the tanks and water pump. I presume you are at the dock if you are using that much water. I had one of these on a GB 32 the PO who lived aboard installed. Find a convenient location next to your water source, drill a hole high on the hull and install, piping directly to your water system. I guess you would need a check valve to avoid back flow.

 

[hmason]

Most GBs have an outside tap. You can connect a hose directly to that tap and it will bypass the pump and provide city water throughout the boat. You will need a pressure regulator and a male to male hose adapter from any hardware store. The regulator must be installed at the dock end of the hose.

That said, I do not recommend using a dockside connection. I prefer filling the tanks as needed. We live aboard and always fill our water tank. In 12 years of live aboard I’ve experienced 3 water leaks onboard that could have flooded the boat had we been connected to city water and had not shut the dockside water at night or when we were off the boat.

 

[alvasurg]

Possible Leak

Is there any excess water in your bilge? I thought I had a leak because of a fixed amount of water in the bilge then found out that my anchor cleaning faucet was on without me knowing it. I always dock stern in and hadn't seen the slow drip from the locker in the bow!!

 

[MVDarlin]

I would buy a flow meter to hook to your fill hose to check your consumption. $15 on Amazon. You should be able to use only 15 gallons per day fresh without toilets. Maybe consider plumbing toilets to salt water.

 

[MVDarlin]

Buy a $15 water flow meter on Amazon to hook to your fill hose and check capacity /consumption. I have a 52ft Ocean Alexander and use about 20 gal per day with salt water toilets and W/D. Also consider converting your potties to salt water.