Filling Freshwater Tank....WTF?

[Pete1313]

Ok, so I'm a bit embarassed about this, but here goes:

Got my boat last year. 1997 Voyager. Freshwater tank had water in it.....

Last summer, my freshwater transom shower started "sputtering".....so I figured it was empty. Took a garden hose to the filler, which is on the base of the port seat pedestal....water ran in from the hose for about 5 seconds and started rushing back out...so I figured it was full and I had a problem.

Long story short - I've put in a new freshwater pump, snaked the entire freshwater line to ensure no blockage.....and still same problem.

So today, I look at freshwater tank in forward bilge compartment and realize the damn thing is empty......

Question: how do I fill it? Whenever I put a hose in the filler hole water shoots right back out. When I was looking at the tank today, I noticed that the filler hose goes down from the filler opening, then swoops up about a foot and a half, and then makes a 180 degree bend into the top of the tank.

So, I'm thinking I need to run a garden hose w/o a fitting on the end as far up there as I can to get the water to actually push in, rather than back up and shoot back out into my legs when I'm filling it....

Anyhow - anyone have advice for me on this?

Thanks

 

[colecaz]

Your symptoms sound like the vent line is plugged up. See if you can find a small tube coming from the tank and follow it to it's end. You should be able to blow into it and have it free and clear. Another test to to very slowly try to fill the tank, letting the air vent out by the filling hose. But with the loop you described in the fill line that probably wouldn't work.

 

[DUUUUUG]

I agree with colecaz.
Sounds like your trying to push water into sealed tank, thus building up tank pressure cause there is no where for the air get out so the water can get in.

 

[Pete1313]

Well, I thought that too, but the fill hose is huge...its not like there is no room for air to come back. I think that there is not enough water pressure to get the water "up the hill" so to speak from the fill mouth down into the tube and back up again.

Anyhow - I will double check the vent hose ....

I'll let you know what happens!

 

[DUUUUUG]

Got any pictures?

 

[Pete1313]

No, none right now. All of my access to the water tank to date has been through the 6" beckson access panel on the forward section of the forward bilge cover. I loath cutting that caulking and having to re-do it. My aft inspection cover is removed right now and I have to get it re-installed by monday (boat will be sitting outside).

SO...it may be tough for me to get a picture other than sticking my hand in there with a camera.

Here's what I think: I think its one of two problems - a clogged vent tube, or not enough pressure on the water as I try to fill it. BOth of those are easy enough to check....

My other option is that I could fab up a new fill hose that I can access from the access panel. That would be about 1' from the fill hole in the tank. Only down side I see is that it would require me to pour water over the open bilge.

Anyhow - I'll update as I figure it out!

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Pete1313, Hows it going? You know Pete water and other things are infamous for not wanting to run uphill. It sounds to me like that your filler hose might be too long or routed incorrectly. That part of the hose that is higher than your fill port would seem to be a problem to me. You could possibly attach some sort of extened tube or funnel to the fill port and fill your tank since you would be putting the water in higher than the fill hose (This would be similar to the way a sink drain or p trap works. It could be the vent also but I suspect that fill hose. My friend GW VOYAGER has the same boat and I have never heard him mention any problem with filling his fresh water tank. Reel Selective are you out there? 8)

Ken

 

[Pete1313]

Thanks all to those who responded. Ken, what you mention is what I was thinking....in fact, talked with my buddy about it, who is a civil engineer. A garden hose will only push water so high....

Here is what I did:

I installed a new fill hose. a bit crude, but all I do now is pop open the forward 6" deck inspection hatch and there it is - a new fresh water fill.

So, filled up the tank, turned on my new freshwater pump.......water is STILL SPUTTERING......damn. Because the hose is clear on either side, I could see that the intake hose had no air, but the output hose had bubbles in it.

In the end - all I needed to do was tighten down the hose clamps on the intake line, where air was getting in.

In the end....I didn't need to replace the pump at all, but instead I should've filled the tank with water first :bang

oh well....at least I know now

 

[JOE.GIBBONS]

Thanks all to those who responded. Ken, what you mention is what I was thinking....in fact, talked with my buddy about it, who is a civil engineer. A garden hose will only push water so high....

Here is what I did:

I installed a new fill hose. a bit crude, but all I do now is pop open the forward 6" deck inspection hatch and there it is - a new fresh water fill.

So, filled up the tank, turned on my new freshwater pump.......water is STILL SPUTTERING......damn. Because the hose is clear on either side, I could see that the intake hose had no air, but the output hose had bubbles in it.

In the end - all I needed to do was tighten down the hose clamps on the intake line, where air was getting in.

In the end....I didn't need to replace the pump at all, but instead I should've filled the tank with water first :bang

oh well....at least I know now

 

[JOE.GIBBONS]

Just bought a 2002 Voyager with the same problem. The owner's manual shows a vent on the tank at the top of the tank fill opening. Appears to be a little flapper valve but I cannot tell if it is working or if the vent line is clogged, but the water comes back through the fill opening when I try to add water with the hose. Frustrating.

 

[rockpool]

Way to resurrect an 11 year old thread ;-)

 

[glacierbaze]

I know it’s an old thread, but I had the same problem filling my tank on my 2000 Seafarer today, and every other time I have filled it. I usually just shove the hose in while I am doing something else, and it eventually burps its way full.
Today, I stayed with it, and I have not yet verified it, but I may have now realized the answer. My fill is in the same place, in the port seat base, and I realized after a few minutes that pointing the hose directly at the 9 o’clock position of the opening allowed the water to go in for a much longer time, before there was a burp of air.
Thinking about it now, the water fill may be the same fixture as the fuel fill, since they both have the same cap, so the vent is probably right there in the opening, and those of us not knowing any better have been flooding the vent with pressurized water, not allowing the air to escape. With the fuel fill, the nozzle goes in several inches beyond the vent, so you don’t have that problem. I don’t know of any other vent on the boat, which might be for the freshwater tank.

 

[JOE.GIBBONS]

I will try to make sure that the vent is open. As I mentioned before, it appears to be a small flapper valve that would let the air out except that it doesn't seem to operate properly. At any rate, I will delve into it in the next day or so and report back.

 

[wahoo33417]

FWIW, for my 258 Journey, I had to devise a 1/2" hose attachment of a couple of feet that would penetrate the fill line. And I had to open the hose spigot just part way, never full open or it would just overwhelm the fill line and spray back out at me. With that, the tank would fill up every time.

Rob