Help these brave newbies!!

[William1]

Brand new to boating. We stepped onto the deck as the owners of a 1997 Cruisers 3650 ten days ago. We hired a great captain who taught us the basic of docking and undocking, learned how to safely run all the electrical systems (docked and undocked) Our next challenge as we gain more experience is to understand the most important aspect of the boat...plumbing and waste management. I have a few questions that require immediate input from experienced boater from the cruiser class 36' loa and longer.

1. The water pressure pump comes on every 30 to forty seconds when given power, even if water isn't turned on. I was told it is possibly an air or water leak or a malfunctioning pressure release valve. I've been monitoring the holding tanks for both fresh and Waste water and have discovered a serious expanding has occurred in both tanks, at different times. The fresh water tank returned to normal when I opened all the faucets, the waste water tanki has not even though iut isn't full. (I'll pump it out tomorrow to see if that helps) What are all the possible causes for these symptoms? The pressure in the freshwater system was so intense that water was leaking back out through the fill line and I removed twenty five gallons of water from the bilge.

2.Is the holding tank vent filter possibly causing the bulging waste tank?

3. How do I tell if all my seacocks are working?

Any input could really put our minds at ease and help us to expand our knowledge and enjoyment of boating quickly and positively.

Thanks in advance.

[capn_billl]

Oh boy. I would find someone experienced in the marina next to you and ask them to go over your boats systems with you.

3. How do I tell if all my seacocks are working?close them and open raw water strainer...clean strainer. Then crack open seacock for a second, water should quickly flood strainer, close seacock ,water should stop, if not hurredly close strainer and schedule seacock replacement next haulout.

2.Is the holding tank vent filter possibly causing the bulging waste tank? Yes. Have pump out guy backflush vents during next pumpout, mine uses something that looks like a toilet plunger hooked to a garden hose, open a head flush valve during this procedure to prevent over pressuring holding tank. If a flush valve is leaking in one of the heads this could cause both symtoms you are experiencing.

1. You got a leak or bad valve somewhere, are you hooked up to shore water? If so disconnect it, I never use my shore water connection, even when living aboard. If it leaks it will sink your boat. Fill up the fresh water tank every few days instead. It will keep the water fresh in the tank.

Then start at the tank, follow lines to pump, the fresh water tank should never be under pressure, if it is, (shore water hooked up?, bad pump?). Check pump pressure and shutoff switch, check entire system for leaks up to each fawcet. Good Luck

Welcome to boat ownership.

You might get a small amount of expension in the tanks if the vents are clogged as winter turns to summer, Around here they are a favorite spot for wasp nests, the holding tank vent will clog with dried toilet paper. PS I'm not kidding about shore water.

[motion30]

The holding tank should have no pressure if the vent is open Suspect a vent line filter that has gotton wet from an overfilled tank A 5/8'' filter is around $100 but can be recharged with charcoal from the pet store and a few dollars worth of pvc fittings from home depot Google it. The constant cycling of the fresh water pump is a leak or a defective pump . I dont understand how the fresh water tank has any pressure. This also should have a vent. Is the fresh water tank connected to dockside water? I think these two problems are unrelated as those systems should never be connected

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum,

If you have water coming out of your fill line, check where the shore water comes in the boat, there should be a check valve that let's outside water come in and internal water to not go out. The check valve is probably leaking causing the pump to keep turning on.

That's about the only way for the water to reverse course, never have pressure in the tank, only after the pump.

[sailorchic34]

1. Pump check valve on discharge side of pump (may be built into pump) is leaking and/or accumulator tank is water logged, if it has an accumulator tank. or a small leak in the system, check the bilge.

2. besides the vent filter, the vent opening to the tank could be clogged with "stuff".

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
It appears that you are getting lots of help. Hope you can get it sorted out.
kind regards,

[William1]

Awesome feedbacK....I'll follow up on it all...i was told that I may need to refill the bladder on the Accumulator with air, as I only gt water out of it. I've looked and looke for a leak...no luck in finding anything yet...someone told me they took eight months to find a leak in their boat. We don't mind the issues as we get to know the boat...at fourteen years of age it's bound to need a few changes. I've priced the cost of replacemwent for the pump, city water pressure regulator and the Accumulator...reasonable considering that we've mad it inot our home.

Got another cute learning curve when we discovered the Waste water tank was also expanding....discovered that the pressure release was indee clogged....the pump out and back wash fixed it perfectly! Thanks Cap'n Bill. I have a feeling that I might be wise to go over every head pump too, clean the filters and do the same with the seawater filters too.

Should I worry about head and shower use...we get free pump included as part of our slip fees where we are....most liveaboards here pump out every three weeks....I'm not sure about us until our waste tank fills again.