Association Forum - More bilge pump stuff

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

More bilge pump stuff

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

StSimon
Captain

Member Avatar

USA
298 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/28/2006 : 23:09:08

I was reading with interest the prior thread on bilge pumps and wanted your opinions on some ideas I had and some that were inspired by the previous thread. Let me say also that my bilge is bone dry and has always been since I have owned my '84 SR SK. I have two automatic electric bilge pumps, one I purchased some time ago, and a second used pump I purged from a salvaged boat (not a sinker, just a collision loss). Neither pump has been installed yet and I am currently hauled for a bottom job and a few upgrades. Seems like a good time to install one or both.

1. Does anyone out there use redundant electric bilge pumps?
2. If so are they wired to separate batteries?
3. Where would you locate the second automatic electric pump?
4. Can a bilge pump located in the keel bilge pump through the manual?
5. If so, what happens if you needed to use both at the same time?

Thanks for the input.

Fair winds,

Andy, Breakin' Wind, 1984 C25 SK SR

Edited by - on

StSimon
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 03/29/2006 : 12:27:55

No responses?

C'mon, help a sailor out

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 03/29/2006 : 17:47:42

I'm not going to use redundant electric pumps - one electric, one manual, plus a hand operated manual. My bilge is dry, too. This is an added safety item.

If I ran two electric, I'd probably put one in the lazerette and one in the keel well. Or one in the bilge under the compainway ladder and one in the keel well.

I'm planning on wiring mine directly to the batteries, with a fuse. Some marine architects recommend this, others recommend going through the switched electrical system. I think direct wired (with a fuse) is safest. If I had two, I'd direct wire one to each battery. I want that pump to come on if there is a leak and not turn off until its dry or the battery is underwater.

You can pump the electric pump right through the manual pump and out the stern. I am not doing that. I am teeing into the manual discharge line aft of the manual pump. I've put a backflow preventer in the line (Home Depot). This will give me two working pumps - manual and electric - in an emergency. If you are pumping the electric through the manual I can't see that manually pumping the manual would flow much more water than the electric is producing.

I think a C25 is very unlikely to need a pump because there are so few through-hulls, and with an outboard not very many places for a leak to occur. I'm doing this just in case, I do take my boat solo far offshore.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/29/2006 : 22:27:00

Andy,<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">1. Does anyone out there use redundant electric bilge pumps?
2. If so are they wired to separate batteries?
3. Where would you locate the second automatic electric pump?
4. Can a bilge pump located in the keel bilge pump through the manual?
5. If so, what happens if you needed to use both at the same time?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
1.) Yes, here's a [[url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11775"]link[/url]] to a recent discussion of bilge pumps here with additional links, in which such a system is described.

2.) Yes, two flooded deep cycle group 27s, in parallel while boat is in use or charging, isolated the rest of the time, using an automatic battery combiner. One pump and solar panel connected directly to each battery. Solar panel through a fuse, pump through a dedicated circuit breaker and [ON/OFF/AUTO] bilge pump switch with LED indicator lights.

3.) In my 1979 C-25 swing keel dinette, I located a small elec pump under the cabin sole, and a larger elec sort of under the galley sink.

4 & 5.) A lot of surveyors don't suggest plumbing bilge pumps in series, including using a common thru-hull to discharge. If either pump becomes clogged, both stop working. Along similar lines, I don't consider bilge pump check valves (to prevent back flow, especially when sharing a common discharge thru-hull) a good idea. They're prone to clogging either open (allowing back flow) or closed (preventing pump from working).

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 03/30/2006 : 11:39:47

When I got all done I decided to eliminate the backflow preventers. I placed a marine shutoff valve in the line from the electric pump to the T. If I ever have complete electrical failure and a boat full of water I can close that line easily and pump the manual for all I'm worth. Water would have to flow uphill under low pressure for the current system to backflow.

If I had time and money certainly a 2nd through hull would be ideal. But I need to get my system on line for the Newport race and this will be OK.

Edited by - on

StSimon
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 03/30/2006 : 17:15:20

I believe I will wire each pump directly to their own battery and install two more thru-hulls in the transom so each will have their own hose. Additionaly I will run the hoses up high before coming back down to the thru-hulls. Once completed I will have two electrics and the manual if needed

Thanks again for the input.

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 03/30/2006 : 22:27:35

In this month's sail magazine their is an article on mounting a bilge pump on a board with lengths of hose and some clips that can be attached to the battery. This back up pump can be used to pump out a lazaret, the bilge, or to pump water onto the boat to wash things down. Since you have two pumps this might be a good use for the second. Note the pump used had hose outlets for intake our outlet.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.