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Has anyone installed a single bilge pump on their "S"? I am planning on doing so in the next week or so. I was figuring i would put it in the bilge on the starboard side just aft of the galley. The plan is to use the through hull for the sink to expell any bilge water. I am still looing for a y fitting that would make this work. Probably going to end up with t fitting though. Been a busy down season many projects getting done. I headed out there to try and look at what i was working with under the galley, but still have about 4 inch of snow on the boat... Guess I wasn't very motivated after all....

Depending on where that wye fitting and the thru-hull fittings are, that may not be a good idea. The bilge discharge thru-hull must be higher than the highest level of the ocean/lake water when the boat is heeled to the max, or it can siphon into the bilge. With the sink connected, it may drain from the sink into the bilge if you don't put a giant loop in it, but that will make the sink drain slow.

I would just add a thru-hull, right under the rub rail, or as close to that as you can get. They're inexpensive, easy to install if you have access, and you won't have to worry about siphoning.

I would think a simple backflow protector would be a standard feature on any bilge pump setup I may install - I would still try to use a thru hull above the waterline but not necessarily go to extremes.

I am going to add bilge pumps to mine also. I would recommend using a separate thru hull fitting. I would also worry about backing up the sink if it is ever really needed. If you do use the sink drain I would mount pump on the port side that way when you are heeled over the pump is a lot higher than the hole in the side of the boat.

My plan is to use two smaller pumps and plumb the starboard pump to the port side and vice versa that way if I am ever laid over there is no chance of taking on water from the bilge system.

I added one to the port side...



...but really think we need two with the water ballast tank in the middle. Say I had water come in on the starboard side. Since the water can't flow over to the port side where the pump is it will start to list on that side and then actually pull the port side higher so the water might never get to that pump. I bought a second pump and will install it similar to the other one when I find time.

The install is here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-29.html

...and I agree with the others put in a separate thru-hull. Ours....



...is pretty high,

Sum

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Going to do the portable option. It will double for cleaning the deck. Didn't feel like more wiring in the boat anyways.

Summer how did you get your thur hull fitting so high?

Edit, Found it I forgot you have a page with VERRY detailed pictures and explanations. You did have to cut the inner liner, that is one thing I am not willing to do yet.

I have just bought 2 pumps with 2 90deg thru hull fittings.

I have one bilge pump hard wired in on the starboard side and the other is portable, it can be plugged in and used in multiple places - eventually I will wire that portable one into the port side and install a seperate one in the lazarette.

With the current arrangement the bilge line joins into the sink drain with a T-piece (A couple of inches below the sink outlet) - I need to change that to a Y-junction or install a 45 degree bend on the hose from the bilge pump to stop it kinking. The bilge hose loops up to be fastened just under the top of the stove area and thus avoids problems of inflow from the thru-hull.

I ended up with three on my

Master bilge pump under the cooler locker

One on each outside hull stringer.

All three have auto flat switches and an AUTO MAN OFF switch.

The stringer pumps run into the main basin and the main pump then pumps out...one through hull above the water line. I also use Home Depot valves at 1.99 each as through hull valves and Marelon barbed fittings. Inspect each season.

Hi,

in my "S" I've got one automatic each on starboard and on port and one in the lazarette. I've modified the old manual "Whale Gulper" that was installed in the cockpit with an extra long suction hose and a strainer at the inlet that can easily reach any space inside the boat. This is not simply "just in case" electrics are down but also doubles up as a kind of wet vac when cleaning the inside.