Carver Owners Forum

I would like to replace my fresh water's holding tank pump with a new pump. My current pump works fine, but it is making some noise and I would like to replace it. I looked and there are millions of pumps out there. What is the best pump to get?

I want something super quiet and powerful.

Thanks

From an electrical safety standpoint, careful not to upgrade to a higher amperage unit that draws more than the current circuit's wiring can safely handle.

Good point. I can add larger wire if needed, the pump is really close to the panel box

A few years ago I bought a fairly expensive one with "soft-start" technology. Instead of just a pressure switch cutting the pump on and off, the pressure switch triggers a circuit embedded in the base and it gently ramps the pump up to RPM. It seemed much quieter than the previous pump.

However, a few years went by and the electronics failed. Out of warranty and no recourse but to buy a new pump (even though the actual motor and pump sections were just fine). I'm back to the standard type with pressure switch. Years ago I did add an accumulator tank to the system. That was probably the best upgrade I made to the potable water, other than replacing all the lines. The pressure is much more consistent after I made that change.

km1125, I suspect you're talking about the V-Flo or something similar. I've serviced three failures on those, one was bad right out of the box. That's too high a failure rate IMO so I wouldn't recommend them. There is a place for them but the board just adds yet another thing to go wrong. Electronic versions of what used to be mechanically controlled hardware do offer some benefits and more options (frills) but they break down way more often than their older non-electronic counterparts. Not to mention adding electronics always drives up the price as more and more frills get added on. A simple micro switch activated by pressure has been a reliable mechanism for years. Sometimes the KISS principle is the best way to go.

amanphoto wrote:Source of the post I would like to replace my fresh water's holding tank pump with a new pump. My current pump works fine, but it is making some noise and I would like to replace it. I looked and there are millions of pumps out there. What is the best pump to get?

I want something super quiet and powerful.

Thanks

On thing I have noticed with ours.....when the screen on the intake side of the pump starts to get restricted, the pump gets noisy, clean screen and all is quiet again .....you probably know this but thought I would mention it just in case.......... ........

I like the new stuff too, but I found when I buy new stuff that "should" fit and work, there is always some problem that creeps up...so I replace "like for like", faster to find, easier to install and you know what to expect.
I would like to mention, removing the pump you have and searching for a exact match replacement...saves time.

Yes, the standard on off style pumps do make a bit of noise. Make sure you bolt it to a couple pieces of 1 1/2 soft vinyl hose then screw the hose to the boat. Do not make you water hose connections tight, put a full loop before the pump. And as mentioned above, make sure the inlet screen is clean. You will most likely still be able to hear it when it is quiet in the boat, but that's not always a bad thing. If the pump runs when you don't believe it should be, you know you have something on before your tank is empty! One of the grandkids didn't quite shut off the transom shower fully while anchored out last season, if I didn't hear the pump running every few minutes I probably would have had a morning shower.

Running a accumulator is a great idea, had one in our last boat pressure was very consistent..it was nice. My friend has a 420 Sea Ray and noticed it has 2 pressure pumps with accumulator never seen this setup before definitely interesting. I think our boat has a Jabsco pump and pressure is pretty good but is louder. Reliable pump though never had an issue.

This the the pic of the pump that is currently in the boat. I've changed the supply lines and cleaned the bilge. This is an old pic.