Water supply onboard R.E.D.has always been an issue…not just in amount available but in ease of access…one hand washed at a time. Last year the original faucet started giving us problems during our trip away. Francois did his best to fix it but by the end of the season it was clear the poor thing wouldn’t last much longer(story here).
We’ve put a lot into our little chalet on the water to make her safer for this year’s adventure and galley improvements were not on our list of upgrades. A simple and inexpensive solution was to replace our two 2.5 gallon water jugs with three 5 gallon jugs, add a length of tubing so we could run water from the rear bilge back to the galley sink. Problem was the old faucet wouldn’t hold the prime. Could be all those little black bits that kept falling out of it was the reason. So I made an executive decision and ordered a new faucet. Still hand pump version but that upgrade will have to wait till next year.
Attaching the New Faucet
Out with the old and in with the new was an easy fix.
Through the Galley
The 10 feet of tubing was run through the existing access made for the AC/DC Dometic converter.
Cropped Jug Tap
Francois cut off the tap top of the jug cap so we could run the tubing through.
Adjusting the Length
Electrical tape marks the right depth for the tubing inside the jug…
Taped Snug Fit
…and also acts to tighten the seal once the cap is in place.
Port Side Rear Bilge
Now all three jugs have a secure place port side just behind the companionway stairs.
Free Flowing
Fifteen gallons of free flowing water. Faucet holds it’s prime. All is good in the galley. It’s not the perfect solution but for now it will give us a better water supply for this boating season. I still dream of the day when I can wash both hands at once.
- Valterra RP800 faucet
- 3 x 5 gallon jugs
- 10′ x 5/8″ BPA free tubing
- 1 hose clamp
- plumber’s tape
- electrical tape