Water Tank Clog

[WDCboater]

We have a water tank issue we're trying to solve. Here's the issue:

Over the weekend we went to the boat, turned on the fresh water pump, but it just kept running. No water was coming out of the faucets. Tank showed 3/4 full. To test it I even put in more water to get it to full. Still no water.

My first thought was the pump. We've replaced it before. So I got a new pump. Problem not solved.

(I'll add I cleaned the strainer between the tank and the pump, which was dirty)

After talking on the phone with my mechanic, it sounds like there's a clog between the tank and the pump inlet. I tried to blow into the hose and it wouldn't work.

Any thoughts on tracking down the issue? My water tank is not easily accessible.

Ill also add city water works fine, so everything past the pump is clear.

 

[Bop]

We have a water tank issue we're trying to solve. Here's the issue:

Over the weekend we went to the boat, turned on the fresh water pump, but it just kept running. No water was coming out of the faucets. Tank showed 3/4 full. To test it I even put in more water to get it to full. Still no water.

My first thought was the pump. We've replaced it before. So I got a new pump. Problem not solved.

(I'll add I cleaned the strainer between the tank and the pump, which was dirty)

After talking on the phone with my mechanic, it sounds like there's a clog between the tank and the pump inlet. I tried to blow into the hose and it wouldn't work.

Any thoughts on tracking down the issue? My water tank is not easily accessible.

Ill also add city water works fine, so everything past the pump is clear.

Can you snake it? Not sure what would be in your water tank big enough to clog the line. Seems odd. Can you get a shop vac on the pump end and put it on suck or blow?


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[NotHerDecision]

I'm guessing you have a kink in the line.


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[Lazy Daze]

Blowing into it might not be conclusive since it could just be the weight of the water through the entire line that is too heavy. A couple things come to mind...

-- Try compressed air, instead of by mouth.
-- There could be a clog (although unlikely) immediately AFTER the pump (but before where it connects in with the rest of the boat's water line.
-- Clogged vent. Try running the pump with the water fill cap off.
-- A dip in the vent line where water has accumulated. Essentially, the same as a clog.
-- Somewhere between the tank and the pump there is an air leak. Remove and reseat connections. Look for cracks in line.
-- Air lock. Remove the line from the pump and fill it with water.

It's got to be something simple - it's a dirt simple system. The hard part is finding the simple part.

 

[WDCboater]

Blowing into it might not be conclusive since it could just be the weight of the water through the entire line that is too heavy. A couple things come to mind...

-- Try compressed air, instead of by mouth.
-- There could be a clog (although unlikely) immediately AFTER the pump (but before where it connects in with the rest of the boat's water line.
-- Clogged vent. Try running the pump with the water fill cap off.
-- A dip in the vent line where water has accumulated. Essentially, the same as a clog.
-- Somewhere between the tank and the pump there is an air leak. Remove and reseat connections. Look for cracks in line.
-- Air lock. Remove the line from the pump and fill it with water.

It's got to be something simple - it's a dirt simple system. The hard part is finding the simple part.

Dennis

Thanks for the reply. It is a simple system, unfortunately SR piped the water all over the place and most of the lines are not accessible. I thoroughly checked the output from the pump, no issues. In fact, yesterday I changed out the pump all together.

My water lines are pex and make sharp right angles from the pump inlet to the bottom of the bilge and then run aft before turning back towards my water tank which is under the aft bunk in the cabin. No idea why they ran it that way.

I did try running it with the water fill cap off with the same though that you had, maybe the vent was clogged. I'll go back today and see if I can see the vent (and find it) and see if that's the issue. I'm also bringing a compressor with me to blow some air into the line. Unfortunately I didn't have one with me yesterday when I was replacing the pump.

Thankfully I don't see any leaks, at least visible leaks, and I haven't spotted water anywhere obvious.

Thanks!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Ryan, your boat should use the newer style vent. It's circular, relatively flush to the hull, maybe an inch and half-ish in diameter. It's also pretty "smooth" looking, but sort of like a bulls-eye.

Another thought... duct tape your air hose to the line that you remove from the pump. Then put a couple PSI into it to pressurize it and then you start looking around/listening. It can take much more than that, but there's no need to pump a lot into it just to check for leaks.

Good luck!

 

[fwebster]

Ryan,

Before you go all Rambo on a clog, take a look at the vent fitting on the hull. I don't know if you have such creatures in DC, but in the South we have a problem with dirt (mud) dobbers building nests in the vent fitting openings, particularly after a winter layup. If the tank can't get air, the pump will not pump water.

 

[WDCboater]

Ryan,

Before you go all Rambo on a clog, take a look at the vent fitting on the hull. I don't know if you have such creatures in DC, but in the South we have a problem with dirt (mud) dobbers building nests in the vent fitting openings, particularly after a winter layup. If the tank can't get air, the pump will not pump water.

Frank/Dennis
My mission this afternoon is to check the air vent first. After reading your comments and doing some research it's possible that's block somehow. Fortunately we don't have creatures that like to attach themselves to the boat in DC, but it could be something.

If the vent isn't the issue I'll try to trace as much water line as possible and I'm taking an air compressor with me.

Thanks!

 

[Gofirstclass]

This might help to blow out all the lines--Several years ago I made a combination of fittings that go from my air compressor outlet (quick disconnect fitting) to the hose bib on the stern where you'd hook up shore water. I use it in the fall when I winterize the boat. The compressor puts air pressure in the system and I turn on the faucets one at a time to blow the water out.

If your water tank is full and you hook up a compressor, then open each faucet, shouldn't that push water through the lines the same way it pushes air through them if the tank is empty?

 

[scoflaw]

If the pump continues to run and won't shut off, you have a leak not a clog. Even with a clog it would build enough pressure to quit pumping

 

[WDCboater]

Ok, update.

I got through the weekend a few weeks ago, but problem isn't solved.
The issue appears to be a clog. It's white slime.

Here's my question, is there anything I can put in the tank that may help break up this stuff?

We temporarily fixed the issue by removing the strainer going into the pump and the hookeda house up to the outlet and pumped the water directly overboard. We used a clear hose and could see constant chunks of white slime in the water. We cleared enough of it to get the pump to function correctly for a while. However, this past weekend the problem came back, so we obviously didn't get it all.

Thoughts?

 

[bahamabreisus]

Kind of strange, what is the dock water like, it must be nasty. I would try to empty tank completely and flush many times with a 110 volt pump from Lowes or Home Depot attached to the pump inlet and just run hose overboard till it clears. I think a 110 pump would not clog up, since it would have more power. Then put a cup of bleach in the tank and fill it, go ride around for a bit, and pump out again. I would be looking into dock water quality also.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yes, try and start with an empty tank. If the water sits in the tank for any period of time and hasn't been treated, it can definitely get nasty. Bleach is about your best bet as it's cheap and usually does the job. After you do the flush job as Bahama said, I would even take it one step further and fill the tank about 1/4 with some more bleach (half a cup is plenty). Then, run that through all the spigots and let it sit for a few days or so. Then run it empty and flush it once more.