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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

my faucet sucks.....

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josh-hansen
1st Mate

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USA
50 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/28/2006 : 15:11:45

The Whale faucet in the galley of my 82' C25 will not pump water unless I first prime it (suck on the end of the faucet until water comes out), once primed it pumps fine. But, after a minute it has to be primed again in order to pump. Am I missing something, or is this just the way they are?

Josh Hansen

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2006 : 15:47:02

I replaced mine with something like a Finnspray (?)--worked much better. It pumps on both the push and the pull strokes. Getting in there to remove and replace was a PITA, literally.

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2006 : 16:49:57

There is a rubber suction gasket (diaphram) in the base of a whale faucet...and when it gets worn out or dried out, it needs to be replaced. They are inexpensive and easy to replace. I found replacement parts for mine at an RV store.

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2006 : 17:55:56

I have maintained the orginal pumps as suggested in Mainsheet about two times and used the vasoline lightly but do change the lines everyother year. Really made myself a problem next to the last time as I used a RV water hose which I found out at the end of a cruise that it collapsed after 4 pumps and I didn't need the new pump which is now in the special parts box. WM does have repair kits for the stock pump. Removing the pump is a big pain as Dave says but I found that by using a small rubber strap wrench and a pillow and lots of words it got use to being removed this last cruise. Use thick wall plastic water lines and lube up the pump.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2006 : 18:12:46

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by josh-hansen
 The Whale faucet in the galley of my 82' C25 will not pump water unless I first prime it (suck on the end of the faucet until water comes out), once primed it pumps fine. But, after a minute it has to be primed again in order to pump. Am I missing something, or is this just the way they are?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Pictures... post pictures

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3439 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 05:25:17

Why mess around with overhauling a faucet that requires pumping in the first place. My thought is that pumping went out with the old time western movies. I would think that a nice upgrade even with working faucets would be to install an electric pump faucet combo, then one does not have to pump and wash at same time. If the faucet needs overhauling, then it's even a better time to think about that option.

However, I am even one step worse than you. Since buying my boat last fall, i have not even filled up the water tank. I just have not gotten to that yet. My thought is that i will look into that early next Spring. Over 20 years ago when I had a new 1980 Oday 23, one of the first projects I did was to install a small water pump in the existing water line. Since that boat had a lower mounted sink, it was advantageous to mount the start button low so i could push my knee against it while kneeling and then could use both hands to wash, etc using the existing faucet. With the catalina, it would seem that the start button would mount higher since one would not normally be kneeling to use the sink. Either that, or replace the faucet with one of those faucet combos that have the switch mounted alongside it.

Anyway, it is another thought but obviously more expensive than overhauling the existing faucet.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 06:41:03

This is going to be my fall project:

I'm still working out all the details and sizes, but I think I can do the entire job for under 180.

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 06:42:33

Duane, how are you going to heat the water?

Paul.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 06:54:21

I'm not - This will strictly be a room temperature distribution system

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 15:31:18

Duane, I asked because you show a dual faucet in your pics.
Any idea what would happen if you just connected the whale pump up to the presure system?

Paul.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 15:54:48

A friend of mine with a C30 recently installed a manual galley foot pump. He is now able to wash and rinse both his hands at the same time.

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duanewolff
Master Marine Consultant

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50022 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 17:55:42

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 Duane, I asked because you show a dual faucet in your pics.
Any idea what would happen if you just connected the whale pump up to the presure system?

Paul.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We discarded that cheap piece of !$!@#$ pump (which I highly doubt was a whale) many moons ago. We've been running sans water for about 3 years...you can probably run a search on this forum and look for the last time I talked about loading up the water tank with booze and check the date. Thats the last we've had of it. I don't think hooking the old pump up would work. 4 gallons per minute is some decent pressure, I'm not sure the hand pump would handle that. I am probably going to put in a single faucet, but just haven't found it yet - actually I've found it, I just can't find a picture of it.

Now that I reminded myself of the gin idea, maybe we could switch the water tank to tonic and just carry a bottle(s) hmmmm....

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 18:40:03

I literally almost never use my on board water. When cruising, I carry 1 gallon jugs for drinking and making coffee. I use the on board water only for dish washing. I use about 1/2 gallon per day.

I am seriously considering removing my water tank, putting some weights in there, and having significantly more on board storage.

I filled up the tank when I bought the boat and now 4 years later it's 3/4 full.

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duanewolff
Master Marine Consultant

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50022 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 20:19:42

Don't even add the weight Jim. Just remove the thing. We shifted our spare anchor to that side and have two batteries and the tool box over there.... No need to add weight just shift the moveable stuff.

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2006 : 22:32:44

Here's what we did on Breakin' Wind.

Replaced the whale faucet with one similar to this:

and a on demand pump similar to this:

This way we get water on demand by turning the knob. I considered a knee switch but this seemed like a better solution.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2006 : 06:34:37

Andy - does that pump have an electric switch on it or do you have to switch the panel first or both? Did you install an accumulator tank?

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2006 : 07:38:10

Andy, nice find.
I'm guessing that the pump starts up when you open the faucet and shuts off when the pressure builds up after closing the faucet. That's exactly the concept I'm thinking of and that faucet would be perfect.
The only thing you give up is the ability to get water if the power is out. I could live with that as the head sink would still use the whale pump, and as it is on the uphill side of the pump it should not be affected (the galley faucet is currently on the uphill side of the pump and has no problems.)
All I would need to do is replace the faucet and move the 'T' to the downhill side of the pump.

So.... where did you find that neat looking faucet?

Duh, just found it in WM catalog page 415

paul.

Edited by - britinusa on 08/30/2006 07:41:13

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2006 : 16:56:29

Ever on the lookout to keep it simple, we stopped using the water tank (a 10 gallon plastic jerry can connected to the whale hand pump in the sink) and have instead been using our solar shower.
I bungee it above the sink, and have warm water to rinse dishes, wash hands and etc.

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2006 : 21:37:45

I'm going to plead ignorance to an accumulator tank. Since I don't know what it is, I'll bet the answer is no, I did not install one.

The faucet wires to the pump. The faucet switch turns on the pump. Voila, water

We carry plastic jugs for drinking water anyway so running out of electricity isn't a concern. Plus I'm still in the middle of a rewire which will include a Honda genset and battery charger so it should never become an issue.

Now...what did I do with that accumulator tank?

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3439 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2006 : 05:37:04

I think an accumlator is to provide pressurized continuous water, whereas, some may find that on- demand water from the pump provides somewhat erratic water flow. An accumulator genrally has a bladder in it and so when the pump fills it up, it expands the bladder and the water is held there until one opens the faucet. The faucet water then comes out continuously at a positive pressure. Without getting into a whole pump analysis, some pumps can cavitate if the suction side is not completely filled with water and/or if the discharge side has a very large diameter line and the pump is not pumping against some resistance. That is one reason why some accumulator advertisements indicate that they can prolong pump life.

Many years ago, I installed a cheap water pump into my ODay 23's water line to the faucet and installed a switch (button) which I would push against with my knee when kneeling next to the sink. It worked great. In most instances, an accumulator will not be needed and it just further complicates and ratchets up the cost of what could be a relatively inexpensive improvement to sink management.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3439 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2006 : 05:39:31

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3439 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2006 : 05:45:28

I forgot to add....that...presently i see that West marine and Boaters World sells those combo faucets with electric switch. I was considering getting ovne of those as part of an improvement project probably next year. However, as one person above mentioned, if the power goes dead (or the pump goes dead), then you have no water flow. Well...that is not always the case. if one is concernd about that, then the easy fix to that is to buy an inexpensive pump, install it in the water line, keep the original faucet but....hook up the pump wires to a separate switch that you could turn it on by hand or button located advantageously while standing next to the sink and can be pushed with your knee, etc. then if you have no power or the pump stopped working, you could still use the original faucet's pump hamdle to pump water as you presently do. That then provides you best of both worlds - pumped water, inexpensive improvement not requiring faucet replacement and can still use the faucet manually.

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