How To Plumb Fresh Water Tank To Fill From Boat Connection?

Interesting idea. I suppose with the right valves and fittings, it's possible. The city water is on the pressure side of the pump, whereas the tank is on the suction side. So you'd need a Y-valve, some hose, and a T for the fill line.

Dammit Mike, now you got me thinkin' (which is not always a good thing)
 
In the past I've thought about simply making a hose the exact length from my transom locker spigot to the fresh water tank fill. Leave it connected and rolled up in the transom locker. Just pull it out and pop it into the fresh water filler when you need a gallon or fifty. Easier than pulling a hose from dockside but not nearly as slick as what you're thinking about!
 
I've thought about it but realized without some type of automatic shut off the city water could cause the fresh water tank to explode when the tank vent filled will water and could not expel excess water as fast as the water was filling the tank. Imagine yourself having that system and be halfway home and wonder if you shut it off before you left the boat. For that reason I never connect the dock water to my boats fresh water connection. I prefer to use the water in the tank and refill when needed. The water then stays fresh and never develops odors.
 
Stee6043 said:
In the past I've thought about simply making a hose the exact length from my transom locker spigot to the fresh water tank fill. Leave it connected and rolled up in the transom locker. Just pull it out and pop it into the fresh water filler when you need a gallon or fifty. Easier than pulling a hose from dockside but not nearly as slick as what you're thinking about!
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This works well for us, the hose is only about 6' long. The water fill is right next to the rod holder at the starboard aft corner, the spigot in the transom locker is on the starboard side. Hose also reaches the outboard motor flush connection when the dinghy is on the davits.
 
My friends Formula 34pc has this feature and I always thought it was a neat concept. You could probably put a ball valve selection after the regulator and then just tee it into the fresh water fill tube. Mine fill has a vent so i don't think you will be blowing up the tank.

-Kevin
 
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I would not want to have a hose lying on the dock with hot stagnant water in it used to introduce drinking water into the fresh water tank. Just me, but since we drink that water, we let the hose run until the water is cold and any possible containments are flushed out before adding water to the tank. For the same reason we do not connect a hose to the boat and drink "hose water".
 
KevinC said:
My friends Formula 34pc has this feature and I always thought it was a neat concept. You could probably put a ball valve selection after the regulator and then just tee it into the fresh water fill tube. Mine fill has a vent so i don't think you will be blowing up the tank.

-Kevin
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It is a 12 volt solenoid valve bypassing the water pump
They have a switch under the sink, turn on the switch and it opens the solenoid and the tank fills up.
 
This is very common in the RV industry. On my class A water panel, there is a bypass valve to either 1. Fill the water tank or 2. Supply fresh water to the house system.
 
douglee25 said:
This is very common in the RV industry. On my class A water panel, there is a bypass valve to either 1. Fill the water tank or 2. Supply fresh water to the house system.
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In this type of system what shuts the water off when the tank is full?
 
In theory, if one installed a solenoid valve to bypass the pump, one could also employ the tank monitor system to shut off the system upon reaching full avoiding the exploding tank scenario. Anything is possible. Perhaps we can even tell Alexa to fill the tank on the boat from our villa in Tuscany! Thanks MonacoMike just what I needed, another idea to implement ;). I guess just because it can be done doesn’t mean it should be done:rolleyes:
 
Spark600 said:
It is a 12 volt solenoid valve bypassing the water pump
They have a switch under the sink, turn on the switch and it opens the solenoid and the tank fills up.
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So a Y after water inlet with one to fresh water supply and one to tank with solenoid control. That should not be too hard to plumb in depending on your access to the water tank. Wire the solenoid to a switch and good to go. I could probably wire it to the water pump switch that is not used on my boat and the control it via the EIM.

Oh well, guess that on the see if it can easily be done list now.

-Kevin
 
My city fill is on the swim step and the few times I have used it, it leaks all over the swim step and I can't have that...
 
hottoddie said:
That's what I was afraid of. No thanks I'll keep my system the way it was built. I'm not that lazy yet.
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How is it any different than gravity filling your tank? When it's full it overflows, no? Same thing on the RV and the same thing if you employed this type of setup.
 
The proposed system sounds like it is designed to fill the tank with the fill cap left in place. That only leaves the tank vent to allow displaced air and then water to escape when the tank is full. The air my escape but the water will not and cause the tank to expand and likely explode. When I fill my water tank the fill cap is off leaving plenty of room for the excess water to escape if I don't turn it off in time.
 
hottoddie said:
The air my escape but the water will not and cause the tank to expand and likely explode. When I fill my water tank the fill cap is off leaving plenty of room for the excess water to escape if I don't turn it off in time.
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I would think you would T into the fill tube and would have to remove the fill cap when filling. There is no way enough water would escape thru the Vent if you forgot about it.
We only use tank water when at the dock or at a transient slip. So I am constantly filling the tank and have overflowed the system a number of times... there is alot of water coming out of both the vent and fill tube when its full. So I agree you would be putting undue pressure on the system if you just relied on the vent.
 
I fill my tank with the anchor locker washdown hose while the boat is connected to dockside water (it's a few feet away from the deck fill. I do let it run for 5 min or so to clear the hose contents. Always add a splash of clorox. I don't have an ice maker and we don't drink the water (just like in Mexico).
 
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