Bilge Pump Set Up?

T37Chef · **Posted:** 11 Dec 2012 22:05

I am curious what bilge pump set up everyone has? I'm less than thrilled with the set up I had, some was leftover from the PO, some I replaced.

-What brand/types of pumps you are using?
-What/where do you have the hoses routed?
-What pumps use check valves if any? If not, have you come up with solution to minimize water returning to the bilge
-Has anyone installed an additional thru hull and where? I was thinking about routing one hose to a new thru hull fitting on the stern, maybe opposite the exhaust?

Currently I have three pumps, two electric and the manual (plus one mobile). They were all "T" into the same thru hull (starboard quarter near the water line) That didn't seem like a good idea but thats the way it was when we bought the boat, I never got around to messing with it.

A brief description of what the current set up was:
- "Maintenance" Bilge Pump = Rule 500 Automatic, located in the lowest area of the bilge, wired directly to the house bank (no switch), check valve about 1' from the pump,
- "Emergency" Bilge Pump = Rule 3700 with float switch, located just above the 500, wired directly to the house bank (no switch), no check valve, smooth hose
- Whale Manual pump is located at the helm like most others, just a hose into the square portion of the bilge, T'd into the same as the others

Pictures would be great!

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

I have three bilge pumps. The manual Henderson in the cockpit like your Whale. A Par centrifugal pump under the galley (which I think was original by the manufacturer--a challenge to service but the fastest one) on a manual switch through the panel and a Rule 1100 with a float switch and an alarm wired directly to the battery. I can turn the alarm and pump off but leave it on. All of them exit through a loop that is in the starboard side of the aft lazarette to a through hull at the waterline. The only backflow I have is out of the hoses that lead to the loop. I have not had a problem with this in 20 years although it is is not possible to pump the bilge absolutely dry with a any of them, I think this would be impossible with any pump that has an adequately high loop (to prevent back flow). It think there may be an ABYC prohibition against check valves in bilge pumps. I know people do it, but I would be reluctant because of the junk that goes through them might collect and restrict the flow.

puffcard · **Posted:** 12 Dec 2012 21:34

*I got the one manual, needs a rebuild, got the parts it's discharges to stbd side.
*One Jabsco Water Puppy Bilge/Sump pump with Y-valve to do shower sump or bilge on manual switch, discharges to port side.
*Work horse is a Rule 1500 with check valve, reduced to 1", set up for auto or manual, discharges to stbd side. The float switch I'm using is one of the best products I've every used in +45yrs of boating. It's the Ultra Bilge Switch Jr, not cheap but highly recommended. One nice feature not listed, is it has a green LED on the top to let you know it has power.

T37Chef · **Posted:** 14 Mar 2013 11:06

Has anyone fit a thru hull on their stern for a bilge pump exit? I am thinking this would be a good place to re-route my 3700 Rule 1 1/2" hose "Emergency" pump?

I am not fond of the three pumps going through one thru hull now, trying to design a better system since I have removed all the hose when I painted the bilge prior to the re-power.

I haven't actually determined exactly where to put it, but probably about 6" above the exhaust? Thoughts? Would a following sea be a problem? I see many "newer" boats with this set up Frustrating

conch · **Joined:** 21 Jan 2010 12:57 **Posts:** 168

I'll make a confession here, before God and the yachting community, that illustrates what a dummy a guy can be. When I bought the boat it had a the manual Whale gusher in the aft cockpit and amlittle (500 gph) Rule in the sump, discharging through a nylon thru hull in the starboard quarter/ I added the Rule 3700 gph mounted immediatly above the little Rule. I bought the model that doesn't use a float switch but cycles on every two minutes (if the chip senses "no load", it cycles off; if there is load then the pump continues to run). I installed an "Aqualarm" panel to control the pump. The first pump failed (on "auto" the pump stayed "on" with no load, which set off the alarm on the
panel. Rule replaced that pump with a new one and it has subsequently failed in the same manner. Bummer. Now to the confession: in order to avoid installing a new thru hull I had the bright idea of "Teeing" into the cockpit drains. I thought that where I did the connections was high enough above the water line to avoid back siphoning. It actually worked until I really got moving and then the alarm
Went off signifying that the big pump was hard at work. Guess what? A LOT of water can siphon back through a 1 1/2" hose! What an idiot! So, I added another thru hull just forward of the existing one. I thought of placing it in the transom: can't remember why I opted not to. Guess that I'll be adding a float switch: Rule hasn't got the "computerized" aspect right. The dunce

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 15 Mar 2013 21:16

I assumed our sump set up was factory but maybe not. We also have a T but in the STBD thru for the manual pump. We had a pump under the sink that ran it's output back to the the line that the manual outputs to. The electric pump kept crapping out quickly so for the last 10 yrs we've been without and never had a siphon problem with a dead pump or no pump in there. I'm replacing with a submersible at the end of the sump line. It's a pretty high climb so I got a medium pump that claims it can handle it. We'll see how it does.

But before putting in a new through hull, if you're worried about siphon after a T into one of those lines, I'd try a vertical loop. Climb it up the STBD skin under the winch and back down to the drain. That should be more than enough to prevent a siphon unless you frequently put your winch fully in the water for long periods. (can you say overpowered?) That does add 2 feet to the initial climb, so your pump has to have some cajones. But that two feet is all but eliminated once the line is full.

Celtic Lady · **Joined:** 05 Apr 2011 17:27 **Posts:** 66

I use a Whale Gusher mounted in the sail locker on the bulkhead behind the sink. I have a Rule float-switch in the "groove" just forward of the main sump. To prevent siphon, I continue to use the set up that came with the boat with the exit hose climbing up to the underside of the deck under the combing, back a couple of feet, and then straight down to the thru-hull. As was stated, unless you put the winches in the water, I don't see how it could back-siphon. I of course have a back-up hand pump and the manual bilge-pump located under the stern cockpit seat so the helmsman can help pump. That hose also is high enough not to allow siphoning. The cockpit pump and the automatic pump T together and exit thru the original thru-hull on the starboard side. My boat was set up to run the Chicago-Mackinaw Race and finished that race 3 times. I do not race it but have one H*** of a sail inventory. Smile

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Bilge Pump Set Up?

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