Jabsco Water Filter

John 32i

John 32i

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We launched our boat this morning after six months on the hard - all works fine apart from the water filter has cracked (probably frozen over the winter) and of course water spills out as soon as the pump is switched on. Question is; is it worth £35 for a new one, or is it worth just connecting the two pipes togeather with something suitable....we only drink bottled water on board so the water in the tank is only used for washing up. Thanks, John
 
John HH21 said:
We launched our boat this morning after six months on the hard - all works fine apart from the water filter has cracked (probably frozen over the winter) and of course water spills out as soon as the pump is switched on. Question is; is it worth £35 for a new one, or is it worth just connecting the two pipes togeather with something suitable....we only drink bottled water on board so the water in the tank is only used for washing up. Thanks, John
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It's not a big cost item. I'd put in a new filter. In fact, I'd upgrade it with an active charcoal filter. There's really no real good reason not to drink your onboard water provided you take reasonable care of the system.
 
Best not to use filter on pressurised water system, if you have choice. Fit to manual pump for drinking only, keep pressure water for domestic uses, that way lasts longer.
 
I saw a cruising yacht in Turkey last summer that had a jabsco filter mounted outside connected to a coil of hose - seemingly the intent was to filter the water before it ever reached the water tank. Seems like a good idea to me.

Neil
 
Stork_III said:
Best not to use filter on pressurised water system, if you have choice. Fit to manual pump for drinking only, keep pressure water for domestic uses, that way lasts longer.
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Unless your water consumption is enormous you will not exhaust the filter in a season, which in most cases is when you need to change it anyway. We have a Seagull IV filter which all galley cold water goes through, improves the taste of tea and coffee and keeps unwanted stuff out of the vegetables.

Most superyachts filter all water coming aboard and even filter hull-washing water. The hosepipes they attach in the big ports, Barcelona and Mallorca, for instance, have twin domestic filter units in line.
 
It depends how much you use your boat. We fitted a filter because we are away for three months and would be forever buying bottled water. If you only have a few weekends and the odd short cruise, you might do equally well by short-circuiting the filter and refilling the odd bottle from a shore tap each day, which might make better tea than water from your tank.
 
It really annoys me that these filters don't have a drain plug on the bottom. Mine split due to freezing, a few years ago. It had obviousy been added as an extra by a previous owner, so I just did away with it, and coupled the pipes up as originally. I can empty all the fresh water pipes for the winter, why not the filter?
 
NormanS said:
It really annoys me that these filters don't have a drain plug on the bottom. Mine split due to freezing, a few years ago. It had obviousy been added as an extra by a previous owner, so I just did away with it, and coupled the pipes up as originally. I can empty all the fresh water pipes for the winter, why not the filter?
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Unscrew it and take it home for winter.
 
Winterise your Jabsco Aqua filta

NormanS said:
It really annoys me that these filters don't have a drain plug on the bottom. Mine split due to freezing, a few years ago. It had obviousy been added as an extra by a previous owner, so I just did away with it, and coupled the pipes up as originally. I can empty all the fresh water pipes for the winter, why not the filter?
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If it is a Jabsco AquaFilta, then just run the water pressure pump until the tank is dry and no water comes out of the taps, then unscrew the cartridge by hand, upend it to empty any trapped water, screw it back in place, and - hey presto - drained for the winter! Easier than a drain plug as no tool is needed!
BTW,did you know that the Aqua Filta inlet and outlet valves self-seal as the cartridge is removed so that you can change it without need to drain the system? Just turn off the water pressure pump and open a tap to de-pressurise the system first otherwise you'll find it hard to unscrew the cartridge...
 
We have one and it is excellent.
Ours has an arrangement that if you remove the filter then the water flow continues.

Worth replacement in my opinion.

Whilst the system is drained down you can install an in line valve to isolate the pump and allow you to drain down the filter and pump in the winter.
 
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Apologies for resurrecting a really old thread, but here goes…

I have a Jabsco filter on our Hardy 42, it's coming up 20 months old so got around to changing the filter today, and run into some problems when the existing filter stubbornly wouldn't unscrew. When it did give there was crack on the inlet port and it started weaping (as did I).

With the filter changed and the system re pressurised the inlet port came away from the Jabsco unit and splurted water everywhere.

There was a little blue lug on top of the inlet port that seemed to be loose. It's quite flimsy, but it seems that if pressed home the inlet port stays in place sealed, it not in place the inlet port is not fixed. Pressed home I had no leaks.

So here's my question. Does that little blue lug really lock the unit (head and cartridge) to the inlet port? Is it as simple as that? There is no mention of it in Jabsco's instructions, although it's illustrated. I guess I want to be sure the crack I heard was the blue lug popping out and not something more substantive.

Thanks in advance.

Jess
 
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John 32i said:
We launched our boat this morning after six months on the hard - all works fine apart from the water filter has cracked (probably frozen over the winter) and of course water spills out as soon as the pump is switched on. Question is; is it worth £35 for a new one, or is it worth just connecting the two pipes togeather with something suitable....we only drink bottled water on board so the water in the tank is only used for washing up. Thanks, John
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Just ditched mine after the 3rd leak (and none could have been frost-induced).
Just poor QAS by ITT Fluid Handling.
Usually a crack on the threaded portion.

Replaced with a General Ecology filter, which is considerably more expensive by not just a noxious-taste remover.
As I live aboard 7/12 having potable water for cooking is a must.

www.purewateronline.co.uk

And yes, I had to do just what you're proposing for the 18 days it took UPS to deliver.
 
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