De- Winterizing the fresh water system

[DNK]

I have the boat a - Albin 28 - winterized every year. The system is all snap fittings. In the spring I usually simply reconnect the fittings and everything works. This year nothing I can do seems to work.. I tested the pump out of the boat and it seems to work fine. Does anyone have any suggestions on to how to fix the problem? Is there a secret method on how to find air leaks? I also am not convinced that there is sufficient water in the tank even though when filling it over flows. Is there a neat way to "see" the tank and check with a flashlight the water level in the tank.?

[Nancy]

If the tank overflows when filling it, it is full. The tank is in the compartment below the quarter berth. There should be a large access hatch under the mattress, and it should be easy to see how much water is in the tank.

As for finding why the water isn't getting to the faucets, I'm not much of a plumber. I'm sure someone else will jump in. In the meantime, when you turn on the switch for the water pump, do you hear it running? Is any water running into the bilge?

[rebuckley]

One thought - is the air vent clogged? We used to have these mud wasps that would build a nest in the air vents and clog them up. If there is no vent - the tank will only pump until the pressure overwhelms it. Otherwise - is your pump higher than the water tank "out" line? You may need to prime the pump if it is.
As for checking the tank - the old yard stick method works great - stick it in the fill - and you can measure the height of the fluid in the tank

[JBrooks]

Like Nancy said you should hear the water pump prime the system when you turn on the freshwater pump at the 12VDC panel. Even if there's no water in the tank you will hear the pump. Who winterized it? Antifreeze in the lines or were the lines blown out with air? Was the water filter removed and not put back on?

[carolmarie]

I believe JB was on the right track. Check the filter which should be on the bulkhead on the other side of where the pump is installed. You can access it through the battery compartment, or better stil, by removing the “L” panel under the shift lever. Don.