What am I forgetting about? Raw/Fresh water washdown

F

Ferg

New member
I'm thinking about putting a 3-way valve (with a check valve) on the suction side of my existing wash down pump, and be able to draw fresh or raw as desired. It seems too easy, what am I missing? I know it will draw a lot of fresh, but I won't use it that much
 
Ferg":3uo1jd6p said:
I'm thinking about putting a 3-way valve (with a check valve) on the suction side of my existing wash down pump, and be able to draw fresh or raw as desired. It seems too easy, what am I missing? I know it will draw a lot of fresh, but I won't use it that much
Click to expand...

Check valves are unreliable. The risks are contamination of the fresh water system by salt water and loss of fresh water into the intake system.

I thought that all of the modern 25's have pressure water. It would be better to put in a second wash down fitting--and plumb off the pressure system of the fresh water pump. If you don't have a pressure fresh water system--now is the time to put one in...
 
I do know that check valves are unreliable, but with a 3-way valve, either source is isolated from the other. That being said, and as you suggested Bob, my first thought was a separate system. I was just trying to be cheap
 
We had a raw water wash down system on our 23'Venture. I wanted to be able to flush motor and hose salt water off the brakes while emptying the fresh water tank for travel. I simply added a T and a hose bib with valve in the cockpit. With the cockpit valve hose closed your fresh water system will work normally. Open the valve in the cockpit and you had fresh water from the tank. Our boat came with an on demand fresh water pump which you would need to make this setup function. Pics somewhere in our album.
D.D.
 
Added a faucet to my fresh water pump and tank.Just t'd off the output side of the fresh water pump. Easy to empty tank now can use for a cockpit shower. But the best is using it to wash down,the anchor chain or the scum line boat and brakes after retriving from salt water and even giving the motor a fast flush.We carry a rollup 50' hose to get water or use it for wash down purposes. Handy spot for our boat hook,gaff, net, scrub brush handle made by Slo lo marine. A short piece of pvc pipe which is 5200'ed to the floor keeps the bottom from moving around. My pliers holder for fishing expeditions is the rectangular block with th oval hole. Also the switch and outlet for my raw water washdown which we have elimanated the thru hull and have a hose with a screened pickup which we put overboard connected to the pump for the raw water wash downs intake.



Added a faucet to my fresh water pump and tank.Just t'd off the output side of the fresh water pump. Easy to empty tank now can use for a cockpit shower. But the best is using it to wash down,the anchor chain or the scum line boat and brakes after retriving from salt water and even giving the motor a fast flush.We carry a rollup 50' hose to get water or use it for wash down purposes. Handy spot for our boat hook,gaff, net, scrub brush handle made by Slo lo marine. A short piece of pvc pipe which is 5200'ed to the floor keeps the bottom from moving around. My pliers holder for fishing expeditions is the rectangular block with th oval hole. Also the switch and outlet for my raw water washdown which we have elimanated the thru hull and have a hose with a screened pickup which we put overboard connected to the pump for the raw water wash downs intake.
 
I like it, and was considering the same thing, but was concerned that it would stick out too far and get in the way. It sounds like you're happy with it, and this looks like an easy accommodation.

Like you, I wanted it to flush the engine while on the hook, and for a short shower.

Thanks
 
Check out my C-Otter mods folder for the flush mounted one that I installed last fall. Works great. I tied into the line for my fresh water flush toilet. Great for cleaning the boat, dive gear, trailer and emptying the tank....
 
Tom & Joyce,
that's kind of the profile I was looking for, but how is it valved? I'm guessing in the head, or does an insert open it
 
Ferg
Do a search for a Jabsco 31911-0000
This is the parts number for their Flush Mount SS Deck Washdown Outlet Fitting. Fisheries Supply and others sell them. Look it up and you'll see how it works. It basically has a plastic fixture that goes on your hose that you twist into the stainless steel Outlet. I also put a valve in the head that I could use to turn it off if needed. So far works perfect!
Tom
 
I installed a similar system as Will-C and Avidmagnum by adding a freshwater pump and teeing off to a faucet for the sink and a washdown for the cockpit. The sink faucet works great. I used the same kind of bulkhead fitting AM uses but for some reason I can't get the bulkhead fitting to stop leaking when connected to the hose fitting.

I'm going to disassemble and see if all the internal parts are in the right place. If I still can't get it to stop leaking, I'm going to install a faucet like W-C has. :crook

Peter
C-Dancer
 
Thanks Tom and Peter.

I just ordered the Jabsco from Amazon. I plan to install a valve like Tom did, and hope that Peter's problem is easily fixable.
 
Thanks Ferg. I do like the Jabsco bulkhead fitting, it makes for a very clean install. It comes with plastic pieces and springs and maybe I somehow didn't put them all in the right order causing the leaking.

And Tom, yes I did try to remove the parts from the hose connector piece but that didn't work because the lack of a spring didn't provide enough pressure to keep the hose connector tight against the bulkhead fitting. This weekend I'll try to remove the bulkhead side and see if I didn't install the internal parts correctly. As I said above, if that fails I'll go to a handle faucet.

Peter
 
Just to follow up. I did get a chance to look at my leaking problem and I'm happy to report- problem solved.

Two issues. First, the coiled hose I bought off Amazon had a cheap, shallow, leaky female coupler fitting. So I used a better hose with a deeper coupler. Next, I took out the little plastic end piece of the coupler fitting that plugs into the bulkhead mount and voila! No more leak. Just as Tom suggested. Thanks Tom.

Peter
 
Glad that you got it figured out.

Mine arrived on Thursday, and it was only an hour to install on Friday. I just teed off of an existing line. The house pump (3.4 gpm) puts out more than adequate pressure and flow. No leaks anywhere!

I don't know why they put those extra fittings and spring in the adapter; I'm guessing it's for flow restriction. Either way, it would have been nice if they included instructions.

So far, so good. Like Will-C, I will use it for a quick brake hose down and engine flush when I'm putting her back on the trailer after the salt water
 
Update....the expandable hose that I was using for my fresh water wash down broke. I had a spare expanding hose handy so I put it on the adapter with the parts that I took out for the old hose. Surprisingly....it worked fine! It seems that it works as designed with some hoses and not with others.
Learning something everyday that I'm out on the C-Otter.....Tom
 
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