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Urgent Issue: Bilge/Anti-Siphon

13K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  eherlihy 
#1 ·
So last night our bilge pump started going on every thirty seconds. We looked and there was a continuous stream of salt water entering our bilge. We spent 3 hours ripping apart our boat and it mysteriously stopped.

This morning it started again, and we pulled apart the boat and this is what we found. The bilge pump goes to a 5' hose, then to a check valve, then to a loop well above water level, then back down below waterline to a non-closable through-hull. On the top of the loop there is a 1/4" hose that leads right back to our bilge, below waterline. The water is coming through the vent hose that leads back to our bilge.

I'm assuming that at some point there was a standard air vent on the top of the vented loop. Perhaps when the boat was heeling and the rail was in the water, the vent spurted water, so someone put a hose on it to drain it to the bilge. It looks like our check-valve needs replacing too. At this point, it looks like we're creating a siphon at random times as opposed to breaking it.

Based on what you've read here, what are your thoughts on the proper way to have the bilge line hooked up? We're still taking water in and need to replace it ASAP.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
OK... let's forget about the seacock - I already know I need to put one in at the next haul. Let's also forget about the check valve. I'm more interested in figuring out what I should do with that vent hose that runs below the waterline to our bilge and is siphoning the water - I need to fix that before anything else. I'm thinking of yanking it off, but then I'm concerned about water getting into the cabinet where the loop is.
 
Discussion starter · #23 · (Edited)
Alright - after 12 hours of wrangling we finally gained access to the vented loop. It was behind some very "fitted" pieces of wood. Once we got the loop off we found that the anti-siphon valve was completely shot (hole right through it). We're not taking any water in right now, but at the same time, the bilge pump is disconnected until we get a new vented loop. We use the shower sump as a secondary pump but it's 18" higher than the bilge, so there's got to be a lot of water on the boat before it triggers. We also have the manual pump. Hopefully I'll be able to find a place to get a 1" vented loop tomorrow. West doesn't have it in stock, and I hate to wait all the way over the weekend before we get it hooked back up.
 
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