Tamra,
I would agree with Rich that you likely only need 1 fresh water pump aboard, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a spare replacement, if you are planning to do any cruising. The fresh water pump I have on Drifter is a older ShurFlo diaphragm pump. It has 2.8 GPM flow at 4.0 Amps and was manufactured in April 1992... obviously reliable. I'm not suggesting that this is what you should buy,only that it's worked well for me. Bear in mind that the higher the flow rate, the faster you'r likely to go through your water supply!
I probably have a somewhat Maverick approach to the topic of fresh water pumps and I've always had a somewhat mixed feeling about electric pumps for that purpose. A foot pump works incredibly well and typically holds up longer (My 1992 model may be an exception.
But something happened a couple of years ago that made me rethink the solution. One evening, in the dark, I set something on the counter that slightly moved the faucet handle, allowing a slow but steady stream to come out of the faucet. I had background music playing and my pump is fairly quiet, so I never heard it running. But, before I knew it, I had drained a partially filled, 45 gal water tank. I was at a marina and my 2nd 45 gal tank was full, so it wasn't a big deal. But it made think what might have happened if I had been on the hook in a remote location, with one of my two tanks already empty! With this thought in mind, I rewired the pump as follows...
- I installed a 3-way switch (on-off-on) between the breaker and the pump.
- One of the "on" sides went directly to the pump hot wire.
- The other "on" side went to a heavy-duty momentary switch (like an old-time starter foot switch).
- Then I installed the foot switch on a 45 degree angled panel on the floor, with the wire also connecting to the pump hot wire.
I normally leave the switch turned so that the foot switch must be pressed in order for the pump to work. If I'm working in the galley, I typically leave the faucet on and activate the pump by stepping on the switch. This is remarkably easier than turning the handle on/off and actually saves water because you don't waste it between turning the handle and returning to using it.
I personally don't use the pump for the faucet or a shower in the head. I used a Finspray lever pump for the faucet and I have not (and likely will not) install a shower there. I shower with saltwater in the cockpit when on the hook and simply rinse with fresh. This is probably the biggest savings in water usage. When using the 10' coiled hand shower in the cockpit, I turn the switch so that the pump is powered on full-time, rather than going through the foot switch.
There are a couple more things...
- I have a foot pump installed in the galley as a quick backup, should the electric pump fail. The foot pump is not currently plumbed into the system, but I can move the hoses from the electric pump to the foot pump in a couple of minutes. The time-consuming part of the installation is mounting it in place, since it requires a base to be fabricated and a cutout for the foot lever. I don't anticipate needing it, but it's ready in a couple of minutes, if I should.
- I do not use a whole system filter on my hookup. I installed one at one time and it worked well with electric pump. It created too much restriction and back pressure, however, for use with the foot pump. So, instead, I use a simple strainer installed inline to prevent debris making it to the pump and/or faucets. This provides no undue pressure for the foot pump.
- Since they are plastic, I over-chlorinate them each time I fill them. This prevents and "nasties" growing in the tanks as they sit. Any water that I drink is simply run through a Britta filter first. This is fast, simple, and completely removes the chlorine taste and smell.
This all works quite well for me. It may or may not work for you, but it's food for thought.
