Pressure accumulator best practice...

[Quattrodave]

Afternoon all,

Currently in the process of re fitting the galley.  I'm moving the fresh water pump and pressure accumulator. What the past practice for mounting the pressure accumulator, inlet at the top or bottom, above or below the water pump..??

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[blackrose]

I don't know what you mean by "inlet at the top of bottom"? Doesn't your accumulator only have 1 port? You just T the accumulator off your main pipe run downstream of the pump. I don't think orientation of the tank matters.

 

By the way, I think it's a good idea to fit an isolator on the branch to the accumulator so you can switch it off if you want to. It makes listening (to the pump) for leaks a whole lot easier if you suspect there's a leak in the system.

Edited February 19 by blackrose

[Quattrodave]

5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't know what you mean by "inlet at the top of bottom"? Doesn't your accumulator only have 1 port?

 

Yes only 1 port, does it matter which way up i mount it, inlet pointing up or inlet pointing down?

[blackrose]

6 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

 

Yes only 1 port, does it matter which way up i mount it, inlet pointing up or inlet pointing down?

 

I might be wrong but I don't think that matters. Wait for others to advise. My accumulator is just laying on the floor under the bed on a carpet tile with a bit of wood fixed on each side to stop it rolling.

 

Are you re-installing your pump with flexible hose connections on both sides? That's best practice.

 

Too many people (and professional builders) connect the pump direct to rigid plastic pipes and then they wonder what has caused those connections to leak (vibration).

Edited February 19 by blackrose

[MtB]

48 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

Afternoon all,

Currently in the process of re fitting the galley.  I'm moving the fresh water pump and pressure accumulator. What the past practice for mounting the pressure accumulator, inlet at the top or bottom, above or below the water pump..??

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

Its a moot point but I think its best to fit it with the Schrader valve at the top. If only because its far easier to take a pressure reading and connect an air pump to a valve on the top, than a valve underneath. 

 

 

[BEngo]

Mr B has it.  Fit it so you can easily get to both the schrader valve and the isolation valve.

 

N

 

[Quattrodave]

Cool, so shrader valve at the top (water inlet at the bottom) with flexable pipework.  As close to the pump as possible? does it matter if higher or lower than the pump??

[Tony Brooks]

56 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

Cool, so shrader valve at the top (water inlet at the bottom) with flexable pipework.  As close to the pump as possible? does it matter if higher or lower than the pump??

 

 

No, except if it is lower than the water tank and the diaphragm bursts you MIGHT end up with a leak, but probably not until the steel case rusted through. Fit for your convenience, rather than esoteric theories of what might happen.

 

It can go anywhere as long as it is between the pump and any NRVs in the system.

Edited February 19 by Tony Brooks

[ditchcrawler]

10 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

No, except if it is lower than the water tank and the diaphragm bursts you MIGHT end up with a leak, but probably not until the steel case rusted through. Fit for your convenience, rather than esoteric theories of what might happen. 

On a pressurised system it would n=be the same regardless how high its fitted in the boat 

[Quattrodave]

thanks guys 😁

[blackrose]

4 hours ago, Quattrodave said:

Cool, so shrader valve at the top (water inlet at the bottom) with flexable pipework.  

 

It's the pump that should be fitted with flexible hoses, not necessarily the accumulator tank as that's not vibrating, so rigid plastic pipe should be fine.