Cruisers: Pressurized Fresh Water ?

[Roaring Girl]

Where will you be sailing and with whom?

We have one pressurised water tap in the heads, and one hand pump in the galley. Essentially the heads one is for hot water for showers, using hot water from the engine.

We don't use it very often unless it's very cold, the one of us with very long hair is desperate for a proper hair wash, or one of us is ill! Occasionally if we're doing a lot of clothes washing and water is readily available, we'll us it to quickly fill the bucket, rather than pumping it all. We do often wash down on the deck using jerry cans, and have a scheme to create black covers for them so the water heats up inside even better. (that is, we are not 'luxurious, long, hot shower' types.)
Our calorifer is very small (about 30 litres) so it's not too big a space deal.


But though we use it so rarely, it's really nice to have.

[Cheechako]

It's really a matter of your cruising philosophy: are you a minimalist or want a lot of conveniences and the related maintenance? Foot pumps will save water if you are not having a watermaker. Pressure pumps fail a lot.
Personally I would keep the hot water heater. Especially if you will run the engine often for charging. The tank pretty much stays warm all the time and makes for easy dishwashing and great showers.

[MarkSF]

Just turn the breaker off for the pressure pump when you are cruising, and turn it on at the dock!

Then use the hand pumps when cruising.

The best of both worlds, and it will cost nothing in time, effort, and equipment.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Beersmith you've got your work cut out for you.
Looking at the third picture you got Splices wrapped in blue painters tape on some nasty looking wire, a gate valve, a wiringing mess unsecured along with unsecured hoses all over the place some with double clamps on some hoses with single clamps on the other side, untreated pine, steel 90 degree brackets holding down the watermaker which is probably going to let go in a rough sea, galvanized strapping, bad electrical splice/connection on the bilge pump, and what's with that clamp at the end of a red wire in front of the blue name plate?
Sometimes you have to take stock and a deep breath and say "It's all gotta go" and start over. It's usually faster and a lot less of a headache in the future.

Heh, dont worry. I made the "its all gotta go" decision a long time ago. I've completely gutted the boat and am starting from scratch. That photo was mid-disassembly. Much of the tape and such is just marking what the wires/hoses were connected to.

This is what that area looks like right now:

[rebel heart]

I had this guy named Fazle install some stuff for me out of Houston; scammed me out of $20 for a system that he never does any maintenance on.

[rebel heart]

Oh and I just use footpumps in the galley. Two individual faucets, one with seawater and the other with salt. I had pressure water when I first started but couldn't stand the sound of the pump and it took up too much space that I reclaimed and used for a r/o watermaker. The footpumps have lasted me ~5 years of daily use/abuse and I think cost around $70 a piece if I'm not mistaken. They make the water last a lot longer although with a watermaker it's not really as much of an issue.

[Blue Stocking]

A little stray, if I may. Where do you pick up your salt supply?, dedicated thru-hull, or where. Fitted with strainer. May do this thru winter.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I had this guy named Fazle install some stuff for me out of Houston; scammed me out of $20 for a system that he never does any maintenance on.

I hear guys named Fazle have a history of promising upgrades to their services but never delivers.

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Oh and I just use footpumps in the galley. Two individual faucets, one with seawater and the other with salt. I had pressure water when I first started but couldn't stand the sound of the pump and it took up too much space that I reclaimed and used for a r/o watermaker. The footpumps have lasted me ~5 years of daily use/abuse and I think cost around $70 a piece if I'm not mistaken. They make the water last a lot longer although with a watermaker it's not really as much of an issue.

This is the direction I'm thinking. The boat already has the dual foot pumps (salt/fresh), and they are relatively new compared to everything else on the boat. The RO watermaker is on the wishlist.

If I were to do away with the water heater, then the water pump would get moved closer to the tanks and most likely under the galley sink. Where the pump was previously, it wasn't much of a bother (way back in the engine room). But if I were to move it, the noise would be a factor.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

A little stray, if I may. Where do you pick up your salt supply?, dedicated thru-hull, or where. Fitted with strainer. May do this thru winter.

There is a dedicated thru-hull with strainer. It supplied the salt water for the foot pumps, a deck washdown pump, and the AC/110v refrigerator compressor pump.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by Roaring Girl

Where will you be sailing and with whom?

We have one pressurised water tap in the heads, and one hand pump in the galley. Essentially the heads one is for hot water for showers, using hot water from the engine.

We don't use it very often unless it's very cold, the one of us with very long hair is desperate for a proper hair wash, or one of us is ill! Occasionally if we're doing a lot of clothes washing and water is readily available, we'll us it to quickly fill the bucket, rather than pumping it all. We do often wash down on the deck using jerry cans, and have a scheme to create black covers for them so the water heats up inside even better. (that is, we are not 'luxurious, long, hot shower' types.)
Our calorifer is very small (about 30 litres) so it's not too big a space deal.


But though we use it so rarely, it's really nice to have.

It will pretty much be just me and (if all goes according to plan :touch wood my girlfriend. We are young and able to deal with a bit more than most. We will be cruising in the tropics, and I have anticipated just using the solar shower for some warm water wash-downs. She is a trooper and is far from high maintenance.

We will be "budget" cruising and do not need many of the shore-side conveniences. When we sailed the boat around Florida to its current home, she was happy to use the bucket for the toilet since I didn't want to deal with a dirty holding tank as I planned on ripping it all out. I was quite proud of her dealing with that and not having one complaint.

Some people consider not having automatic water a step above camping...but we are avid backpackers and being on a boat is FAR above camping for us, pressure water or not.

I also want to make the boat systems from the KISS attitude. But I don't want to needlessly take away conveniences if it isn't necessary.

[PamlicoTraveler]

If it's plumbed through the engine heat exchanger it's a freebee to have hot water. Why not?

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

If it's plumbed through the engine heat exchanger it's a freebee to have hot water. Why not?

because the hot water heater is 15+ years old and busted. I would need to drop a lot of $$ to fix it or even more $$$$$ to replace it. Trying to figure out if that is worth it or not.

and I don't plan on firing up the engine any more than whats necessary. Battery charging will be handled via solar panels and wind generator

[Albro359]

Pressure pumps have, in my opinion, an undeserved reputation for unreliability. We have a pressure system with engine heat exchanger fed hot water cyclinder,hot/cold taps at the galley + salt pressure at the galley, hot/ cold taps at the head sink, and a mixer shower in the head.
This has been in the boat nearly 20 years and none of it has failed..it's still working just fine.
We now have a watermaker on board and have not put water in the tanks (other than from the watermaker) in nearly 3 years.
We have a shower everyday...not a long hot shower, just a minute or two, but its enough.
5 x 105Ah AGM batteries , 2 x 130W solar panels, engine driven compressor freezer with 12v compressor and additional plates inside the freezer
We are pretty self sufficient...run the engine every 2 to 3 days for an hour just to give the freezer a boost.
It works...now if only i could find a way to make diesel, I could stay out nearly forever...in luxury !

So, I'd go for a pressure system...why make life hard when you don't have to ?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Tellie

a gate valve,

I agree with Tellie 100%, especially about the gate valve. That type of plumbing has no place on a boat.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Albro359

Pressure pumps have, in my opinion, an undeserved reputation for unreliability. We have a pressure system with engine heat exchanger fed hot water cyclinder,hot/cold taps at the galley + salt pressure at the galley, hot/ cold taps at the head sink, and a mixer shower in the head.
This has been in the boat nearly 20 years and none of it has failed..it's still working just fine.

Albro359, consider yourself fortunate. I've rebuilt or replaced freshwater pressure pumps on the average of every two or three years. Of course, most of these pumps are not designed for liveaboard use, especially with systems such as freshwater-plumbed electric heads, et cetera.

Not saying the pumps are unreliable, but in my experience they wear out, especially things like diaphrams and internal check valves.