Bilge pumps and check valves

[jimc53]

I recently purchased a 1985 32-3. The boat has two Rule 500 gph bilge pumps. One is in the shower bilge and one in the main bilge (the next bilge back). Both have check valves installed. The shower bilge gets a lot of water draining into it from the mast due to all the rain we get up here in the Northwest. My problem has been with the check valve. Shortly after I bought the boat the valve stuck in the open position and flattened the batteries. I replaced the batteries and the check valve. I bought the same kind of valve which is made of brass. This works ok as long as there is no water in the line. Once there is the pump seems unable to overcome the resitance. The pump in the main bilge doesn't seem to have the same problem.
I was wondering how other owners solve this problem? I've seen a lot of advice not to use check valves but the bilge pumps drain in the stern which is a long way away. It also appears, although I'm not sure, that this is how the boat was originally plumbed. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[footrope]

Welcome to the board, Jim. Where do you keep your boat?

You might try swapping the two pumps, just to "rule" out a bad pump. Or, take out the check valve and see if it works better. The check valve could be installed backwards, so be careful about that.

There are a number of related threads here in the Maintenance & Mechanical section - you might try a search for "bilge" or "bilge pump." You will find recommendations to go to a remotely mounted diaphragm pump, for the main bilge anyway, to avoid the check valve issue you described. You do have to find a place for the pump and route hoses and power to the new location, so it's not necessarily a trivial job. The previous owner of my boat took care of that for me and I have a pair of remotely mounted pumps that work great. I also have an inline filter just before each pump inlet. It keeps the hair and other gunk from getting into the pump. It requires periodic cleaning, but it's no trouble.

If you have a bad pump, you can then decide whether to go to a diaphragm type since you're changing it anyway. The diaphragm pumps are more expensive, I think. My main bilge pump is under the galley sink and the shower pump is under the aft seat of the dinette.

Happy New Year!

 

[jimc53]

My boat's in Anacortes, Wa. The check valve isn't in backwards. The pump might be bad but it will pump water through the line if the line is empty. I was wondering if I needed a bigger pump.

 

[Loren Beach]

Pump Choices

The standard, when Ericson built our boat in '88, was two ($$) diaphram pumps. One labeled Bilge and the other Shower.
Since the centrifugal pumps like the Rule are fussy about back pressure or air locking, I would wonder if your setup was stock or changed over by a prior owner.
Many have fallen for the siren-promise of high GPH output of the centrif. pumps (yup, me included...) only to find that their finicky impeller-loading requirements and need for check valving would later compromise their useability in the everyday world o' bilge water.
(Matter of fact, this IS just my opinion. )

Note that for an '85 model boat, you might want to manually inspect and grab onto and flex every part of the discharge hose. Our boat was plumbed with wire-reinforced HD rubber/cloth hose, and most of it is still OK. If you find any of the white or black plastic molded low price "bilge hose" it is a good time to replace it. The later has about a 12 to 15 year max safe life span, IMHO.

Best,
Loren

 

[chaco]

Go Diaphram Pump

After Burning Out both Submersable Centrifigal Pumps and Remote Impellar
Pumps ....my choice for the most reliable Bilge Pump System is the
Remote Diaphram Pump with Brass PickUp and InLine Strainer.
The Pump drains the Sump COMPLETELY DRY and does not need a Check
Valve. Submersable Centrifugal Pumps are CONTINUALLY getting gunk stuck
in the Impellar. Neoprene Impellars get stuck without regular use.
The Remote Pumps give you the versatilty to mount the Pump in a good
location for service and Strainer maintenance :nerd:

Happy Dry Bilge /) /)

 

[gfilipi]

Hi Jim,

Welcome to the Ericson ownership. I purchased my 1986 E32-3 in June and have just redid my shower bilge because I was having the exact same problem as you because it's raining alot in San Francisco Bay. The major problem is that it is a very tight space and it has a long run with a couple of tight turns. I started out with a round style (due to space restrictions) west marine 1000 pump with a jabsco check valve and an electronic switch. I installed the pump tested it a little and it worked so I left the boat. That night it rained a lot and I went down to the boat and the pump was continueously running, bilge was full of water and wouldn't pump the water out. I took out the check valve, retested and it did the same thing. My deduction is that the pump didn't have enough power with the line full of water to pump around 2 tight turns and up the 12 foot incline to get the water out. I blew out the line to make sure there wasn't any blockage and it was clean.

As you know, it's an extremely tight fit to get anything in there. I have a square style rule 800 in the maine bilge, so I bought another square style rule 800 to put in the shower bilge.

I put the square rule 800 on the starboard aft corner of the shower bilge with the output facing port because you can't fit the pump output starboard due to shallow walls. The electronic switch is on the forward port corner. I cut a short piece of 3/4 '' hose on the output connecting to a 90 degree nylon barb which then goes up and over the rule pump connecting to a jabsco check valve then to the main line. The flow isn't strong but it gets the water out and it works. You want to check your bilge line as well. Mine is on starboard side then makes a 180 degree turn to port then goes through the support between the main bilge and shower bilge, then makes another 90 degree turn and follows the main bilge line up the 12 foot run to the thru-hull. I'm sure my hose is original with the boat. The hose has collapsed a little on both turns. I'm sure that is why flow is very restriced. I'm going to replace that line with new stronger flex hose that won't collapse on the turns. I will do that in the next couple of weeks on a sunny day and have a day to waste because I'm sure it will be a day of cussing trying to fish the new line through everything.

Next year I'm going to put a diaphragm pump. I'm redoing all my deck hardware this year and didn't want to spend te extra money on the diaphragm pump and I don't quite know where I'm going to put the diaphragm pump.

Let me know how it goes,

Gene

 

[jimc53]

Thanks for the advice so far. The way my hoses are connected and the tight turns they have to make are very similar to what Gene described. And from the look of them they are probably the original hoses too. I'll give them a more thorough inspection next time and see if the walls have collapsed on the turns.

Jim