Mahe 36: Plumbing and Water Heater

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by ardnagee

I seem to have a leak on the water inlet pipe to the water tank.The only way to access it seems to be to get into the anchor locker.I am 6' 2" and the pipe is on the starboard side which is the smaller side of the anchor locker.
I am unable to crawll into that space to get at it.
Is there any other way to access it or do I need to find a smaller person to do it?

Unfortunately you need to find a smaller person, as there is no other way to access those water inlet hose clamps to tighten them.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Unfortunately you need to find a smaller person, as there is no other way to access those water inlet hose clamps to tighten them.

I don't have my Mahe anymore, but if I remember correctly you could possibly remove the blackwater tank in the head, and cut a hole in there to access from the inside.
Better to find a kid, should not cost more than some ice cream.

[MKB53]

I don't think there is any other way. I managed to get in but then i am only 6ft 1".😆
Once i got the anchor chain out the way i was just able to get in.
Getting a smaller person is the best idea.

[Fiddlerman]

Originally Posted by Jef & Marin, Netherlands

Hi all,
If you want to add or replace a Wema water tank level sensor, you have to bend the sensor. Or drill a hole in the deck. I preferred the first way.

I did this twice, once to add a level sensor to the second tank, once to replace the broken original sensor.
Bending did not (yet) damage the sensor. I bent them carefully over my knee, taking care to have a somewhat constant radius, and without making sharp bends. I kept checking whether it would already go in, and then bent a little bit more.
I have taken apart the original broke sensor to see what's inside. The sensor has (as expected) reed relays and resistors inside, the ring is a magnet.
The reed relays and resistors are mounted on a very narrow, long, fibreglass printed circuit board. This can be bent very well in one direction. In the other direction it might break easily.
So, twice I have been lucky to bend it in the right direction.
Your best bet is to bend it IN THE PLANE OF THE WIRES EXITING.
Before mounting you can test whether you damaged it easily with a multimeter, it should go from 190 to 0 ohms when you slide the magnet.

The pictures are of the broken sensor. I had to bend this one while still in the tank to remove it, that is why you see sharp bends. Still, this did not break the printed circuit board.

Where did you find the replacement sensor? I want to install one on our Mahe. Thanks

[esase]

Originally Posted by rabbi

I found a drop-in replacement faucet on ebay for 60 euro that matches the style. looks good after the first season. But beside normal hot/cold it also has an additional on/off valve and a separate outlet for drinking water (coming from our separate drinking water tank). If that's of interest for you I can dig this out.

I wonder, if you still follow this thread, but I would be very interested of that kind of faucet with extra features that you described... some five years ago that is.

esa

[esase]

Originally Posted by rabbi

In the meantime i have been to my boat and had a closer look. Its very easy to rig a temporary rain catchment system on the pre-evo models. On both side there is a round slot moulded into the salon roof and the eyebrow over the windows to let the water out. All the water coming from the salon roof and mats / sail goes through these slots.

All you need is a piece of 1'' hose to stuff into the slots plus some hoses and connections to gravity feed into the tank. Of course the hose to slot connection is not fully watertight but almost all the rain finds its way into the tank. If there is more rain than the hoses can take there is still an overflow at the mast to relief the excess.

This will hopefully deliver some of our water needs for showering, dishes and laundry.

For drinking water i am installing a Katadyn PS40e plus a separate 40l water tank which will overflow into the main tank when full. The new tank has a separate pressure pump plus a separate faucet in the galley.

I am considering exactly similar system with an additional tank. A brilliant idea. Where exactly did you installed the tank so that it overflows to the main tank?

esa

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by esase

I wonder, if you still follow this thread, but I would be very interested of that kind of faucet with extra features that you described... some five years ago that is.

esa

Sold the boat long ago but from my memory the setup was as follows:

It was just a faucet that beside the usual hot/cold mixing valve had another valve for a third inlet (typically used in household for reverse osmosis filters). We used that separate inlet for a small pressure pump connected to the watermaker tank.

Like this one:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/3-Wege-Kuche...8AAOSwpdpgXVPi

The tank was located beside the fridge and would overflow into a hose.
The end of that hose was connected to the overflow discharge of the main tank so any excess watermaker water would gravity feed into the main tank.


You need to make sure you don't suck water from the maintank into the watermaker tank while drawing water from the watermaker tank.
In the Mahe we used 2 non-return valves in opposite directions but I was never really sure these valves would close 100% so there was a risk of contaminating the watermaker tank.

In another boat we just used gravity:
The watermaker overflow ends above a small household funnel, which is connected to the main tank. Excess watermaker water drips into the main tank, but no water from the main tank can get into the watermaker tank.

While the second approach is a bit "MacGyver style" it works well and is maintenance and trouble free where the non-return valve solution isn't dependable IMO.

[esase]

Thanks for taking the time for the reply. Much appreciated!
The 3-way faucet is not that common in Finland so it was a new idea for me.
Regarding to the tank overflow, I would also prefer the MacGyver style (without valves) solution and try to implement that.

esa

[redneckrob]

Anyone know the manufacturer of the galley faucet in the Evolution. I've attached a picture, it's got two nozzles on the faucet, with a salt and fresh mixing valve at the base. It's leaking and after taking it completely apart and cleaning/polishing everything it's still leaking so I think I need new o-rings. But despite an exhaustive search I can't find anything like it online and there's no model information stamped on the faucet itself, just a wave type logo on the top. Thanks in advance!

[Rufduck]

Well, shucks.
Had a bit of unseasonably cold weather here in NW Washington state. We traditionally take off for a week or so around the first of the year on the boat and winterize for late January February. Got stuck in Texas for an extra week and the temp dropped to mid single digits (f) at home. Fresh water froze up pretty tight in the boat. Also raw water intake line froze on the port engine.
When it thawed, the port engine is fine as is the stbd one. However, Cracked the sight glass on the fresh water prefilter. No problem @ $10 from Amazon. The water tanks had completely drained into the stbd bay and pumped overboard.
Thought that was the only thing…nope.
Filled the fresh water tanks today and find water draining from the bowels around the stbd fuel tank. Closed both valves from the f/w tanks and appears to have stopped.
Does anyone know how the fresh water is delivered to the pressure pump? Seems likely that the corrugated white 15mm (5/8”)? hose from the stbd f/w tank would be a straight run but hoping not to guess. Any fittings? A 90*?
Don’t want to pull the inboard wall in the stbd suite if I don’t have to. Helpful advice, anyone?
Happy New Year,
Rufduck

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Rufduck

Well, shucks.
Had a bit of unseasonably cold weather here in NW Washington state. We traditionally take off for a week or so around the first of the year on the boat and winterize for late January February. Got stuck in Texas for an extra week and the temp dropped to mid single digits (f) at home. Fresh water froze up pretty tight in the boat. Also raw water intake line froze on the port engine.
When it thawed, the port engine is fine as is the stbd one. However, Cracked the sight glass on the fresh water prefilter. No problem @ $10 from Amazon. The water tanks had completely drained into the stbd bay and pumped overboard.
Thought that was the only thing…nope.
Filled the fresh water tanks today and find water draining from the bowels around the stbd fuel tank. Closed both valves from the f/w tanks and appears to have stopped.
Does anyone know how the fresh water is delivered to the pressure pump? Seems likely that the corrugated white 15mm (5/8”)? hose from the stbd f/w tank would be a straight run but hoping not to guess. Any fittings? A 90*?
Don’t want to pull the inboard wall in the stbd suite if I don’t have to. Helpful advice, anyone?
Happy New Year,
Rufduck

It only takes 2 minutes to pull that wall, 4 screws. Once you do you can stick your head in and see the whole water line run fore and aft. I would bite the bullet and take a look.

[Rufduck]

Thank you. Mine is a bit more complicated because the wall is insulated against the ceiling and walls but you are right. Bears a look although the fuel tank is in the way.
Will hook up my endoscope and see what it discloses.
Rufduck

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Rufduck

Thank you. Mine is a bit more complicated because the wall is insulated against the ceiling and walls but you are right. Bears a look although the fuel tank is in the way.
Will hook up my endoscope and see what it discloses.
Rufduck

Oh we're talking about different access points. I am talking about the inboard panel in the little "hallway" just aft of the head. The panel you take off to access your water pump. The lower panel there is easier to get off and will let you see nearly the entire water system easily.

[Rufduck]

No joy. Already removed it to access the f/w shutoff valve for the stbd tank. No screws, just a quick tug opens the panel. 2 separate f/w pressure pumps are in the stbd engine bay. Not sure why there are 2 but it turns out that the 2nd pump also has a prefilter and that site glass is ruptured, too. Be nice if that is the problem but then again, it is a boat.
Actually, I am struggling to understand why they installed those pre filter/strainers anyway. They are a 40 mesh and show no evidence of any foreign detritus. How could anything get into the drinking water tanks and wend its way into the prefilter. I shall leave them installed simply because it would be more work to remove them. Just makes me wonder.
The 2 pump mystery may be solved. 1 pump for cold and 1 pump for delivery to the hot water heater. Guess it keeps from pressurizing both hot and cold at the same time?
Cheers, Rufduck

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Rufduck

No joy. Already removed it to access the f/w shutoff valve for the stbd tank. No screws, just a quick tug opens the panel. 2 separate f/w pressure pumps are in the stbd engine bay. Not sure why there are 2 but it turns out that the 2nd pump also has a prefilter and that site glass is ruptured, too. Be nice if that is the problem but then again, it is a boat.
Actually, I am struggling to understand why they installed those pre filter/strainers anyway. They are a 40 mesh and show no evidence of any foreign detritus. How could anything get into the drinking water tanks and wend its way into the prefilter. I shall leave them installed simply because it would be more work to remove them. Just makes me wonder.
The 2 pump mystery may be solved. 1 pump for cold and 1 pump for delivery to the hot water heater. Guess it keeps from pressurizing both hot and cold at the same time?
Cheers, Rufduck

Sorry I realized I am being confusing because while my water pump is just aft of the head, the original position was in the starboard engine room as you said. I have never seen anything in the pre-filter either, but on a previous power boat some nice algae used to get strained out there. Regardless it doesn't serve much purpose because if something is showing up there the screen doesn't do enough to make it drinkable!

Good luck with your search. Maybe by putting the pink RV antifreeze in your now empty water tank and turning the pump on for a short burst you can at least localize the leak from where the pink stuff dribbles out? And you'll have clearly needed antifreeze in your water system