Freshwater Systems
A reliable supply of fresh water aboard a boat makes life easier and more comfortable. Ensure your boat has the best possible freshwater system by purchasing quality parts with the correct capacity and power for your needs.
Reliable Water Flow
To ensure your boat has reliable water flow to all faucets and showers, you must have a freshwater system designed to accommodate the size and use patterns of your boat. Start with a water tank or collapsible water bladder that can sustain the systems onboard for the length of your typical outing. Freshwater pumps move water from the water tank to points of use—such as faucets and showers. Pumps can be electric or manual. Electric pumps with more chambers offer the smoothest flow while manual pumps (usually a foot pump or lever-action pump) ensure you’ll always have access to running water, even without electricity. An appropriately-sized accumulator tank reduces the cycling needed by the pump and keeps water flowing smoothly without spikes in hot or cold water.
Adequate Water Pressure
Whether you will be doing dishes, washing hands, showering or getting a drink of water, you’re going to want good water pressure on your boat. An appropriate-sized pressure pump with the gallon/minute capacity you require will help make sure your fresh water comes out steadily and with adequate pressure. A built-in pressure switch activates the pump when it detects a drop in water pressure beneath its rated PSI, which is what happens when you open a water tap on your boat. Choose from a wide selection of styles of faucets and shower heads that match your needs.
Clean Drinking Water
Plan to provide up to two gallons of drinking water per person onboard per day. Choose tanks, freshwater pumps and hoses made from quality materials to avoid unpleasant tastes and odors in your water. Make cleaning, winterizing and maintaining your freshwater system easy by installing service-Ts so you can cap off and flush each component of your system as needed to keep drinking water tasting great.
Hot Water at the Dock and Underway
To enjoy hot water onboard your vessel, select a water heater with adequate capacity for your boat. West Marine offers water heaters with capacities that range from 3-20 gallons. Most marine water heaters have a heating element that operates on AC power supplied from a dock. Some also include a heat exchanger that uses hot water from a boat engine's cooling system to heat water when underway. To learn more about freshwater system components or how to assemble a complete system yourself, read our West Advisor article Pressurized Freshwater Systems.