E35-2 saltwater pump for the galley sink

[RedHerring]

I have a saltwater pump going into the galley sink in my E35. In a brilliant display of unfathomable wisdom, my predecessor attached the intake of this pump to the same thru-hull that serves as a drain of the aforementioned sink. The refrigerator pump intake is there, too.

Questions:

1. Am I missing something, or is this basically designed to circulate dirty water through the sink?

2. Where is a good place to add an intake thru-hull in an E-35?

 

[toddster]

Maybe he thought it was a sea trunk?

I tee'd mine off the engine water intake, since A) It's right there and B) If it were used while the engine was running, it would be very minimal and temporary competition with the engine.

Well, for that matter, I can see how if the sink were normally stoppered, the "drainage" events might not interfere much with intake events. Still, my first impression is that drains and intakes ought to be separate.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I tee'd mine off the engine water intake, since A) It's right there and B) If it were used while the engine was running, it would be very minimal and temporary competition with the engine.

I'd consider this bad practice. I wouldn't give my engine pump any reason to not pump. The galley sink drain is better than the engine input, but I would recommend a new thru hull and seacock. It's standard on the newer E-boats.

 

[RedHerring]

The galley sink drain is better than the engine input, but I would recommend a new thru hull and seacock.

Where on the boat would you put it?

 

[Tom Metzger]

Where on the boat would you put it?

I'm not familiar with the E-35-2. It would seem reasonable to put it under the galley sink. That is where it is on the E-34. The prime considerations are easy access for the hose & seacock and a reasonably flat section of the hull. My icebox drain valve tees in above the seacock.

 

[toddster]

I'd consider this bad practice. I wouldn't give my engine pump any reason to not pump. The galley sink drain is better than the engine input, but I would recommend a new thru hull and seacock. It's standard on the newer E-boats.

I'd do the math and if necessary, put in a fitting with a large enough volume to buffer the volume of a foot-pump stroke many times over. Oh, wait - it's already in place... A sea chest for all intents and purposes.

 

[Christian Williams]

The mid-1980s 32-3 had a small seacock for salt water and two foot pumps.

One was a backup or substitute for the motor tankage. I tossed that, since it was broken.

My single remaining foot pump is either icebox -pump-out or salt-water-to-sink, with the throw of a valve.

Should the tankage 12v pump fail, I could easily switch that hose to the foot pump.

I use the icebox pump all the time to keep the icebox dry when not in use. On a long cruise without ice, switch to salt water for washing to preserve tankage for drinking.

 

[mfield]

Under the galley sink in my E35-3 are the following 4 through-hulls. At top (white pipe):
1. drain from inner cockpit scuppers.
2. engine salt water cooling intake.
3. sink outlet.
4. salt water pump intake (left hand foot pump).

The salt water pump intake when off points to the iceboxes through a manifold.

Until I took this picture I had only thought there were 3 seacocks under the sink I had not noticed the scupper drain way at the back. It strikes me that if I shut this when away from the boat the pipe will fill up with rainwater (not a problem as it's only rained here in SF once this year). If I leave it open then saltwater will fill up a foot or so. On balance keeping it shut seems to be be the better option. Any suggestions?

 

[Christian Williams]

Any suggestions?]

I wish people would not think of this stuff, it makes me nervous.

I never close the cockpit scupper thru-hull, the one below the waterline. Therefore, I am always on guard against a breaking wave filling the cockpit at the dock, with the full number of four 1.5-inch cockpit drains available. Or, if ten thousand diet cokes were spilled simultaneously, the cockpit would drain all of them within a reasonable time.

The fact is, I never thought twice about this at all.

And yet, that open below-waterline thru-hull, if the hose were knocked off somehow, would sink the boat at the dock.

And there is no penalty to closing it at all, as long as you open it again before rounding Cape Horn.

All this goes for the sink drain seacock, too, which I never bother to close. Because I would have to do that very frequently.

What are the odds of a scupper hose or sink drain becoming dislodged or failing traumatically?

I have no idea. Low, it would seem. Still,....

I have decided not to think about this anymore, it makes me nervous.

 

[TakeFive]

Any suggestions?]

I wish people would not think of this stuff, it makes me nervous.
What are the odds of a scupper hose or sink drain becoming dislodged or failing traumatically?
I have no idea. Low, it would seem. Still,....

I agree, I need to sleep at night. Cockpit and galley drains and engine intake are always open.
Closing the port cockpit drain requires a trip down into the lazarette. Not my favorite journey.
Now of course I am going to check each inch of hose, double check the clamps, I'll be awake all night...