Fresh water pump install

[GrandWood]

Hello all, this am while doing dishes my fresh water pump quit, just stopped. Flipped the 15amp breaker on and off and still nothing. Went below and cut the wires to the pump and checked voltage there and had 13v, so figured the motor had died. Wasn’t making any sound at all just stopped.

So went to west marine, picked up the same pump that was in the boat, installed it and it worked, all seemed good, and then it quit as well in the same way, no noise other then when it runs, just went silent no nothing.

They are 50 psi pumps, not sure what could be wrong, I’m searching the internet now looking for a fix, any help would be appreciated

Thanks Joe

 

[SteveK]

Is there an inline filter that may be plugged?
I know it when my cold water side filter needs changing

 

[GrandWood]

Is there an inline filter that may be plugged?
I know it when my cold water side filter needs changing

Hello Steve, after searching and reading up, I think I ruined the pressure switch on the pump. When the pump comes on it should run continually while the water is turned on. Both sinks in the heads have great water flow, and pump stayed on while the water was on. Since I’ve had the boat, the pump would turn on then off, back on then off and continue to do that while washing dishes and such. I thought since it had one of those two into one faucets that the size of the head was to large and pump couldn’t keep up. The pressure out of the galley/sink faucet kept getting worse, I just thought that the pump was on its way out, but I’m thinking the output was clogged, and forcing the pump on and off. Which ruined the pressure switch.
So I have a smaller 3 gallon pump I’m going to try after removing the head on the sink faucet, and see if that was the problem. If so I’ll have to try and find out who makes the West Marine pump and get pressure switches for the ones I ruined.
Live and learn,
Joe

 

[Nick F]

Hello Steve, after searching and reading up, I think I ruined the pressure switch on the pump. When the pump comes on it should run continually while the water is turned on.

Many pumps on boats do this (cycle on and off). The pressure switch should not die so soon.

Esay to check if it is the pressure switch by "jumping" across it with a piece of wire.

 

[Mischief Managed]

If you have a diesel power boat and are not concerned with sparks in machinery spaces, you can by-pass the cheap internal pressure switch and use a switch meant for a house well pump. Use both contacts in parallel to double longevity. Add an accumulator at the same time and connect it all with silicone heater hose to make a rugged and easily serviced fresh water system that will work with any pump you choose. I connected my pump power with a simple SAE plug and pre-wired my spare pump with the same plug so that swapping pumps would be a 5 minute job. I have used a <$100 5 GPH pump from Amazon that has lasted 4 years so far, living aboard 6 months out of 12, running at 30-50 PSI.

 

[SteveK]

I now suspect the entire tap assembly. I had changed mine out for similar reason. Yes to removing the screen, but if that does not give normal flow, then replace the tap assembly.
You have one pump and it works at head sinks so should not be the problem.

 

[GrandWood]

I now suspect the entire tap assembly. I had changed mine out for similar reason. Yes to removing the screen, but if that does not give normal flow, then replace the tap assembly.
You have one pump and it works at head sinks so should not be the problem.

It did work in the heads till pump quit, what i was saying is had just straight flow there and pump didnt seem to cycle when using those, just the galley tap.

As said above, wierd the new pump quit just after a bit of dishes, was only like 25 mins and new pump quit just like the old.

Going to scrape of a bit of insulation on wires while hooked up and ensure power at the pump, was there when I checked yesturday after cutting out the old pump, and new one fired right up when connected.

Maybe intermittent power, but the light on circuit breaker stays on.

 

[GrandWood]

Many pumps on boats do this (cycle on and off). The pressure switch should not die so soon.

Esay to check if it is the pressure switch by "jumping" across it with a piece of wire.

I’ll pull the cover off and take a look, I don’t want to fry the switch if there is something else causing the problem.

 

[SteveK]

one pump pressure switch can go bad with old age, but also on a new pump so quick is odd.
The head sinks working, then nothing is also confusing issue.
You need to eliminate electrical. What if there is a loose connection or failing breaker heating up and loosing power.

 

[GrandWood]

Pulled cover off pressure switch and touched the wires together and pump fired off. So seems the switch is no good.
Will have to figure out who makes the west marine pumps and get replacement switch.

 

[GrandWood]

And also replace the dang faucet in the galley

 

[Nick F]

Pulled cover off pressure switch and touched the wires together and pump fired off. So seems the switch is no good.
Will have to figure out who makes the west marine pumps and get replacement switch.

I wonder how these switches fail. It is possible that the contacts go bad because of the sparking which happens at the instant of cutout. This sparking can be prevented by putting a "snubber" across the contacts. Snubber could be a capacitor and resistor or could be a component called a Varistor (MOV).

Personally, I have capacitor/resistor snubbers protecting my bilge pump float switches.

See an example of a snubber: Components of Relay Contact Protection | Digital Panel Meter

 

[GrandWood]

Ok so put the switch wires back in place, put the cover on and pulled the head off the faucet and alls good works as advertised.
Why I have no idea, somehow with the clogged head, it somehow makes the switch stick or something? Builds to much pressure and mashes the pressure button in and it sticks. I dunno, but have it going and see what happens with use. Gonna go to Wally World and pick up a new head, current one I can hardly blow through it.

 

[Nick F]

Water hammer?

Try adding an accumulator downstream of the pump. Here is one example:

1/2 gal. Accumulator Tank | West Marine

Check out our 1/2 gal. Accumulator Tank and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

 

[GrandWood]

Water hammer?

Try adding an accumulator downstream of the pump. Here is one example:

1/2 gal. Accumulator Tank | West Marine

Check out our 1/2 gal. Accumulator Tank and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

I think that prolly is something I need in the system. Quite a few on Amazon that are reasonable in price.

 

[SteveK]

Not seen a boat with water hammer. These pressure switches can be sensitive enough to turn off/on with only a trickle from tap, so if the faucet screen is clogged momentary backpressure you get on/off.
So does the new pump work with faucet end off?

 

[GrandWood]

Not seen a boat with water hammer. These pressure switches can be sensitive enough to turn off/on with only a trickle from tap, so if the faucet screen is clogged momentary backpressure you get on/off.
So does the new pump work with faucet end off?

Alls working now Steve, on the new pump I pulled the switch cover, touched the wires together and pump came on, it was not doing anything before that. I reassembled it, removed the faucet head, turned on the water and had a real good stream of water. I could not find a replacement faucet head local (Walmart/homedepot) so I went with the lowest restriction screen in the old head I could find and it’s working, but the pump cycles a bit. When head was off water gushes out and pump stays on.

 

[ocean solace]

My pump has quit a few times too.A light tapping with small hammer or large screwdriver on the pressure switch works for me .Hasn’t happened for a few years now

 

[rgano]

My pump has quit a few times too.A light tapping with small hammer or large screwdriver on the pressure switch works for me .Hasn’t happened for a few years now

Ah, yes! The water hammer.

 

[Datenight]

Percussive maintenance.

Rob

 

[ronobrien]

Hello all, this am while doing dishes my fresh water pump quit, just stopped. Flipped the 15amp breaker on and off and still nothing. Went below and cut the wires to the pump and checked voltage there and had 13v, so figured the motor had died. Wasn’t making any sound at all just stopped.

So went to west marine, picked up the same pump that was in the boat, installed it and it worked, all seemed good, and then it quit as well in the same way, no noise other then when it runs, just went silent no nothing.

They are 50 psi pumps, not sure what could be wrong, I’m searching the internet now looking for a fix, any help would be appreciated

Thanks Joe

Checking for voltage on an open circuit really doesn't tell you much. You could see source (battery) voltage with no load even though there is excessive resistance in the circuit somewhere. You need to check voltage (ideally) from the batt+ to the pump WHILE THE PUMP IS ACTIVATED. You may see voltage at the pump when the pump is off but as soon as you turn the pump on the voltage goes away. This is called a "voltage drop test". It is the only true way to test for resistance in a circuit. An ohmeter won't tell you anything either as it does not induce current in the circuit. I would suspect a problem near the pump as disturbing the wires seemed to fix the problem temporarily. Check out "voltage drop test" on YouTube.

 

[Choices]

I had two brand new pumps fail within a month. The prs switch contacts are not designed to start pump into a pressurized system. More fore a system like filling a bucket.

I used a well pressure switch and works perfectly.