Manual Fresh Water Pump Install

[Verities]

Plumbing in a new manual fresh water pump to the galley. As I have pressure water, I assume the insert point for water uptake would be before the pressure pump. Any thoughts on a check valve or non-uptake valve to keep air and water being sucked back through the manual when the DC pump is used?? Thanks!

[bobconnie]

If it were me, I would come right from the tank with a seperate line. Then you don't need anything but your pump and line, no check valves to ever give trouble, no nothing but simple!! Remember the old KISS it's always the way to go even if it's some more work !! just my 2 cents

[ReMetau]

I have a T fitting before the electric pump where there is a ball valve going to the line for the manual pump.

[ggray]

the manual pump on my boat is tee'd off a pressure line, but there is a shut off valve in between.

[HopCar]

As long as the inlet valves in both pumps are in good shape, you shouldn't have a problem using a simple Tee in the supply line before the pumps. I'd try it without any check valves. If that doesn't work, add check valves.

[daddle]

I second the no check valve needed. No second line either. On the pressure side does not make any sense unless it just for a backup ... but then is it really a backup if the pressure pump is in series?

[ggray]

I should have said the manual pump I have is just for back up. It certainly is not convenient to use.

[roverhi]

Hand operated pumps are literally useless. Foot pumps are just as convenient to use as pressure water leaving both hands free to do what you need. They don't waste so much water like a pressure system does, either. Have T'd off the feed line to the pressure pump from the tanks with at least 3 Whale bilge pumps and haven't had any problems.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

If it were me, I would come right from the tank with a seperate line. Then you don't need anything but your pump and line, no check valves to ever give trouble, no nothing but simple!! Remember the old KISS it's always the way to go even if it's some more work !! just my 2 cents

I will (eventually) install, in addition to my existing pressure hot and cold, a foot pump "ambient" tap for "off shore power" use and a seawater hand lever for pre-rinsing dishes and whatnot coming from a T off my standpipe with an inline filter to catch critters and egregious "solids".

For the second freshwater tank line, I will plumb it separately as Bob Connie suggests for the same reason I have solar and wind, and two lower-amp alternators instead of one huge Balmar: redundancy and ease of service. If the pressure water line needs fixing, I go to the foot pump, and vice-versa. No confusion about where the air leak may be or if a T-fitting is clogged, or if a check valve is stuck. Just a straight line down.

I will have four 50 gallon water tanks, so I may run the pressure water to one and the foot pump to another, with the watermaker hooked to a diverter to fill either as needed.

Anti-siphons, check valves and the like are the devil's work. Avoid when possible!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Verities

Plumbing in a new manual fresh water pump to the galley. As I have pressure water, I assume the insert point for water uptake would be before the pressure pump. Any thoughts on a check valve or non-uptake valve to keep air and water being sucked back through the manual when the DC pump is used?? Thanks!

We have a T connection in the water line that feeds our pressure pump with a connection to a foot pump in the galley without a check-valve and have not had any difficulties with the arrangement.

We use the foot-pump almost exclusively when we're at sea to prevent the waste of water that normally accompanies use of the pressure system. We only activate the pressure system when moored or anchored or dock-side and then only as necessary for a shower or wash-up. My wife did not appreciate this approach until we ran out of water on a return trip[ from the Key's after which she said she finally understood why I was always fusing about wasting water. Fortunately, I had shut off the feed line to a spare tank so we had more than enough water for the remainder of the trip, provided one used the foot pump.

FWIW...

[cortezsailor]

I have a foot pump I want to install as a back up system, is it best to feed it to its on tap or is it possible to simply plumb into the tap for the pressurized system?
Thanks