How to run Bilge hose in main saloon

ekenna · #1 (**permalink**) 12-26-2009

Our San Jaun 28 sailboat has a double lining in main saloon. In the center we have the keel bolts in a 3 or 4 inch depression that runs up the center of the main salon. There are 3 sections of it and 1 section in the head area. The 3 sections in the main salon are covered with a piece of wood so you can walk in the main saloon. The 4 sections are supposed to be connected with a tube however when the water is in the 3 sections and I use the manual bulge pump the water does not move very well from one section to the other. So I need to clean the the tubes out. The main source of water in thie section is from the area under the engine which comes from the stuffing box. I will be putting a bilge pump in this section. However what happens is the water build up in this and then spills over the 3 inch edge then it runs down the floor of the saloon and gathers in the keel bolts sections. OK that was all for back ground. Now for the question.

Since this is in the center of the main saloon where do you run the hose and wires with out tripping over it. I am not sure the a submersible pump will fit under the board. I think the keel bolts in the center of the main saloon are a common situation. How have other people done this?

My boat has never had any bilge pumps I am trying to get this taken care of.
This is the biggest problem my boat has at this point.

btrayfors · #2 (**permalink**) 12-26-2009

Easy. You run the hose -- with a small pickup on the end to avoid clogging -- under the cabin sole and back to an electric bilge pump. From that pump, you run the discharge overboard, with a means of preventing siphon back up.

A good bilge pump -- reliable and not too expensive -- is the FloJet (not a ShurFlo...very different pump). These have four small diaphrams and can run dry without harm. See, e.g.,

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|84462|315209&id=151003

You can put a bilge pump switch under the cabin sole, too, and run the wires back to the pump along with the hose. Except for the very expensive ones (like $200), bilge pump switches are notoriously unreliable. Even the electronic ones with no moving parts crap out more often than they should, and they're all easily "tricked" into tripping by oil or grease in the bilgewater (despite all claims to the contrary). Probably, in your case, it would be best to just go with a simple float switch, and watch it/test it often.

It's a good idea to run the power for the bilge pump directly to the house battery, with an appropriate fuse or circuit breaker located near the battery. That way, you can turn all the battery switches off when you leave the boat, and the bilge pump will still be operational.

Bill

Faster · #3 (**permalink**) 12-26-2009

This looks like a good resource for you, if you haven't seen it already

The San Juan 28 Sailing Club

IIRC there's no floors to speak of on these boats, and little room between the liner and the hull so I can see your difficulty. Wonder, too, if you have the clearance under the floorboards for a typical switch to function before the floorboards are afloat.

Perhaps by installing the bilge pump in the engine sump you'll avoid the overflow into the keel stub... and possibly avoiding the issues there. Maybe you want to raise the 'dam' there to prevent overflow from reaching the main salon in the first place.

mitiempo · #4 (**permalink**) 12-26-2009

Not sure if it will help but I am installing the pump shown below in my CS27 for the same reason. My boat also has never had an electric bilge pump.
I do have a cockpit mounted manual pump and that is an issue in itself. The intake hose for it is 2 pieces joined together and I would like to replace all of it with a new one piece hose. This is where the problem comes in. I have a liner and the hose is corrugated and solidly fixed under the liner - obviously put in place before the liner was glassed in. From the engine compartment to the cabin sole access hatch is about 2 feet and I will probably remove a small section of it over the hose to replace the hose and reglass it in place after.

here's the link to Whale's low profile pump. http://www.whalepumps.com/documents/...SMART_6501.pdf
It is available with and without a switch built-in and in two models.

roline · #5 (**permalink**) 12-27-2009

I have an area under the floor pan that is too shallow to install a bilge pump so I mounted a remote blaster pump and ran the intake hose to this area. The blaster pump is self priming, and can run dry. I just turn it on until the area is dry. It is attached to a valving system so I can also drain the ice box without it running into the bilge.

btrayfors · #6 (**permalink**) 12-27-2009

Brian...

That looks like the perfect solution for a small boat, if you have the necessary 2 1/8" clearance.

Whale generally makes quality stuff, so even though this is a new product it would sure be worth a try. And, at prevailing prices for the 650 with the integral smart switch, I'd say it's a Best Buy solution.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|84462|316440&id=1207040

Bill

CaptainForce · #7 (**permalink**) 12-27-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekenna

....... The 4 sections are supposed to be connected with a tube however when the water is in the 3 sections and I use the manual bulge pump the water does not move very well from one section to the other. So I need to clean the the tubes out.........

I would suggest that you google the term "limber chain" and install one. Brass plumber's cain would be suitable. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

ekenna · #8 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Thanks for the replies. btrayfors your idea was going to be what I investigated first after I got the bilge pump working under the engine but mitiempo's idea looks interesting as it is probably small enough to fit in that space. However I still need to run a hose and wires that option. Also running the hose from outlet within this space without tight 90 degree corners might be difficult. Either way I was looking at running the wires/hose at the forward end of the "keel stub" as Faster put it so the tube and wires will not be in the middle of the floor where someone can trip over them. Unfortunately that end is not the low point.

I like Faster's idea of raising the Dam so the other bilge pump can take care of it. The only bad thing about doing that is making it harder to reach under the engine ie for the oil drain plug. Does anyone have an Idea of how to do that in a manner that could be undone for working on the engine?

CaptainForce I think a coat hanger will do. I just have not bothered because I just put the manual pump in each section.

CaptainForce · #9 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Sure the coat hanger will do, but it doesn't have the rough surface, it can't be a permanent mount and it will corode.I may have a different image of your layout. 'good that you have it solved!

Faster · #10 (**permalink**) 12-28-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekenna

I like Faster's idea of raising the Dam so the other bilge pump can take care of it. The only bad thing about doing that is making it harder to reach under the engine ie for the oil drain plug. Does anyone have an Idea of how to do that in a manner that could be undone for working on the engine?

No need to make that "dam" temporary or removable.. next oil change swap out your drain plug for a barbed 3/8 or 1/2" hose fitting with right male thread for the pan, attach a good quality hose to it and thread it in. Route the hose up and find a way to secure it near the top of the engine.. make up a stopper of some sort for the hose and just make sure it can't drop down again.

Then get one of the various "oil suckers" available at any marine outlet and your oil changes just became a mess/spill-free 15 minute exercise.

Then create that blockage between the engine compartment and the rest of the boat. TA DA!