Water System from HELL shows new tricks

Ohhhh it has been a tough weekend!!! The goal was to finally make the fresh water system on Temptation reliable. In short it was vastly improved but not before the "boat gods" kicked my ass!!

We pulled out all the stops in this effort. I wouldn't even start on a Friday night for "fear" of jinxing the effort. Saturday morning the system was running especially poorly. Finally Karen finished break feast and I was ready to get started -- a problem on this boat is only one person can be in the galley at a time and the engine room access is there too!!

I opened the engine room access door to mount a floodlight -- I mean I meant serious business here -- and the shelf with the pumps was completely WET. What a mess!! where did it come from?? A short investigation showed that the 5 month old HIGH DOLLAR Jabsco belt drive pump -- 96900-2000 had turned into a fountain. The top diaphragm had torn. Oh great... How do I test without a pump!!

Well not to be deterred I removed the pump and installed and jury rigged the old water pump -- a Shurflo. Then we started our series of tests isolating each component of the system and substituting something else for it.

We determined that the pump is sucking air. I bypassed the selector valve and still air. Gosh the only component is the QEST pipe between the tank and the pump!! It wasn't easy but I rigged a vinyl hose past the Qest pipe -- damn it worked well now -- no air. The air is entering from the rigid pipe!! Must be a hairline crack.

Well we thought we would just use it like this but a new problem arose. Once the pump turned off -- reached pressure then the next time it came on it wouldn't pump. Not until all the pressure on the output side would release -- i.e. no water coming out -- then it would pump.. Ohh this has got to be just the old pump problem.

I fought for awhile then gave in and went to Morehead City and killed 2.5 hours getting a rebuild kit for the Jabsco and some fittings to bypass the Qest pipe permanently.

When I arrived back at 5pm I called it a day.

We then attended a fine Birthday party for Kirsten in the clubhouse -- she turned 6 today.

Everyone had a great time. All the ladies received princess kits and had fun blowing bubbles and wearing gaudy jewelry.

This morning I started back on the water system. I first replaced the torn diaphragm in the Jabsco and reinstalled it. I then pulled out the old Qest pipe and installed new vinyl. ohhh it worked GREAT. The pump ran deep and hard and pumped up faster than it ever had. It was repeatable too...

I then pushed my luck and wanted to run the vinyl hose to the selector valve. I installed the fitting I bought yesterday but could not push on the 1/2" hose!! I tried it outside the enclosure -- Damn -- that clearly marked 1/2" barb is 1/2" inside!! They gave the wrong part!!!

I found another that would work and hooked it up. It worked but not as well -- sucks a little air from someplace. BUT acceptable operation.

We played with it and it seemed to work reliably. Ohh boy finally progress.

The water was nearly out from all the testing so I went to fill the tank -- I couldn't!! It overflowed almost immediately. Investigation showed the vent pipe was now PLUGGED. Son Of A Bitch!!! It was fine yesterday and now a NEW problem. Oh yes the end of the vent pipe in the Cockpit --- INACCESSIBLE!! Aaaaaaack!!

Well with the vent pipe off the vent tube the tank filled well and pumps well now. Next weekend we will attack the vent pipe.

What a water SYSTEM...

What has made this soooo difficult is the multiple problems.
1. Original pump ran weak and would not pump with any output pressure on the pump.
2. Air leaks coming in from the selector valve assembly.
3. Replacement pump has had some problems from the Get Go.
4. Hairline crack in Qest pipe on the FWD Tank.
5. Vent pipe not venting properly.

Essentially we have seen a problem in every component of the water system. It is the water system from HELL.

Wish me luck next week.