Watermaker Woes: One Small Part Led to a Big Problem

Watermaker Woes: One Small Part Led to a Big Problem

In this episode, we delve into the water maker woes that arose while aboard Sailing Ruby Rose. When a small part failed, it led to a significant problem that required addressing urgently.

The issue at hand was our seawater strainer not sealing properly. Fresh water would leak in through both the primary and secondary strainers. After further inspection, we discovered an elbow joint on the system had been ‘bodged’ (a technical term) with a bulkhead fitting that had been used in a wet environment.

This had ultimately caused it to explode! The culprit seemed to be from the water maker itself as this particular pre-assembled part was faulty. An attempt at sealing using an O-ring and Cleix only added to our frustration.

Plastics in Saltwater Environments

The ‘bodge’ had used an O-ring and Clex, which were meant to hold the two parts of the split-threaded system together. However, this combination was doomed from the start. You see, plastics tend to corrode when immersed in saltwater for extended periods.

To further emphasize its failure, upon closer examination one end of it had turned a distinct shade of pink! This confirmed what we suspected – that this piece was not going to hold up well over time.

Days Spent Trying to Seal the Water Maker

Determined to fix the issue, Phil had spent two entire days trying to get this water maker sealed again. With a considerable degree of certainty, he believed that this faulty part had introduced a lot of air into our system, and when there is air in our system, our watermaker cannot produce any fresh water. What a frustrating catch-22!

A Hack to Make Coffee

To illustrate just how severe the problem had become – even this machine couldn’t help us make coffee, turning into more of a barista tampering tool. We attempted making a makeshift washer out of some material we had onboard to create enough pressure and solve our issue temporarily.

Rubber Washer Temporary Fix

In the end, we created a rubber washer just so that we could actually get some pressure on it, thus resolving the water leak problem and enabling our water maker to operate effectively once again.

Key Takeaways

Moral of this story? When parts begin to show signs of wear or corrosion, especially in a marine environment where everything is exposed to saltwater and constant movement, it’s imperative to replace these as soon as possible. A small part failure can lead to major headaches down the line.

Also, always keep an eye on any ‘bodged’ modifications done by previous owners – they may seem like a quick fix but often result in larger problems in the future.

If you have a water maker or any other essential sailing equipment onboard your vessel that relies on precision parts and tight seals, regularly inspect it for any wear and replace those critical components as needed to keep everything running smoothly.