2002 Four Winns FLOOD

[zzzboat]

Hello all!

I recently purchased a 2002 Four Winns Vista 248. I hooked up to fresh water supply yesterday and had a flood! Here was the problem:

1. The floor of the cabin was filled with water about 4 inches deep. Once we bailed the water out, noticed that there was a floor panel. Opened the floor panel and found what I now think is the sump pump for the shower drain. Pump was not pumping and shower was dry.
2. The "cavity" that this sump pump was in was completely full of water. Since it was a relatively tight fit, I had to bail water out of it by using a red solo cup NOT FUN!

Here are my questions:

1. I'm pretty sure that the water was caused by a leak somewhere in the fresh water system--because never had a problem until I hooked up the hose to the boat and turned the water on.
2. The sump pump looks fully self-contained--meaning that if there were water in there, it should STAY in there and pump when the float gets high enough. I'm assuming that the "cavity" should NOT have been filled with water.
3. Can I safely assume that the bilge pump switch at the helm is, in fact, for this pump? It seems that the bilge in engine compartment works fine and on it's own. However, when I try to activate the bilge pump switch on the dash, I hear nothing.

So, my thoughts are that I have two problems...1) would be a leak somewhere in the freshwater plumbing system and 2) would be that this pump is bad. Are those good assumptions? Interestingly, I read somehwere (I've done soooo much research and can't remember where!) that this mid-cabin sump should be for the shower drain, the head sink drain, and the galley sink drain. However, when we were bailing the water out, we were pouring in the galley sink and it was immediately being discharged overboard--so I'm confused about that.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I've emailed Four Winns and haven't gotten anything back from them yet other than to ask for the HIN so they could figure out exactly what options my boat has. Beyond my response to them, I've not heard anything back.

Paul

 

[JoLin]

Dockside water supply systems can be dangerous. As you've seen, a leak in the system can sink your boat. First place to check is the pressure regulator at the boat's water inlet. If it failed, it may be leaking on its own, or might have caused a water hose in the system to blow. It's there because the boat's plumbing cannot withstand municipal water pressure. My last boat had that system. After hearing some of the stories, I never used it. I use the dockside water supply to fill the fresh water tank on the boat, and just use that. If you decide to use that dockside supply, be sure to turn the outside faucet OFF anytime you leave the boat.

As for your pumps, IMO you have a couple of issues going on. Your main bilge pump should go on when you toggle the dash switch.

The shower sump pump may have its own switch somewhere (probably not on the dash) or may work strictly from a float switch in the shower sump "box". My '97 Vista 278 worked only from the float, which I had to replace at one point. My Carver shower sump works from a switch mounted in the head area.

Soooo,
1. The dockside water supply filled your boat with water.
2. The shower sump float didn't kick the sump pump on.
3. Your main bilge pump doesn't work from the dash switch, but should.