Accumulator and Water pump annoyance

[Richard10002]

When I fitted a new pump a couple of years ago, it came with a new pre pump filter, so I fitted it to replace the old one.

in 2004, on a seagoing trip, we had water trouble and found the filter was full of bits of what we thought was limescale. Cleaned it out, refitted, and all was fine.

My money is now on the filter?

[Giant]

7 minutes ago, chubby said:

The old pump was a shurflo and as i d already done one bodge job repair which worked well for several years i decided to just buy a new one instead ..... thats gotta be easier innit ....... ? Hmmmm

Probably still not a bad decision once you've sorted this out. When we bought our boat we found the installed Par Max pump was surrounded by a small graveyard of failed Shurflow ones, it's continued to hold up since.

[David Mack]

If you leave a tap turned on for a period of time and continue to get a decent flow of water, then the problem isn't a blockage in the filter (although I agree you should get the stuck filter sorted anyway).

If after you turn all the taps off, the pump continues to run indefinitely, and you don't have a leak in the pipes, and your PRV is not running water, then the problem must be with the pressure switch, and nothing to do with the accumulator. My guess is either the small hole leading to the pressure switch is blocked, so it doesn't sense the water pressure, or the switch itself is not working. In the latter case the recommended advice is to plumb/wire in a separate pressure switch with a higher current rating (or with a relay to switch the pump current).

[mross]

If the pump only makes 20 psi and the pressure switch is set to cut out at 25psi it is a pump fault, not a pressure switch fault.

[WotEver]

2 minutes ago, mross said:

If the pump only makes 20 psi and the pressure switch is set to cut out at 25psi it is a pump fault, not a pressure switch fault.

Just so. We'll see how he gets on with a new filter. 

[Mikexx]

6 minutes ago, David Mack said:

If you leave a tap turned on for a period of time and continue to get a decent flow of water, then the problem isn't a blockage in the filter (although I agree you should get the stuck filter sorted anyway).

If after you turn all the taps off, the pump continues to run indefinitely, and you don't have a leak in the pipes, and your PRV is not running water, then the problem must be with the pressure switch, and nothing to do with the accumulator. My guess is either the small hole leading to the pressure switch is blocked, so it doesn't sense the water pressure, or the switch itself is not working. In the latter case the recommended advice is to plumb/wire in a separate pressure switch with a higher current rating (or with a relay to switch the pump current).

While this may well be the case, but a faulty valve or other fault in the pump may give adequate flow but insufficient pressure to trigger the pressure switch.

Hence the suggestion of adding of a permanent gauge pump side which would give a direct indication of the fault.

[chubby]

Thanks again to all of you who have replied & helped . 

I took off the old filter housing & actually managed to unscrew the top off and so was able to give the gauze a good clean . Once replaced the system seems to be working fine again . Ive had kitchen roll under some of pipework adjacent to the pump and accumulator and it has revealed several very small leaks and so ive fixed those too . 

The pump hasn 't kicked in at all for several hours and the pressure in the accumulator is now 21 - 22 psi . 

The tap when opened will run for around 15 - 20 seconds before the pump kicks in and it runs for around 30 seconds after the taps are closed . 

I think its all sorted but will keep an eye on the speedfit joints that were a bit drippy . 

Thankyo so much for all your advice and help , I 'm very grateful 

cheers

Edited February 24, 2017 by chubby

[mross]

30 minutes ago, chubby said:

Thank you so much for all your advice and help , I 'm very grateful 

cheers

1

 

It always makes us happy when a poster comes back to say his problem is solved.  I hope you feel good for having fixed it without getting someone in.

Edited February 24, 2017 by mross

[WotEver]

I love free fixes