We have a 75 foot houseboat with a water line run from shore directly to our boat. In the past 3 weeks - the waterline has been popping off at the quick connect. I have replaced the quick connect, the waterhose, and the connect inside the exterior wall at the boat. None of these things has corrected our problem. As long as some water is running - no worries. But if we don't run water for a few hours - poof! There is no change in the water pressure inside the boats or if we run it off the internal tanks.

Any ideas about what could be the culprit or the solution?

YOUR SHORE SIDE WATER PRESSURE MAY BE TOO HIGH. GET A REDUCER. IF YOU SHUT YOUR WATER OFF WITHOUT DISCONNECTING THE HOSE YOU COULD ALSO HAVE PRESSURE BUILD UP FROM THE HEAT OF THE SUN. ALWAYS SHUT OFF WATER WHEN LEAVING BOAT. A DOUBLE HOSE SHUTOFF FITTING WILL ALLOW YOU TO DRAIN OFF HOSE PRESSURE WHEN LEAVING THE BOAT.

If there's no pressure reducer in the dock water system, I'm amazed that it's only blowing off the quick connect...'cuz it's most likely to blow out a plumbing connection on the boat.

Which is why "Old Houseboater" told you never to leave the boat with it connected....and I'll take that advice even further.

Even with a pressure reducer, you should never leave the boat--even for an hour--or turn in for the night with dock water on. 'Cuz there are only two kinds of pressure reducers--those that have failed, and those that will. And when they fail, the most likely scenario is a blow out onboard. When it happens, you need to be awake and aboard to hear the FIRST sounds of gushing water so you can disconnect...'cuz the water flow from the dock is more than even 3 BIG bilge pumps can keep up with. Lake Lanier averages about 6 sinkings a year from unattended dock water connections. I knew a sailboat owner who only left his boat for a couple of hours to take his dog for a run...he came back to find 2' of water in his cabin. I know another boat owner who woke up in the middle of the night (the sound of running water is prob'ly the reason) and stepped into water only a foot below the top of his bunk.

Unattended dock water connections are fast overtaking open head seacocks as the leading cause of boats sinking in the slips...so I cannot stress it strongly enough: install a pressure reducer that matches the rating of your onboard plumbing...keep a spare aboard. And NEVER leave the boat or turn in for the night without disconnecting it.

All right - I never leave the water unning on the boat - when I leave, the water gets shut off. So - no worries there.

What is a reducer - where do I find it - how difficult is it for me to install?

What left me so clueless - is we have had this boat for 13 years and never had a problem. We used to have a regulator up at the connect to the mainline on shore - but when the water company replumbed the marina a few years back - they took it off. I didn't realize it until a few months later and because we had no problems - I never worried about it. Figured maybe it was built into the new valve. Now - a few years later - suddenly problems - which is why I was perplexed. The regulator was there with the boat - so I did not install it and have no idea how to replace it. Engine woes I can fix as well as boat maintenance. Plumbing and electrical scare me. If this is something I can screw on with some plumbers putty or what not - I am all into it. If it involves sodering - I am in trouble.

Thank you guys for all your help. We have about 3 good "know it alls" on the marina and I don't trust the lot of them.

REDUCERS ARE ABOUT 12 BUCKS AT ANY RV STORE OR WALMART.

You might try a system that uses the water in the boat and then replace it. Keeps it fresh. Also you'll might try a sprinkler timer that goes on the faucet. It is really a gallon counter and will turn off if there is a leak before the boat sinks. You'll can also use a restrictor to cut the flow down to where it can back flow out the tank vent.

Mike

.For the reasons mentioned on this board, I would recommend just using your onboard tank and filling when required, it eliminates the did I turn the water off etc. I have never used the dock water in 35 years of boating. You have the hose in the way etc., this way your tank water is fresh and what should work is working. I just bought a cruiser that sank because they forgot and left the water on. I last week raised a small houseboat 36 ft that the same thing happened, they forgot the water, blew the inlet line off of the sink and down she went.