Fresh water system leaks?

[Gary M]

2001 Marlin.

With the pump switch on and the system pressurized it occasionally used to Brrrrrrrrrrrrp for about 2 full seconds to bring the pressure back up. The sales guy knew it and made it sound like that was normal.......

My boat mechanic and I took the walls out of the mid-berth and saw that there was a leak. He put three and a half turns on a hose clamp on a T-valve and we tightened every clamp that we could find. The pumpitself looked brand new. I've had the boat for almost three years.

Later that day, I hear it go Brrrp, but only for about a half second. I noted the time and it did it again in ten minutes.

Is this "normal"? Where else can I look for leaks?

Does the anchor locker drain into the Fwd bilge? I always have 2-3 inches of water in there and it then drains into the mid-berth bilge. Is that normal?

Thanks......

 

[Stonewall]

Your water pump should not Brrrrrrp unless you are running water. If it does at any other time it is losing pressure which usually means you are leaking water.

The anchor locker drains directly overboard. If you take out all the line and chain you should be able to see the drain hole. Make sure it is clean.

Do you have an Air Cond? If so, when you run it do you turn on the Shower Sump? The A/C condensation drain is plumbed to the sump. Once it fills up it will spill into the fwd bilge. Not a real problem, but it will casue a wet bilge.

 

[The Black Pearl II]

you got a leak someplace. i had the same thing and you just have to keep looking till you find it. could be at one of the faucets etc. good luck

 

[Fishtales]

I had a like problem on my boat. It ended up being the galley faucet connection. When the pressure would drop, a short burp. It was a very small leakl. Either the factory or dealer put a rubber sleeve on the chrome intake tube on the faucet to accept the larger inside diamerter of the hose. A real mouse job if you ask me.

I ended up cutting off the rubber sleeve on the faucet, and then cut back back the hose and used a brass reducer to have the right size braided hose on the faucet. Then double clamped all connections. Yup, they were single clamped....

 

[seasick]

At startup, I don't think a short brrrp is a proplem. If there are repetitive brrps when no fresh water is being used then pressure is going down somewhere but it doesn't have to be fittings or faucets. It could be the check valve inthe pump itself. That's easy to check by disconnecting the outfeed from the pump and capping the pump outlet. The pump should not cycle.

 

[BobP]

I have something to add, you know me.

1. The pressure is being held and will bleedoff over time.
Once in a while the pressure switch will engage, but not too often. I hear the same thing with my SW pump. And it may take just a few drops out of a faucet/fitting to do it.

2. If the tank is not full and the boat is rocking hard - the outlet fitting from the tank may be exposed to the air space above the water line, long enough to let the water in the hose to the pump drain back to the tank.
Then after when the pump engages, it's not getting solid water, so it pushes air/water and can't stay pressurized because of the air in the line.

Ask me how I know this crap!

 

[reelserious]

Check the freshwater spray head at the transom. I have to service mine almost every season otherwise it sticks and will leak slightly down into the aft bilge. Not easy to notice because it is tucked away when not in use.

Good luck finding the leak.

 

[fishingFINattic]

I think there is a bleed/back flow preventer on one side of the pump - if there are NO other leaks, the water could be bleeding back thru the pump with pressure in the system being lost.
Tim