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Boat Maintenance & Repair Forum

repair advice

by betty boop » 07 Aug 2017, 09:33

MY fresh water pump (sink &Shower) has stopped working- contrary to the owners manual stating it is accessible it seems someone at the factory decide under the floor was better, so now I need to remove a few large items to gain access -

1st question is does anyone have experience of how the water pump works? I have a deck switch - do I assume the pump has a flow switch or is permanently pumping when powered? likely to be serviceable? any likely problems on a works one day - dead the next scenario? fuse and switch are both OK.

IF I have to lift the very large floor panel and remove the helm seat/ cooker/ storage console then I was going to relocate the gas cylinder. Currently its under the helm seat/cooker but it is a B'ache to turn on/off the gas. IF I move the cylinder to the only other space in the engine bay - will this be a problem? It has been noted that extreme heat of the engine hatch may be unsuitable for a campinggaz cylinder. a few weeks ago Mrs BB was moaned at for shoving a bag of self lighting BBQ coal in there and it got VERY warm indeed. Ive no idea if anywhere near self combustion temp but gave us food for thought at least. and is any leakage of gas with petrol fumes/ fire safety likely to be compromised? Having seen one boat explode once this year Im thinking that having a gas tank above a fuel tank, next to an ignition source may not be a good idea.
betty boop
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by Ianfs » 07 Aug 2017, 10:26

IF I move the cylinder to the only other space in the engine bay - will this be a problem?


No no no no??? :o :o :o :o

I would say that fitting a gas cylinder next to a petrol engine is an absolute no no! There was a fire at a garden centre near Heathrow this weekend which had larger gas cylinders within reach of the fire. One of the firemen said that if one was to go up it might reach the motorway which was about 1/2 a mile away. Say you had an engine fire, the cylinder would surely explode taking most of the engine bay out and possibly someone with it too. There is a reason its under the seat. :)

Back to the pump, is it possible that a previous owner has fitted another type and put it in its current position? I doubt the pump is serviceable but does it run off a house battery? Is it possible that there is a corroded earth somewhere or possibly if it runs off a battery, is the battery discharged when it doesn't run?
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by betty boop » 07 Aug 2017, 12:18

Ianfs wrote:
IF I move the cylinder to the only other space in the engine bay - will this be a problem?


No no no no??? :o :o :o :o

I would say that fitting a gas cylinder next to a petrol engine is an absolute no no! There was a fire at a garden centre near Heathrow this weekend which had larger gas cylinders within reach of the fire. One of the firemen said that if one was to go up it might reach the motorway which was about 1/2 a mile away. Say you had an engine fire, the cylinder would surely explode taking most of the engine bay out and possibly someone with it too. There is a reason its under the seat. :)

Back to the pump, is it possible that a previous owner has fitted another type and put it in its current position? I doubt the pump is serviceable but does it run off a house battery? Is it possible that there is a corroded earth somewhere or possibly if it runs off a battery, is the battery discharged when it doesn't run?



BOOM! good insurance claim may be :lol: I agree but if you think about it IF there was a fire theres a very good chance of losing the boat and it reaching the cylinder anyway. i.e. plastic boat & flame does not mix well. for the pump - I doubt it was moved, the owner did NOTHING to improve/repair the boat, covers never opened, cuddy cushions never unwrapped etc. I think he didnt realise it had a cabin to be honest. HOWEVER - now u say earth - the windlass did suffer an earth failure when we viewed it in the yard, (again 8 years never used) easily repaired whilst we lunched at a local pub but makes me figure ur on to something here. ;)
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by Ianfs » 07 Aug 2017, 20:27

I agree but if you think about it IF there was a fire theres a very good chance of losing the boat and it reaching the cylinder anyway. i.e. plastic boat & flame does not mix well. for the pump


I'm surprised at you Mr Risk Assessor and RNLI Master Chief :D .

230c in an engine compartment with another contained accelerant in close proximity, might be a little, shall we say, risky! :shock:

Yes, check your Earth's . She sounds like a great purchase, not like some of the shite I've looked at recently, which I might add has been described as "Turn Key" or "Immaculately Presented" .
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by betty boop » 08 Aug 2017, 08:17

Oh dear Ian seems like your in a similar situation as we were last year, available stock run low and whats left is poo packaged as gold. We saw quite a few with a long trip Peterborough to Dartmouth to name one of a few.

Back to the repair, Yesterday was 'one of those days'. I wish the Karnic engineers had stuck to the plan and installed the pump where it should have been (accessible from an opening side wall panel). Removing the pod was a nightmare, to get to deck screws the hatch doors needed removing, drain pipes disconnected, storage cleared, driver at arms length etc.

pushed forward screws removed on the floor lid only to find it stuck on, table support (fuel sender port) removed showed a lot of muck so a crowbar was employed, after much grunting she final came free to reveal 2 things, Half a bucket of rotting matter, and no water pump. :evil:

but I could see it located under the cuddy, access from a small hole and 2 foot down in the forward bilge. No wonder the pump has failed, at some point it was submerged in muck and salt water. The pump itself is just about salvageable. electrics were shot with rust & water and the flow sensor knackered but Ive managed to clean them up re spring the sensor and she works as it should. I could replace the sensor mechanism at £15 but if the main diaphragm fails, at £20 I may as well buy a new pump at £55, so Im going to go with seeing how long it lasts, then replace as required.

More annoying is the stilt in the bilge, I knew she must have sat a while not used, 79hrs engine hours over 8 years, but it seems the boat must have almost sank with the muck and water in the hull. worrying that the water was so deep under floor to cover the water pump and enter the cuddy through the carpeted access panel.
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betty boop
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by Ianfs » 08 Aug 2017, 12:00

Eeyyyooo! That pump looks a tad mucky. One good thing about it though, had the pump not failed you wouldn't have known about the muck in the bilge. :)

What about extending the pipework and the electrics and mounting the pump in an accessible place?
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by betty boop » 09 Aug 2017, 07:33

Ianfs wrote:Eeyyyooo! That pump looks a tad mucky. One good thing about it though, had the pump not failed you wouldn't have known about the muck in the bilge. :)

What about extending the pipework and the electrics and mounting the pump in an accessible place?


yes I could do but i figure its just best to put it back for now then move it when it eventually fails. i.e. by taking it out a second time I'll be really annoyed by then :lol:
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