Fitting a footpump for water

[webcraft]

We have an electric pump for fresh water which I intend to replace with a footpump. The pump is controlled by turning on the (Whale) tap - so obviously there is a switch in it.

There is also a switch on the panel for the water pump.

Can I continue to use the Whale tap with the footpump and no power to it, as this would save a lot of hole cutting, sealant squirting and general harassment?

Could I leave the electric pump in a loop so I could use either? Has anyone done this?

- Nick

 

[Talbot]

you can certainly use the same tap (just remember to turn it on before pumping)
If you wanrt to retain the use of the electric system as well, it makes it much easier if you have an additional tap, but you could fit an either/or system where you use a Y piece to go to the pump and another Y piece from the pumps to the tap. I suspect that you would have to use ball valves to control which system you are using.

 

[Colin_S]

Have you had a look here? - http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?b=whale for some inspiration (and doubtless cheaper prices than your local chandlery).
Not familier with construction of Whale pumps so don't know if leaving old pump in situ would create any restrictions on water flow, etc. Similarly you may need non return valves if you opt for the pump in a loop set up to stop water just flowing straight back to tank, but again don't know for sure.

 

[homa]

Had exactly this system on a previous boat but you do need to be able to isolate each pump with either shut off valves or non-return valves.
I forgot to isolate the foot pump after winter lay-up,& when I first powered up the electric pump without first isolating the foot pump, it blew all the internal valves inside the foot pump.

 

[DaveS]

Nick,

As homa says there can be a problem if the electric pump develops high pressure: there was an earlier thread on this. That said, I have a manual footpump in series with an electric pump with no isolators and have never had any problems - but my electric pump is a wee low powered inline "booster" type which only develops a pressure of 0.2 bar or so. You can check your pressure by sticking a bit of transparent tube on the tap, running the pump and seeing how high a water column it will produce: metres vertically from top of column to pump divided by 10 (or 9.81 if you want to be fussy) gives pressure in B (or hPa which is the same thing).

 

[Anchorite]

Wear oilies?

Most "normal" pumps used on boats pressurised systems work at around 2 bars: this is a water column of about 20 meters (65.6 ft [PBO /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif]).

 

[ColinHuggins]

Re: Fitting a water footpump

The boat came with 12V in-line Whale Booster Pump (controlled by a push button) to a galley faucet, nothing else.
Had to have manual back-up so replaced faucet with Whale Mk6, retaining the electric pump so I can use either, no probs. Have since added foot switch in parallel with original button. The only slightly odd thing is seeing the stalk of the hand pump rise as the electric pump is called into play.
I intend to run a spur to the head where a Tiptoe foot pump will supply a handbasin faucet.
Any interest?

 

[webcraft]

It sounds good . . . I was going to t off the electric pump in a loop, but thoujght I would also have to t off hte footpump in a loop if I wanted to use the electric pump at any point.

In your system, how does the electric pump manage to pump water through the footpump? Or am I missing something?

- Nick

 

[FullCircle]

Evening Nick,
Well, I have done this on Full Circle.

To increase your options, consider this:

I have another small sea cock inlet.
I have a tee in the water outlet from the forward water tank
I have an inline non return valve just after the tee mentioned above
I have a 3 way valve in the back of the galley area, which has both the sea water inlet and the teed off fresh water hoses leading to it.
The outlet from the 3 way valve goes to the Whale Gusher Mk III footpump
The outlet from the footpump leads to a small Whale retractable faucet head with no tap, which folds almost flat alongside the sink.

This means that the electric system is completely separate from the dual function footpump system.

Advantage:
When at sea, you can switch to sea water inlet to do the washing up or washing of vegetables etc., conserving your fresh water supply.
In the event of failure of electric system or the tap, you have a fresh water backup system.
No interference with the electric system, so it shouls still work when you have done!

I paid:
£1.20 for the tee
£3 for the non return valve
£8 for the sea cock inlet
£7 for the inlet shut off valve
£16 for the 3 way valve
£21 for the footpump
£2.50 for the retractable faucet
£12 for the hose runs (35ft boat)
£5 approx for the Jubilee clips
£3 for the pipe clips, tie wraps, screws, PTFE tape etc.

Works a treat.

 

[DaveS]

That's exactly what it does: it pushes water through the manual (pedal?) footpump. I haven't opened this up, but I would imagine it has a non-return valve at both inlet and outlet, both of which should be in the open direction to water being pushed into the inlet.

When the electrics are OK I just open the tap, the pump starts and water flows. If the electrics are off I open the tap, get no water, so push the foot pump which quite happily sucks water through the electric pump. The electric pump is controlled by a pressure switch mounted between its outlet and the inlet to the foot pump. I have no accumulator and at very low flow rates the pump cycles with a period of 1 - 2 seconds sounding rather like a windscreen washer pump - which in fact it closely resembles!

I do repeat again, though, that mine is a low pressure system which subjects the foot pump to nothing like 2 bar.

 

[Guest]

If the pump is an inline low down or a submerged type - then the foot pump should draw through it ok ...

The faucet is often a tap with a basic valve in it .... to stop other taps spewing water when other is witched on - so all you have to do is switch of panel power supply to the pump .... then turn on tap switch - pump will now not operate but valve will be open - operate footpump and it will work. You can always test it by taking of water supply pipe and pushing on a short length of hose to blow through by mouth ... you'll soon if it'll work or not.

My full electric job on my last caravan - was a Whale system with microswitches on the taps and I used a manual pump in line with success and no major modifications..... other than inserting a main power of switch and cutting supply pipe to accommodate the manual pump.