Bilge pump type

[Refueler]

Auto pumps ....

I have had a number of 'electronic sensor' controlled pumps and TBH - I got fed up having to keep cleaning the sensor faces. Not from oil or similr - but from the scum left by seawater ...

In the end I swapped all out bar one for float switched pumps. I accepted the slightly higher residual water.

My 38 has a cylindrical shaped submerged pump with electronic sensor ... I have given up with it on auto ... it now only works on manual override. I want to change it - but the pipe size is weird ... needing replacement. I'm not a fan of adapting sizes as that can lead to increased build of of crud catching the joints.

 

[fisherman]

just a word of praise for Johnson electric pumps. Used every day, only ever needed to renew once in over 26 years. (It was already well used when I got the boat)

From these people. Their hand pumps are cheaper and better than Whale, imo.
https://pumpinternational.com/

 

[ChromeDome]

Problem with the remote pump - is that it must be positive self priming. Most bilge pumps are not.

Right. And as this is a known prerequisite you buy a pump that can do it,.
Most diaphragm pumps btw have a fair lift height.

 

[B27]

It seems like a good idea to fit an electric bilge pump. Currently there are 2 manual bilge pumps. One operated from outside in the cockpit. The other mounted on the bulkhead inside the engine bay, so I have to remove the steps to get to it. Its a most unsatisfactory arrangement in many ways!!

I'd like to fit an electric bilge pump to ursurp this bulkhead mounted item, and fit new pipework exiting through or near the stern.

What type of bilge pumo would be best? Its a 26ft grp cruiser/ racer

Here's a pic of the engine bay.

There are two sorts of bilge pump.
There is a bilge pump that gets used a lot, like on a leaky wooden boat or an open boat out in the rain or a boat where waves come over the top.
Then there's a bilge pump in a GRP boat with a cabin, which sits there 'in case'.

So what do you want from it?
In my GRP cruiser, I've got a manual pump and an electric one.
The electric pump is a simple centrifugal type. Simple manual switch. It's mounted under the engine/gearbox but will only really do anything if there is a lot of water in the boat. It only gets wet when I take it home to test it.
If I got a medium sized leak, it would slow down the sinking giving me time to fix the leak.
In reality, that's all you can do. A big leak will beat any pump.
If the boat got swamped by a wave it would be helpful.

It's not here to deal with a teaspoonful of water from the stern gland or a rain drip or to clear up after washing the cabin sole.

On a cruiser racer, you need to tick the boxes you sign up to when racing and pay lip service to 'good practice' to keep your insurer happy.

My experience of diaphragm pumps, both manual and electric is that in the real world they sometimes don't prime because the valves stick, they have dust or dead spiders in them etc.

 

[fredrussell]

…I always used Rule and Whale pumps ... but then found Seaflo - which are literally identical to Rule but cheaper ! Easy to find on eBay

Identical inside and out, or just look the same?

 

[Refueler]

Identical inside and out, or just look the same?

Having dismantled a few - the motor appears same ... impeller appears same ....

I've had similar faults life out of both ...

Wht do they say ... if it walks a Duck ... quacks like a Duck .... what is it ? A Duck ?

I'm not going to be so brash as to say they are exactly same ...

 

[Refueler]

One of the annoying errors with pumps I find .... and this I have found regardless of brand / price etc.

If a pump sits in a space that rarely gets pumped - when you need it to work - the pump shaft is stuck ....

So many times I have opened up pumps just to get shaft turning again.