SO35 - water supply blockage

[DaveRo]

I have a 1-year old SO35. There appears to be a partial blockage in the water supply from the aft tank to the taps which control which tank is feeding the filter and pump. The symptoms are that the flow reduces to a trickle and the pump takes a long time to repressurise the system after a tap is turned off. If I turn on the forward tank the water flows freely and the pump stops.

I had this problem last year and it cleared itself. My guess is that there's some dirt or plastic swarf in the tank which blocks the outlet. It could also be an air-lock in the pipe. Removing the filler cap doesn't help - so not a breather problem.

There's probably a strainer in the system somewhere and maybe some non-return valves (?) but the owner's manual gives no clues.

Any SO35 owners with this problem or ideas on how to clear it without taking everything apart? Where are the strainer(s)? Is there a non-return valve anywhere?

I could just leave it to clear itself but I'm afraid that the pump might be damaged. How about backwashing the pipework with a hose - is that likely to damage anything?

 

[narooma]

Could it be an airlock? I am not familiar with system but there should be no problem back-flushing it if you apply the pressure gently.
If you have non-return vales it will not do them harm but it will obviously stop you flushing the pipes. Filters wont suffer either so not much to loose. A pump in the line might prove a problem however. It wont get damaged but it might not allow water through.

 

[captainslarty]

Sounds like a leak in the aft tank.. check the bilges

 

[DaveRo]

Re: SO35 - water supply blockage - solved

Thanks for your comments. I took it apart and fixed it. There were bits of sealer in the tank - including a complete ring in fact, with the look and consistency of mozzarella. Whoever fitted the water system seems to have been a bit generous with the sealer round the tank joints. There is no strainer, or valves, on the water feed so these had been sucked up and lodged in the tank-switchover tap. (Had they got through that they would have been caught by the single water filter before the pump.)