Fresh Water Holding Tank Pump

[JoeGer]

Bill, I found the pump! It’s the belt driven older PAR model I assume from Jabsco. It runs but still not getting any pressure out of the sink. No valves around the pump either so I assume the entire system is “open”. I’m thinking to replace the pump, based on my result and reading some other posts concerning the Jabsco pump.

[Ray4713]

JoeGer,

I replaced my Jabsco last year with a Sureflow Aqua King II. Much quieter than the Jabsco pump. You can hardly hear it start up and run. Also see FastJeffs suggestion about making a "pump skid" in this thread before crawling in to replace it. I did that and it was replaced and running in a matter of minutes. Good Luck

[tundrarules]

Ray4713,
I have a belt driven like you. When I run my tank out of water...which is often, I always get trapped air in the lines. The pump will run with no water output until you purge the air out. My setup has a purge hose with valve next to the pump that works well. Sometimes I can purge using the sink faucets...but not always. You have air trapped in your lines. More than likely you do not need to change your pump.

[JoeGer]

Hey folks, been awhile since I decided to put off the freshwater pump replace, etc. so now it’s fall and here’s something to consider as I dig in...I smell mold down there, and I suspect my vent line to the outside, and perhaps the water inlet to the pump is clogged with gunk /mold and, sadly, my fresh water tank as well . I’ve detached the inlet from the tank and it’s draining into the bilge. I will purchase a new sureflow pump, but I’m in no hurry to replace it until I get the freshwater tank reconditioned or some kind of treatment. Furthermore, as winter is coming now I’m considering to put off the pump replacement until Spring.

[bcassedy]

Are going to keep the current tank and fill & vent lines?
If so, consider disconnecting fill line at tank as well as vent line. You will also want to (ugh!!!) disconnect vent line at hull fitting. Why do this??? So you can run a bleach solution soaked rag through both lines SEVERAL TIMES (each time with a clean rag). This will be a start in killing mold. If the rags have mold on them, the bleach solution will be a first step. You'll then want to repeat the process with straight white vinegar. This will eliminate the chlorine smell as well as provide a 2nd mold kill process in case some was missed. The rags shud be very wet. Finally, after allowing the vinegar to work, flush with clean water. It's a laborious procedure but it's needed because you will invariably need to address this issue again.

The tank process is similar. But first would want to know if you're going to keep it.

Bill

[JoeGer]

Answer, yes, I will likely keep it. But why not just replace the fill & vent lines?

[JoeGer]

...after further thought, maybe a full replace of the tank is better in the long run?

[Busia]

I had a welded stainless steel tank that was corroded. Glad I got rid of it. This is one place that plastic is better. Not that expensive to replace. Shop around for the best deal.

[jralbert]

I know I posted the formula on the forum some yrs ago. It was provided by my county health dept when I had odor and quality issues with fresh water.
"Shock" the system with 1 tablespoon of bleach for every gal of water. Run it thru til it comes out all faucets, shut off the pump and let it sit for 4-6 hours. Then completely drain the system thoroughly. Finally, use only 1/2 TEASPOON for every TEN GALLONS to maintain purity.

[bcassedy]

As to "why not just replace the lines..." You certainly could. My thought is that the cleaning process I mentioned is something that probably needs to be done for systems that have sat for long periods of time without benefit of chlorinated water running thru them on a regular basis. And it probably wouldn't hurt to do it at the beginning of the season after a long "over winter". The water lines have sat dormant for a number months, some of which have been warm enough (ever walked into your boat in the fall or spring when she's just sitting - gets pretty warm, or the winter < gets cold, but the amount of glass we have will allow some heat radiation to get into the boat and raise the temps>) to warm empty water lines enough to allow for the growth of junk.

Bill