Fresh Water System Colic

[Bluejacket]

2012 R-27; the fresh water fill up overflows when the gauge reads 1/2 full and there is no water exiting the fill pipe vent. There will be some gurgling and some air expelled, but the tank cannot be filled. I suspect a clogged vent.
Any ideas on how to clear it?
Any other possible causes and solutions?
Thanks & Best Regards,
Bluejacket

 

[knotflying]

You can try forcing water back into the vent. Or using a toilet plunger over the vent. Then again, you could have a stuck gauge and it stops at half full.

 

[dbsea]

I agree with KnotFlying. You might have a stuck resistive sensor in your water tank. I think it would be pretty unusual for your fresh water fill vent to be clogged...

 

[CaspersCruiser]

One way to check your water gauge is to empty the water tank, obtain a clean 5-gallon bucket and fill the tank five gallons at a time. Tedious? Yes, but it’s really just eight buckets full (you’ll need a big funnel) and at you’ll know whether you have a problem with the gauge or with the water tank and its associated plumbing.

 

[watson1987]

I've used a household plunger to clear my holding tank vent before.

The technique I used for that was to fill the plunger head with water and quickly smash it against the side of the boat/vent hole on the side of the boat and plunged. I used salt water, given I didn't care what went into the holding tank. If you want to try this, maybe you can get a clean bucket filled with clean water to prime the plunger head.

 

[SJI Sailor]

I obtained a "fireman hose nozzle" that is great for this. It has rubber all around and fits over the vent to spray directly into it. The one I have seems to be unavailable now but there are lots of similar ones, e.g. like this one:

Hose Nozzle, Lichamp Heavy Duty Brass Fireman Style High Power Leak Proof Adjustable Garden Water Sprayer, Suitable for Car Wash, Patio Cleaning, Watering Lawn and Garden, Shower Pets (Black) https://a.co/d/7YRa7rf

OTOH I don't think I've ever had the vent blocked but appreciate having this around for prevention and just in case. Works as a spray nozzle, too, of course.

 

[Ralf H]

Hi Bluejacket,

As you are getting no water venting when the filler starts to overflow, it definitely does appear that you have a plugged vent line. The clearing methods described here may help you clear it out. You will know that it is clear when you get no resistance when attempting to blow any air through the line and when the water tank is overfilled. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Ralf

 

[CruisingElvinRay]

Water flow meters are cheap and handy. You can tell exactly how much water you put into a tank.

I use it for the water tank to verify the gauge, but also to verify a complete pumpout when I empty the black water tank by filling the tank back up with fresh water (10 gallons exactly for the R-23), then do another pump out as a rinse. If I can’t get 10 gallons of water back into the tank, I know I have to pump a few more times to completely clear it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058EOC5M/re ... UTF8&psc=1


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bluejacket]

Thank you all for your useful ideas. Turns out that the tank gauge was the culprit. I drained the tank completely and then determined that the flow rate of the fill source was 5 gal/min.
When the tank overflowed in about 8 minutes; I knew it was full.
Although I did insure the vent was clear by using a technique I learned from my dear friend and boating mentor, Trapper Lippincott. He advised - "place your air horn tightly over the vent and give one long blast." Works quite well.
Thanks to all again - have a safe and enjoyable boating season.
Bluejacket

 

[jlstanley]

Brilliant, thank you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/quote]

 

[GaylesFaerie]

Curious, Was the problem the gauge or the resistive probe? How did you fix it? Gary