Dedicated to a friend with a new, mainly electric toy.
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Sun 22 Nov 2009 11:42
So, having changed the water filter we find that the pressure in the water
system is low and the pump runs on for quite some seconds after the tap is
switched off, making 'rattly' noises. Consulting The Blessed St Nigel
(Caulder), epistle to the pressurised water-system maintainers, chapter 93
verse 1021, we learn that this probably indicates a knackered pump. I HAVE
A SPARE, I KNEW IT WOULD COME IN HANDY ONE DAY.
Now, you can guess where the pump is situated, can't you? Luckily(?) for
my back, I can kneel on a convenient shelf and bend my torso into the
SSCP* and reach the offending pump. It is disconnected electrically &
liquidly, removed from the SSCP and the new one connected up~ a fairly
straightforward job just needing to make up new electrical connectors
(whilst bending into the SSCP) and fitting the old pressure cut-off switch
onto the base of the new pump.
Whilst I was there, I cleaned the in-line filter from the water tank to
the pressure pump (it was clear, I'd cleaned it when I changed the water
filter).I also noticed, somewhat ominously I feel, that the clear return
line from the fridge heat exchanger seemed to be ~ er ~ clear, i.e the
water coming back from the heat exchanger was not polluted (much). This is
doubly strange, firstly because the water for the heat exchanger is taken
from the tank ahead of the filter system so should have major pollutant in
it and secondly if the pollution is being caused by the fridge heat
exchanger then the water coming out of it should be 'doubly' polluted.
HHmmm.
I disconnected the pipe from the water tank and it didn't appear to be
furred up, neither did the other pipes I checked up to the water filter.
After the filter they're clear (of course). So then, full of both hope and
trepidation, I switch on the pump (it works, does this entitle me to a
City & Guilds electical connection badge?), the pump runs to pressurise
the system then stops (the pressure switch works then!). I switch on a
tap..... the pressure is low and the pump runs on for quite some seconds
after the tap is switched off, making rattly noises. Back to St Nigel the
not quite so Blessed.
Aha, the accumulator. Well, I had put air into it, perhaps too much? I let
air out..... better. Is this the problem solved?
No (well, it wouldn't be, would it?). I notice that there is air in the
clear line after the water filter. This may be the problem, but how is air
getting into the system and apart from running a tap for about ten minutes
how do I bleed air out? Luckily, the water-maker is performing so I can
run water off with impunity ~ well ~ that's not entirely true..... the
output from the WM is appreciably down (around 35 litres per hour as
opposed to the more usual 45 lph so I feel a thorough acid clean of the
membrane is imminent (check filters first though).
Is there any good news in all this? Well, I'm having a pre-schadenfreude
moment thinking of my chum, Abbey, with his newly-acquired 'container' for
a gazzillion batteries, generator, two electrical toilets, two TVs, Xbox
and God knows what else. Lucky he enjoys a spot of DIY because when most
of that goes wrong mid-ocean or in some secluded, engineer-fee anchorage
he is going to have fun :) AND IT WILL GO WRONG, so enjoy.
Ah, yottin... the fun, relaxing care-free life style. As many have
remarked before... "Cruising, boat maintenance in exotic places"
*for translation see previous blog entries