34 bilge pump

[HankJordan]

Greetings all,

My current rule bilge pump with separate float swicth set up is not removing all of the water. This may have been the case all along ... but I am just now noticing.

Whenever I run the electric pump manually with the three way switch it pumps the bilge dry but once I release the switch about two cups or so of water run back down the hose in to the bilge.

Is this normal?

Solutions?

What should I be checking for problems?

Thanks.

Crealock 34, #68, s/v Lou Ann

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by HankJordan

Greetings all,

My current rule bilge pump with separate float swicth set up is not removing all of the water. This may have been the case all along ... but I am just now noticing.

Whenever I run the electric pump manually with the three way switch it pumps the bilge dry but once I release the switch about two cups or so of water run back down the hose in to the bilge.

Is this normal?

Solutions?

What should I be checking for problems?

Thanks.

Crealock 34, #68, s/v Lou Ann

yes, because the water left in the hose returns, the only solution is
to prevent water coming in.
Tom

[RainDog]

As Tom points out it is the water in the hose. You can reduce the volume by replacing the hose with a thinner diameter hose.

A one inch ID hose will hold 1 cup every 18 inches.
A .75 inch ID hose will hold 1 cup every 32 inches.
A .5 inch ID hose will hold 1 cup every 73 inches.
A .25 inch ID hose will hold 1 cup every 294 inches.

This of course reduces the max capacity of your bilge pump. The default install on my boat was a single hose with a .75 or 1 inch diameter (don't remember). I am replacing this with the system recommended by Don Casey: Installing a Bilge Pump by Don Casey

"The ideal bilge pump arrangement is a small (400 gph) automatic bilge pump mounted in the sump to dispense with rain and shaft-gland leakage, combined with a high capacity pump (3,500 gph) mounted higher to deal with more serious ingress.

Stepping the discharge hose from the small pump down to 1/2-inch minimizes the backflow from the hose when the pump cycles, maintaining a dryer bilge... the high-capacity pump sits high and dry, extending its life indefinitely."

[wmjr]

My current solution is a turkey baster and a water bottle or two (little 10 oz size) for a normal sail of one hour motoring and 2 or 3 sailing.

On a longer trip with lots of motoring I get the pump out of the dock box when I get back.

The constant washing keeps the bilge clean (Yeah, I know, it wouldn't be dirty if I switched to a dripless.)

I really like the Don Casey two pump idea but the turkey baster is too easy to get me working on it.

John Van Dinther
PSC 31 #28

[stevemac00]

I agree this is a nuisance. I always wondered why you just can't put a check valve in the hose. There must be some important rationale I can't think of so I just suck it up with a little hand pump then wipe dry.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by stevemac00

I agree this is a nuisance. I always wondered why you just can't put a check valve in the hose. There must be some important rationale I can't think of ...

The concern is the check valve will stick closed.

Jim

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by SEMIJim

The concern is the check valve will stick closed.

Jim

Not to mention you don't want any resistance for max output flow rate
Tom