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Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:54 am
by Ureck
Hi everybody. I am new here. I am downsizing from ballast boats with deep bilges. My MacGregor 26X-2000's bilge was full of water when I bought her a week agow. She was not used for 2-3 years. There is no new water coming in after heavy rain. So I assume there was lots of condensation. She had no ventilation of any kind. Now she has 2 solar vents. Never the less I would like to install a bilge pump. After probing and poking I concluded that there is many pockets, where the bilge water might collect. Are they interconnected? Where is the lowest point of the bilge to fit a bilge pump? Any ideas? Regars to all. Ureck.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:00 am
by Ivan Awfulitch
If you had a lot of water, it's probably NOT condensation. Check the sealant around the chainplates, and along the rub rail. We had problems with leakage into the side compartments on both sides until we resealed the chainplates and replaced the rub rail. No leakage at all since.

The lowest point, and probably easiest place to put a pump is in the compartment under the cooler insert at the rear dinet seat, and it's easy to get the water out to the side or rear from there.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:41 pm
by Ureck
Thanks Ivan. Thats the most obvious location. Needs a second bilge pump on port of the CB trunk . Cumbersome access though.
As for chainplates, no evidence of passing so fare. Condensation can be copious if no ventilation and long time dormancy.
Happy sailing. Ureck.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 3:27 pm
by Wind Chime
OUTFLOW OPTIONS?

I too am installing a bilge pump in our :macx: , in the popular "starboard under the cooler" location.

I do not want to create a new through-hull, even though it would be above the water-line.

So I want to use an in-line "T" or "Y" connector into either the:
1) head sink drain-line.
2) stern engine motor well drain-line.

I want to avoid any backflow into the bilge (either salt from healing or fresh from the sink), or backflow into the sink when the pump is running.

I have seen a few posts about "check valves" etc. Any advice, or do's and dont's on this?

Thanks!
Darry

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:05 pm
by Ureck
Some bilge pumps have a foot valve.This should sufface. A check valve can be bought cheaply. Must have low resistance in the pass direction. Some of them are quite "hard" in this respect. I will connect my to the sink in the head by a Y connector, but the bilge pump hose will rize first above the sink's edge level creating a siphon. Regs. Ureck.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 4:13 am
by Divecoz
I use check valves on both my bilge pumps. I have added numerous thru hulls, both above and below the water line and its No big deal really.
I drilled one for the sink to eliminate the slow drain from hull syndrome. I drilled out the tiny silly stupid sink drain and installed a 1 1/4 drain right over (thru)the side and have a ball valve there to keep the outside water outside when sailing.
I have mentioned this before , but it wont hurt to mention it again I hope.............
Get two small but fairly strong magnets for your tool box. When you want to locate a hole or potential hole, tape one to one side of the hull , say , where you think you want the hole to be. Then use the other magnet on the other side of the hull , just to be sure that new hole will be where you had imagined it to be ...

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:25 am
by Kelly Hanson East
Or mark the outside with sharpie, and put that side in full sunlight. Now you can see through the hull and see your mark..
:P :P :P

I recommend against check valves - they do tend to clog and get stuck open, and this is difficult to diagnose until your bilge is full. A through hull shutoff is a better idea. I used PVC plumbing from Home Depot for 3 bucks a pop. I inspect them annually.

I have through hulls on the two bilge pumps and my macerator, all above the water line.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:32 pm
by bscott
I ran my 800 from the ice chest to a thru hull inside the head sink cabinet and used a HD inline ball check. The dead rise is about 1.5' and water blasts out the fitting about 4' so be aware that you could drown someone on the dock :evil: I used an in-line fused external rocker switch located on the back of the cooler/seat next to the head door as I am not a fan of auto switches.

I also used plastic pipe black PVC cement to hold the plastic basket to the bottom of the :macx: and so far it has held perfectly.

bscott

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:02 pm
by nedmiller
On our 97 :macx: I found that there is a really low spot on each side of the boat in the far aft corners. You have to remove the cloth covered board that is at the very aft end of the under the cockpit berth...then remove some foam packing... there is a deep pocket on each side and I put an 800 in each pocket. I then put an automatic switch for each pump in the regular bilge area. The 800s then are piped straight up using the regular bilge pump hose to thru-hulls that I put in right below the back seat--one on each side. They are high enough that the cockpit would have to be flooded almost to the bottom of the seat to worry about water coming in. I wish that I had also wired the pumps to come on by demand because the auto switches take several inches of water to activate. When pulling out the boat on the ramp, I could then switch the pumps on and pull out almost every ounce of water in the bilge. Maybe put that on my winter mod list!
Ned

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:53 pm
by Kelly Hanson East
Ned - you can get a three way (AUTO OFF MAN) bilge switch that lets you do this. I solved the 'stringer problem' on my :macx: by having my stringer pumps pump into the main bilge (under cooler) in the MAN mode.

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:40 pm
by Wind Chime
Any advice on the pros and cons of:

- the "all-in-one" so called automatic types like the Rule-Mate 750,
verses
- the seperate pump with seperate flipper type float control switch.

I read on this site that the all-in-one type, turns itself on every now and again to check for water?

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:46 pm
by SkiDeep2001
What is the 800 bilge pump being referred to in this topic :?: . I searched for it but did not get a good description of the pump. 8) Rob

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:54 am
by Wind Chime
OK, so I did some more investigating and if found a description for the "Rule-Mate 750" that says:

"While fully automated, the Rule-Mate Bile Pumps will only turn on when the water level rises. There is no cycling and no battery drain. The pump remains off until the internal float switch rises. The pump then stays on until the water is evacuated. The Rule-Mate's internal computer senses no load (water) against the impeller and then shuts off."

Does this mean that it DOES NOT come on every now and again to check for water?

I also asked a guy at the marine store about this, and he said that "yes it does come on to check for water".

So much dis-information ... HELP??

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:06 am
by Rick Westlake
Kelly Hanson East wrote:Ned - you can get a three way (AUTO OFF MAN) bilge switch that lets you do this. I solved the 'stringer problem' on my :macx: by having my stringer pumps pump into the main bilge (under cooler) in the MAN mode.
When you refer to the "main bilge (under cooler)", do you mean the area inboard of the "stringers" and by the centerboard? I know that's atop a thin portion of the ballast tanks ...
Because I put my depth-sounder in there, and it doesn't read when the ballast is empty. :P :x

Re: Bilge pump

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:02 am
by Wind Chime
Hey Rick,
Because I put my depth-sounder in there, and it doesn't read when the ballast is empty.
... does that mean when your ballest is full, your depth sounder reads - 6 inches :)