clear water pump line

[drmax]

32' aft cabin.....
Heard an odd noise from friends boat yesterday. In front of the left engine, on the floor lays a pump. There is a clear line, may 3/4" that has came off from somewhere and basically this pump was pumping air. Went to the circuit panel and flipped a breaker title "water pump". Tripping this breaker stopped the motor. The line on the other side of the pump disappears somewhere behind what looks like may be some sort of liquid storage tank that sits outboard and just in front of the eng. At this point I'm assuming that tank is a fresh water tank (which she never uses) and the loose line is suppose to be connected inline to the boats water supply? I suppose I can test this theory by putting some water in that tank and seeing if it goes through that pump. There is regular water in the sinks from the shore water. One would think....that with this line off there would be water flowing out somewhere, unless there are seperate water lines on the boat, or some sort of check valve. Hell, maybe I'm way off here. What is this water pump suppose to do and how is it activated? Does it run all of the time?

[Bandit]

If I follow correctly sounds like your feed line from the pump to the faucets has come off. The pump pressure switch senses low pressure when you open a tap and turns itself on. When you close a tap pressure builds and shuts off the pump.

Not familiar with dock water supply systems and how they are plumbed but If the pump stays running then you have a leak or in your case seems the line came off.

[km1125]

Was the "water pump" breaker a 120V breaker or a 12V breaker?

If it's a 120V breaker, then it's the water pump for the heat and air conditioning. If it's a 12V breaker, then it's the water pump for the potable water if you're using the onboard water tank. If you're using a dockside connection for water, then you're on city water pressure and don't need the pump to run at all.

[bud37]

Source of the post 32' aft cabin.....
Heard an odd noise from friends boat yesterday. In front of the left engine, on the floor lays a pump. There is a clear line, may 3/4" that has came off from somewhere and basically this pump was pumping air. Went to the circuit panel and flipped a breaker title "water pump". Tripping this breaker stopped the motor. The line on the other side of the pump disappears somewhere behind what looks like may be some sort of liquid storage tank that sits outboard and just in front of the eng. At this point I'm assuming that tank is a fresh water tank (which she never uses) and the loose line is suppose to be connected inline to the boats water supply? I suppose I can test this theory by putting some water in that tank and seeing if it goes through that pump. There is regular water in the sinks from the shore water. One would think....that with this line off there would be water flowing out somewhere, unless there are seperate water lines on the boat, or some sort of check valve. Hell, maybe I'm way off here. What is this water pump suppose to do and how is it activated? Does it run all of the time?

Until you can pin down what is going on there with the pump and line etc.....may I suggest not to leave the city water on when the boat is unattended.....if that is the freshwater pump and the inside/check valve is damaged you can sink the boat....

[Viper]

I agree with the guys above. Need to find out which pump this is however you mentioned that it's a clear line and if it's completely clear, one would hope that's not what they're using for drawing raw/sea water for an air conditioner if applicable.

If it's the fresh water pump and the intake hose from the tank to the pump is off, you shouldn't get water coming out of that hose while the dockside water is on if the check valve in the pump is functioning properly. This prevents the tank from filling up and overflowing while connected to dockside water. There is only one fresh water plumbing circuit on board whether using the on-board water from the tank or dockside.

This could be a matter of the line taken off for winterizing and never put back on. Either way, it needs to be determined which line/which system it is and hooked back up for safety reasons.

[drmax]

Sorry I didn't reply as didn't get notification. It's the 12 volt pump and I had turned off the breaker. Her dockside water and heat/ac work normally. I do think that once the line came off and what little water she may have had in her potable tank simply pumped into the boat and the bildge pump, pumped it out. Haven't been back to her boat to hook the line back up where I think it attaches. You guys are spot on, with my assumption there is a check valve allowing with dockside or boat water to be used. I'll get back to it in a couple of weeks. I did notice in the clear line that comes around from the side of boat (which assume is attached to the potable tank) there is a T plastic fitting. I was thinking that the other end of this line that came off, attached to this, but made no sense as it would have just made a loop. Me thinx this is some sort of relief valve. But why would this T that has nothing on it, have ridges on the end as to keep a hose affixed to it? Hmmm. I also failed to mention, when looking up directly beneath the floor in eng compartment, I see a grey pex line and coming down from it is what I think, to be a smooth pex piece where this hose attaches. If this is where hose attaches, then it just wiggled off as this piece of pex is smooth (no ridges). I'll get some water in the potable tank, hook this hose up and test it out in the slip (with dock side water turned off) Thx gents!
(I'll attempt to load a couple pics here if it isn't too difficult)

[Viper]

The tee fitting could have been for anything, a supply for another faucet such as fresh water washdown. There's a number of systems that run off fresh water systems. It could also have been the connection point for an accumulator tank. If it's the grey line I'm thinking of, it's Qest which can be fastened by crimping with compression ring, quick connect fittings or threaded fittings with a ferrule and a metal sleeve. All of these would leave a sign/evidence on the line unless the line has been cut.

[drmax]

The clear line had a simple has a simple hose clamp on it. I think it just slipped off this long smooth grey pex. The night I messed with this (0030 in the morning) I did put this line on the pex and a bit of water trickled out of that T fitting. Ok, not much else to do until I get back on it.

[Viper]

Ya that's not a proper connection for those types of lines. Soft walled line should be clamped on to a barbed fitting so it does slide off.