Water Pump Issue-gctid369330

[Guest]

Fellow boat owners,

On my 2855, I seem to be having a predicament with the water pump for my freshwater system (sink, bathroom, shower, etc.). I believe the pump is located under the middle stair inside the cabin.

For a bit of history: When I purchased the boat last September the pumped worked, but only marginally. When the pump was on for a while, the water would flow out of the faucets at a very slow rate. The pump itself also was quite loud.. which may indicate something failing or not working 100%. When on, you could hear the pump clearly from inside and outside the boat. Within the cabin, it was loud enough to be distracting. When the boat was de-winterized, the marina mechanic said it took hours for the pump to get all of the water out from the faucets. They then filled the freshwater tank with a biodegradable antifreeze.

The boat was de-winterized a few weeks ago, and I filled the freshwater tank with some water (~5 gallons?). I want to flush out the antifreeze and run a few tankfulls through all faucets on the boat. Unforunately, when I flip the switch under the sink to turn on the water pump, the noise is still there.. and now it seems there is no pressure to push water out of any faucet.. I may get a drip or two every few minutes. I do see a few bubbles in the red antifreeze/water mixture in a clear hose that is near the pump under the middle stair.

I'm unsure how old the current pump is.. but there's a change it's original (13+ years old). If I need a new one, do I need to buy OEM? Are there suitable, and compatible, aftermarket pumps? I called Sea Ray here in town and they have the OEM part in stock (~$180).. though the rep mentioned that they may have alternate pumps that do the same thing for less cost and asked for me to bring mine in.

Any suggestions? I won't be able to get down there until this Sunday. Hopefully I will have a good game plan by then to diagnose or possibly fix the issue.

Thanks in advance.

(And an unrelated question, when I look at parts for my 2000 model, I see two types of 2855: 'SU' and 'ST'. The 2655 has two types as well. Any clue on how to identify which one I have?)

[Guest]

Check your water filter (If Equiped) make sure it is not pluged, I don't know if the come from the factory with a filter, my 2452 had the same problem and I found a pluged filter, Just a Thought, Doug

[JimMc]

Most of these pumps do have a mesh input screen. It's worth checking.

You could also have clogged aerators on your sink faucet. Try taking the aerator off.

[Guest]

I will check the filter / mesh as that sounds like a good first diagnostic step. Is it easy to get to?

[talman]

Remove the filter from the input side, and reconnect the hose. Remove the hose from the output side. Turn on the switch to test.

This should tell you if the pump works. A crack in the filter will do the same thing you describe.

[richardson]

A clogged filter or loose fitting on the input side will keep the pump from pumping. Check those out first. If it is the pump replacements are redially available from most marine or RV supply.

[Guest]

I use Jabsco 4.0 GPM wash down pump. Installation is simple, connect power leads from the old pump and reconnect all hoses using new SS double house clamps on the barbs. It comes with it's own strainer, so I would replace that as well. So far going on 3rd season and it is working strong. I can barely hold the faucet closed with my finger, I estimate it develops about 40psi static pressure.

When fishing I constantly use stern wash down to flush the fish blood off the deck before it bakes in to gelcoat. This pump provides good flow and blasts off most lose stuff in seconds.

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Jabsco-4-0-GPM-Washdown-Pump&i=73448&aID=601I7&merchID=4006

[Guest]

Yep, just get an rv one - a little cheaper than marine. It could be a water pump or wash down pump, your choice.

[Guest]

I finally had time to install a new water pump this weekend.

First, I tested the old pump by connecting the incoming water line to the pump without any filter. I then disconnected the output line, then turned the pump on. All that happened was a tiny gurgle of water leaving the pump. The mesh input screen looked okay though.

SO, I installed a new pump (2.8 GPM) and did the same thing. The output was much more, but mainly air! I thought this may be due to lack of pressure on the output end. I connected the house water system (output) hose anyway and gave it a shot. Once I turned the new pump on, I had no pressure to my three faucets. If I let it build up for 10 minutes, I could get about 1/2 ounce from the faucet before it poops out again.

I think my water tank is about half full.. maybe 15 gallons?

Any ideas/suggestions?

[Guest]

Can you hear the pump trying to work when all of the faucets are turned off?

[Guest]

The pump seems to always be running when the water/pump switch is on.

[Guest]

KnoxBoater wrote:
The pump seems to always be running when the water/pump switch is on.

That tells me that there is a leak somewhere and the pump is staying on because the pressure switch stays in the on position....you need to find that leak.