Buzz wait,buzz

[johnphilip]

I posted a thread recently starting with:-
"I have refilled the domestic water system after draining for the winter. Now the pump is turning on for a second every minute, normally indicating a leak. I have checked (I believe) every joint in the pipwork but it still happens, suggesting to me that the pump is not working properly as a non-return valve but letting water back, the pressure drops and the pump cuts in again. Possibly frost damage, possibly muck stuck somewhere.
The pump is a 7 year old Whale Universal UP1215."
Following helpful suggestions I checked the cockpit shower for leaks, nothing. Next I put a valve just after the pump and when turned off the problem disappeared,so it cannot be water going back through the pump, so what is it? I am reluctant to leave the boat with the water turned on to see if over a period a puddle appears somewhere but how do I find this annoying leak.

 

[pappaecho]

Yes mine did that once due to air in the circuit, which means that it is compressing and then decompressing again.

I fixed mine by putting the entire circuit under pressure from the mains by using a "hose adaptor" for attaching to a mains supply. Open the hot water tap at a basin, and blow back the system... worked for me

 

[Momac]

I did the same job last weekend - a great deal of action as the new water displaces air in the pipes - and even when a steadier flow of water emerges the water is full of air bubbles.

I assume you have let plenty of water out through all of the outlets, galley sink, heads sink and showers - both on the hot and cold tap settings to bleed out the air.
Have another go at running plenty of water through to bleed out any remaining air.

Perhaps it is just trapped air being compressed and causing the pump to pulse occasionally.

Adding food die to the water ito aid detecting a leak is a possible trick that I have read somewhere.

 

[VicS]

I did the same job last weekend - a great deal of action as the new water displaces air in the pipes - and even when a steadier flow of water emerges the water is full of air bubbles.

I assume you have let plenty of water out through all of the outlets, galley sink, heads sink and showers - both on the hot and cold tap settings to bleed out the air.
Have another go at running plenty of water through to bleed out any remaining air.

Perhaps it is just trapped air being compressed and causing the pump to pulse occasionally.

Adding food die to the water ito aid detecting a leak is a possible trick that I have read somewhere.

If there are no leaks and the valves in the pump are seating properly it should not keep cutting in. Air or no air. It'll run on a little longer as the air is compressed but once that has happened there are only two ways in which the pressure can drop. Backwards flow through the pump or via a leak somewhere.

 

[little_roundtop]

I had a similar problem some years ago. After much frustration and head scratching on my part SWMBO noticed that the deck shower head was weeping. The water was running down the outside of the boat which is why the bilges stayed dry. A new washer sorted that.

If you have a deck shower check that too!

 

[wiggy]

Bit of a high jack but I also have a problem with my system since the winter lay up. Tank emptied for the winter and refilled, cleaned and flushed with no problems. Now full of fresh water the output from the taps is low, hot very low and the pump runs for a long time once the taps are turned off. Once the pump stops it does not come on randomly indicating no leaks. When the taps are turned on it also takes quite a while for the pump yo kick in. All very odd, any ideas?

 

[sarabande]

if you have an accumulator, then it sounds as if there's a blockage (valve, collapsed or piched tube) downstream of the pressure tank.

But the different flow rates - hot and cold - is a puzzler.

I wonder if during the flushing process, you have dislodged some debris from the tank, or with a bit of water left in the system whether you have a build up of mould / algal growth in the pipework.

 

[VicS]

Bit of a high jack but I also have a problem with my system since the winter lay up. Tank emptied for the winter and refilled, cleaned and flushed with no problems. Now full of fresh water the output from the taps is low, hot very low and the pump runs for a long time once the taps are turned off. Once the pump stops it does not come on randomly indicating no leaks. When the taps are turned on it also takes quite a while for the pump yo kick in. All very odd, any ideas?

Pump problem I would think or blocked strainer

Unless pump is cutting in and out water out from taps must equal water being pumped. If water out from taps is low water being pumped must be low.

Therefore suspect pump or restriction in water supply to pump.

 

[little_roundtop]

I wonder if during the flushing process, you have dislodged some debris from the tank, or with a bit of water left in the system whether you have a build up of mould / algal growth in the pipework.

This would be my bet too.

 

[wiggy]

There's no accumulator, the system has always beeh generally clean, I will have a look at the pump and it's filter and maybe try blowing back down the feed pipe to check for blockages, could it be an air lock?

 

[VicS]

, could it be an air lock?

Doubt it, but make sure you have a steady flow of water to the pump.

 

[duncan99210]

We had a similar problem for a bit. I traced things through, looking at all the joints in the pipework for a leak and found nothing. Then I though it might be the pressure relief valve on the calorifier - nothing found there. Finally, I traced it down to a slightly dodgy valve on the sugar scoop shower allied to the shower head itself coming slightly loose. There was not enough of a leak to be noticable in that location but having refitted the shower head it solved the problem. Don't know if that helps but I really didn't think the shower was a problem but having fixed it, the problem has gone away!

 

[Honey Trap]

Air-locked pipes

This weekend I filled the water tank on my new to me boat for the first time. Apart from forgetting to install the inline filter and depositing a few litres of water in the bilge no problems until I turned on the water pump and then the tap in the galley - a bare trickle. Same in the heads.

Anyway, since I had added some tank purifying liquid I left it overnight. It took a while but I eventually drained the tank through spluttering taps. I then refilled but in order to avoid an airlock I left the taps turned on but with the pump turned off. Once the tank was full I turned the water pump back on and within seconds there was a good strong flow of water in both the gally and heads.

Coincidence possibly but might be worth a try.

Frank.

 

[wiggy]

This weekend I filled the water tank on my new to me boat for the first time. Apart from forgetting to install the inline filter and depositing a few litres of water in the bilge no problems until I turned on the water pump and then the tap in the galley - a bare trickle. Same in the heads.

Anyway, since I had added some tank purifying liquid I left it overnight. It took a while but I eventually drained the tank through spluttering taps. I then refilled but in order to avoid an airlock I left the taps turned on but with the pump turned off. Once the tank was full I turned the water pump back on and within seconds there was a good strong flow of water in both the gally and heads.

Coincidence possibly but might be worth a try.

Frank.

That sound just like my problem, maybe the hot being slower than the cold is in my imagination, I'll give that a go, it does sound like an air lock as it was fine on flushing tank cleaner through just like Frank’s.
Jerry

 

[johnphilip]

Back where I started

I posted a thread recently starting with:-
"I have refilled the domestic water system after draining for the winter. Now the pump is turning on for a second every minute, normally indicating a leak. I have checked (I believe) every joint in the pipwork but it still happens, suggesting to me that the pump is not working properly as a non-return valve but letting water back, the pressure drops and the pump cuts in again. Possibly frost damage, possibly muck stuck somewhere.
The pump is a 7 year old Whale Universal UP1215."
Following helpful suggestions I checked the cockpit shower for leaks, nothing. Next I put a valve just after the pump and when turned off the problem disappeared,so it cannot be water going back through the pump, so what is it? I am reluctant to leave the boat with the water turned on to see if over a period a puddle appears somewhere but how do I find this annoying leak.

Thanks for suggestions, but nothing I have not considered. Trapped air causing the problem is not on (as VICs points out) because if so an accumulator would not work, and mine normally does.
I think I may try fitting the temporary valve after the accumulator ( last time it was straight after the pump) and see if this is the problem. It is difficult to move the valve progressively down stream until I find where the problem recurs.