[C38] Water Leak

[Tom T.]

Like Les, we also had a regulator failure once with similar results as his.

Being tied up to city water could sink a boat if not attended to when an on
board regulator fails.

Since that time we have used a portable regulator which we attach to the
supply faucet on the dock.  By using this RV type regulator we not only
reduce the possibility of city pressure causing a leak in our boat but we
also protect the RV type supply hose from the dock.

The supply hose from the dock to the boat sits in the sun and if it carries
city water pressure you run the risk of a hose failure.  By using a
portable in-line regulator at the dock we have protected all of our
plumbing including the supply hose.

My father had a disaster in his house last November when his home regulator
failed in his house and flooded his basement from a ruptured hot water
tank.   A dock mounted regulator can also fail but the weakest link to our
plumbing is probably the supply hose to the boat which means any flood
cause from a ruptured supply hose will only wet the dock.  Our plumbing on
the boats should be able to handle more pressure than the supply hose which
makes the supply hose act as a "fuse" in the case of too much pressure.

I've been told that about 60 lbs is about the right pressure for our use. 
Our dock was 100 psi.  The RV regulators are fixed pressure but regulate to
about +- 60 
psi.

For what it's worth.......

Tom Troncalli
(Recovering ex-38 owner)


> [Original Message]
> From: les <hlhowell at pacbell.net>
> To: <listserve at catalina38.org>
> Date: 2/15/2011 3:15:14 AM
> Subject: Re: [C38] Water Leak
>
> Hi, Guys,
> 	I just remembered one other leak I had.  I may have mentioned it
> before... When we got JACE there was a freshwater fitting with regulator
> in the anchor locker.  I didn't ever use it, and mostly forgot about it.
> But one night at anchor, the water pump started cycling every few
> seconds.  I figured I had a leak, and went bilge diving, but there was
> no freshwater anywhere that I could find.  Turned the pump off, and
> hoped for the best.  When daylight came, we turned on the pump and wow,
> we were out of freshwater.  Good thing I always carry a couple of gallon
> jugs of bottled water, and of course a lot of soda pop (we are non
> drinkers, so I bet others have some other beverage).
>
> 	That darn pressure regulator had holed, and water was running down the
> anchor locker and out the little drain.  We found it by tying up to a
> dock, filling the tank, and tracing all the lines.  When I found the
> line going to the anchor locker area, I went outside and opened the
> locker, and sure enough there was a nice trickle going down in the
> locker and out the locker drain.  I stubbed off that hose, and it is
> still in there.  This hose is on the outlet side of the house water
> pump, so that dock water doesn't go into the tank and pressurize it.
>
> 	I don't know if that is the place others put that regulator, but keep
> an eye on it.  Such diaphram regulators typically last 10-15 years I've
> been told.
>
> Regards,
> les H
> On Mon, 2011-02-14 at 17:04 -0500, Steven Ribble wrote:
> > Larry, I had a similar mystery last summer and I looked at the hoses
> > for what seemed like hours.  It turned out to be a crack in the
> > plastic fitting that connects the hose to the water heater tank...for
> > what its worth.
> > 
> > 
> > Steve
> > 
> > On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 5:17 AM, les <hlhowell at pacbell.net> wrote:
> >         Hi, Larry,
> >                I can't supply a diagram per se, but I can tell you the
> >         following I
> >         know from first hand work:
> >                From the tank in the Vee berth, a line runs aft to the
> >         water pump,
> >         which is under the galley stores box on a shelf.
> >         
> >         >From the pump it routes to a Tee which sends one line to the
> >         water
> >         heater, and one to another Tee which feeds the galley faucet
> >         cold, and
> >         forward to the head faucet cold.
> >         
> >         >From the water heater, a hot water line runs forward to the
> >         galley.
> >         Both hot and cold lines are on the port side of the port
> >         stringer for
> >         the engine.
> >         
> >         The line coming forward from the heater, which is the hot
> >         water, there
> >         is a Tee under the galley cabinet below the drawer area that
> >         routes hot
> >         water to the galley faucet, and then forward to the head
> >         faucet.
> >         
> >         The locations of these hoses seems somewhat arbitrary, and we
> >         had JACE's
> >         water heater replaced, so this may not be standard.  I had to
> >         hire this,
> >         because my 270lbs under the cockpit sole didn't leave room for
> >         the
> >         engine or heater ;-)
> >         
> >         Regards,
> >         Les H
> >         
> >         
> >         On Mon, 2011-02-14 at 08:08 -0800, Larry Malmberg wrote:
> >         > I have an apparent fresh water leak between the galley and
> >         engine
> >         > hold.  Most likely a hose to the water heater as that's the
> >         only thing
> >         > I can think of that's back there that takes in and puts out
> >         fresh
> >         > water.  Does anyone have a plumbing diagram?  Hassle is a
> >         1982.
> >         > Probably a hose that caught some damage from the fire.
> >         >
> >         >
> >         >
> >         >
> >         >
> >         > Best regards,
> >         >
> >         > Larry Malmberg
> >         > Team Hassle
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Listserve mailing list
> Listserve at catalina38.org
> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org