tomg
New member
Last Wednesday on the boat, stayed the night, immersion heater on (stat set to lowest setting-water hand hot), fresh water pump 'cycles' every 15/20mins or so as if a tap is dripping. Check the bilge in the morning, full of fresh water - bilge auto switch not working!. Culprit appears to be hot water cylinder with water escaping from pressure relief valve. This happened on-passage a couple of years ago when water got very, very hot and I lost most of a tank full into the bilge and the auto pump drained it overboard. Changed pressure relief valve to,I think, 1.5 or 2 bar(anyway highest available). What is happening now though? Faulty valve again perhaps but why when water is only modestly hot - P1V1T1 etc. Never ever had this problem on previous boats. Faulty design of water system? Should I have an accumulator tank and would this solve the problem - but how/why? Only suggestion so far is to replace press.relief valve with a solid plug but this doesn't seem sensible to me.Any advice greatfully received.