Help—engine noise

[schenkd]

We are newbies and need advice. We are out on the water and anchored. When the house battery is on we hear a continuous engine noise that is not a bilge pump (when we turn on bilge pumps manually we hear different noises). It goes off if we turn off house battery. We cannot not locate it on the owner’s manual. It is adjacent to the engine battery between the battery and the central bilge storage area meaning it is on the port side of the battery. It has a clear plastic top with a wire mesh filter inside. Any idea what it is or how we can make it stop so we can use the house battery? We’d appreciate any advice.

 

[Hamster]

Is it your wash down pump? Your description of the clear top with a mesh filter sounds like the wash down pump. You may have accidentally bumped the switch to on.

 

[SJI Sailor]

+1 to Hamster. We had that happen and it drove me crazy until I found the source.

We had bumped the transom switch accidentally, it seems, but the cap was on so it didn't go anywhere. After that I pulled the fuse to avoid a repeat!

 

[Red Raven]

If the fresh water tank is empty the fresh water pump will run continuously. The gauge can get stuck and give an incorrect reading. Put some water in your tank and see if it stops.

Curt

 

[Cutwater28GG]

Definitely sounds like raw water pump in the cockpit switch has been knocked to the on position.

 

[Red Raven]

If the raw water hose bib is capped the pump will stop when pressure is reached. If not capped it would be obvious, water all over the cockpit.

 

[SJI Sailor]

It may depend on the pump. Ours -- some model of Johnson pump -- sounded like it was running nonstop for more than a day, until we were able to go back and figure it out. (Long story, but basically I assumed it was a noise coming from a neighboring slip doing work; it wasn't!) It would be nice if it did stop, however!

 

[Toucan]

Another possible source of this noise could be the macerator pump. There is no pressure switch to turn it off like the wash down pump has. Another possibility is a bilge pump has been turned at the breaker panel. Both of these have happened to us before.

Barry Thompson
TOUCAN, R-27 Classic