Shore Water Pressure Reducer Safety

[schoonerdog]

I bought a shore water pressure reducer/combination inlet, but want to make sure that it won't sink the boat should it fail. Isn't there some sort of sensing shutoff which can act as a safety backup should the pressure reducer fail?

[gonesail]

i saw this interesting device and thought maybe you could rig up some kind of shore power activated shutoff valve.

WaterWatcher Detects Water Leaks

[s/v Jedi]

You can never leave the boat without disconnecting the hose from the boat, at the boat-end of the hose. The risk of sinking combined with the requirement to disconnect it when leaving for more than an hour or so made me decide not to buy one.

We have been in a marina for a year now and I still don't miss it, just fill the tanks every two weeks or so. In the mean time, there have been 7 or 8 boats that were sinking because of either fresh water leaks or a leak at the A/C unit or the water maker. Also, the docks have been without water for a day or more several times; boats using shore water pressure were hauling jerry jugs from who knows where.

The important thing to remember is this: when you spring a leak in your fresh water system with your water tanks full, you end up with an inconvenience with all that water in your bilge. But the boat already carried all that water so there's no risk of sinking. When you spring the same leak with a shore connection for water, the incoming supply is endless and can sink the boat (I know you know this but include it for readers who didn't think of this yet).

ciao!
Nick.

[bloodhunter]

Wondering why you would want to have direct hookup to the marina/municipal water system. Only advantage I can see is not having to fill your tanks every now and again. Disavantages, aside from danger of sinking the boat, it would seem to me that regularly draining and refilling your water tank is a good idea just to keep the water that's in them relatively fresh. So what am I missing? Enchantress cme with a shore water hook-up/pressure reducer but I've never used it.

[bstreep]

What they said. I've never hooked ours up to the Marina. But, we only spend weekends on it.

Just too easy to sink a boat.

[S/V Illusion]

For anyone who uses water while at the dock, constantly having to refill tank(s) becomes quite tedious. In addition to the pressure reducer, many folks who are paranoid about a failure have installed a water counter or similar device which will serve as a fail-safe device to shut off the water should a leak occur elsewhere. I've seem some people with two in the system as well...

Just walk around any marine with larger sized boats and you will see how ubiquitous shore water hookups are.

[doug86]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

For anyone who uses water while at the dock, constantly having to refill tank(s) becomes quite tedious.
Just walk around any marine with larger sized boats and you will see how ubiquitous shore water hookups are.

Yeah, this is so much less tedious than having to refill your tanks... this boat sank because it was connected to shore water and something broke inside.

[daddle]

As an engineer: if all you want is to avoid refilling your tanks weekly or so while not increasing risk why not install an extreme flow restrictor. Like something for a drip irrigation system.

100g/week=1oz/min ... A tablespoon? Ferzample. It'll take a two or three months to sink.

Maybe this is what you are thinking? BTW: install this outside the boat.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by doug86

Yeah, this is so much less tedious than having to refill your tanks... this boat sank because it was connected to shore water and something broke inside.

This is precisely why it is a good idea to include a flow restrictor with any shore water connection (as I and others have suggested).

[doug86]

kinda tough to take a shower with 1oz per minute... It sounds like you are suggesting that the flow extreme flow restrictor be used to slowly fill the tanks, rather than supply water directly to the faucets. I think most folks who connect to shore water are trying to bypass the tank/12v water pump system altogether. They don't like the pulsing and low pressures accompanied by old school 12vDC fresh water pumps. But it's a good idea for those using tank water.

[doug86]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

This is precisely why it is a good idea to include a flow restrictor with any shore water connection (as I and others have suggested).

How will a flow restrictor that leaves enough pressure to make the faucets and showers useful prevent the boat from sinking? The flow restrictor I thought you were talking about lower the PSI from city pressures down to about 35psi, still plenty strong to fill a boat in one night.

[daddle]

They should move into a condo and make room for "Cruisers.". I suppose they pipe in gas and cable TV too? Don't answer that. I don't want to read it. Sheesh. Sorry, I had no idea. Houseboats I guess, not "Cruisers". I'll go away now.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by doug86

How will a flow restrictor that leaves enough pressure to make the faucets and showers useful prevent the boat from sinking? The flow restrictor I thought you were talking about lower the PSI from city pressures down to about 35psi, still plenty strong to fill a boat in one night.

No! You are confusing this with a pressure reducer valve.
The restrictor we and other use does not lower the flow rate but rather completely stops water flow. One often sees a cheap version of this on home lawn hose faucets and can be found at any hardware store with which you set a max flow (e.g., 50 gallons) before it shuts off; alternatively, the same stores sell cheap versions which are essential a clock timer but this would serve little purpose in this application.

Regardless of opinion, it's always prudent to shut off the shore water when away from the boat and I'm not advocating anything contrary - simply providing a common sense alternative which is safe and eliminates having to refill the tank(s) every time your wife/teenage children/oblivious guests take too long a shower while at the dock.

For those who confuse this with dock queens, your confusion is startling.

[doug86]

Illusion, you are correct about my confusion. I was thinking of a pressure reducer. I admit ignorance about the flow restrictor, but it sounds like a perfect solution... Can they fail and let the water flow?

[Joli]

It's handy to have shore water aboard when at the dock but like others have said. Don't go away with it connected, you'll risk sinking the boat. Kind of the same reason to close the seacocks when leaving.

I know of more boats sunk in the docks then on the water.