Fitting a foot pedal pump in pressurised cold water system

[fredrussell]

My new boat has the usual pressurised hot/cold water system. I would like to fit a foot pump below the galley sink, as per my last boat, which I found very useful. I’m a bit of a 12v miser, but also I like the ability to get water from the tank should summat go wrong ‘electronically’. I had an incident recently where a hose popped off a tap in aft cabin and unbeknownst to me (was underway) emptied my water tank into boat. I would like to be able to leave electric pump switched off mostly and just use foot pump for filling the kettle, etc.

The Foot pump is the usual Whale job, but whale specify putting the foot pump before the electric pump, not after it. Obviously this is so the foot pump is not part of the pressurised system - it not being designed to cope with such pressures.

I’m wondering if any of the panel has worked out a clever way of having a foot pump as part of their pressurised system? The only way I can think of doing it is by T-ing off supply from tank before electric pump and then running a new cold pipe from there to an extra tap on sink via the foot pump.

 

[pvb]

The only way I can think of doing it is by T-ing off supply from tank before electric pump and then running a new cold pipe from there to an extra tap on sink via the foot pump.

Yes, that's the way to do it.

A refinement, if you can be bothered, is to have the tank outlet to the pressure pump at a higher level than the tank outlet to the foot pump. This effectively gives a frugal "reserve" when the pressure pump runs out of water.

 

[MarkCX]

I have zero expertise in plumbing of any kind and it’ll be quite justifiable for someone to come along and tell me I’m talking rubbish, but...

Would it be possible to T off before the electric pump as you say and then use a Y valve before the single tap?

 

[Catalina36]

Mine came already fitted with two outlets, one a hot/cold mixer tap for the powered supply and one a smaller simple nozzle with no actual tap on it, delivering cold water via a foot pump. I think in some installations the foot pump is rigged to deliver sea water for basic rinsing to save on fresh.

 

[vyv_cox]

My Sadler came with manual and electric pumps. The two are totally separate, two outlets from the tank. Not the easiest to retro-fit but maybe better in the long run.

 

[wully1]

I teed off at the tank outlet and put an NRV on the inlet Side of the electric pump.

I also ran the supply to the galley foot pump through a charcoal filter - that and regular dosing with Milton gives me confidence to drink the tank water.

 

[fredrussell]

Cheers for replies. Water tank and electric pump is in fore peak so running a new hose to galley will be a faff, but do-able I’m sure.

 

[prv]

Would it be possible to T off before the electric pump as you say and then use a Y valve before the single tap?

Probably not a good idea. When the tap’s closed with the electric system on, you’ll be applying pressure against the outlet valve of the foot pump. In theory that valve will simply stay closed and nothing untoward will happen, but it’s not designed to have pressure applied there and I wouldn’t count on it. Certainly it’s worse than the original option of putting the foot pump inline.

I suppose you could put a separate better specced check valve between the Y and the foot pump.

Pete

 

[MarkCX]

Thanks Pete. Plumbing will remain on my list of things that I should leave well alone ?

 

[Rafiki]

A previous owner had already done this on mine. The only clue to how the plumbing works is that there is a 'quarter turn' valve very close to the foot pump and in order to use the foot pump you must have the valve turned in a particular way. I know this doesn't sound very helpful, but I'm not on the boat. But with the valve opened( or is it closed?) the foot pump will pump water out of any of the three sets of hot and cold taps on board, which I thought was slightly useful.

 

[tillergirl]

Did taht on TG after the electric pump failed on a cruise leaving no water. Tee into the feed from tank to pump with a ball valve which is normally closed. Thence from ball valve to one of those foot pedal pumps and onto to a open faucet at the sink. If I need to use the foot pump, open the ball valve. No problems.