Low water pressure

[mportdmd]

Hi All,
I really need some help here. The fresh water system on our sailboat has a PAR pump rated at 2.9GPM. It has served us well for the last 4 or 5 years when I replaced it while in the Bahamas. While "dewinterizing" the fresh water system the accumulator developed a leak so I replaced it with an identical accumulator. Since then the water pressure dropped to very low. The water flows from all faucets without problems. No air no bubbles in the flow. The system is closed. I've turned off the faucets and waited over 20 minutes. The pump never came on. When I open a faucet the water runs with some pressure but then it dies out, the pump comes on but the pressure never increases. When I turn off the faucet the pump will stop in a few seconds.
How do I fix this problem?
Thanks

[stevec195]

My thought would be: since the low flow condition only occurred after dewinterizing and the accumulator showed damage, you won’t really know what’s up until you substitute a known good pump to trouble shoot.

[Pete7]

Can you take the accumulator out of the circuit as a temporary measure to see if the pump is working properly? We have the same pump and don't need an accumulator.

The pump normally comes with a small clear plastic filter on the input side, I don't see it in your photo. It does keep some gunk out of the pump if you don't have any other filters.

Pete

[Privilege]

Your problem doesn't seem to have anything to do with the accumulator. The accumulator only comes into play once you have closed the taps and the system builds pressure. If the water is running slowly with the taps open, the problem is your pump. (Assuming that your inlet filter is free and you have no other water or air leaks). 3 or 4 years is a reasonable life for these pumps before the diaphragm wears out. You can replace just that part inside the pump head.

Having said all that, it does sound as if your accumulator pressure is not set properly for your pump. Before you do anything else, check the pressure in your accumulator. It should be set 2lb below the cut-in pressure rating of your pump. So, if your pump cuts in at 30psi and out at 55psi, your tank should have a pressure of around 28psi.