Bilge Pump video

[sailvayu]

I have a new video about bilge pumping systems. This was base on an article I did for Ocean Navigator magazine and is based some on safety at sea seminars and my own experience as a surveyor and offshore sailor. Hope it is helpful to someone.
http://youtu.be/Fcbd41iDe2Y

 

[EugeneR]

Very useful, thanks.

Recently, I had the hose come off one of my boat's bilge pumps. When I tried to re-connect it, I noticed that the pump's plastic had become so brittle that some parts e.g. filter fins, clips and what remained of the hose connector broke apart almost on touch. The pump was circa 11yr old. I haven't used any strong cleaning agents but perhaps the previous owner did. Fortunately, I found this while doing routine maintenance / cleaning but it might be worth checking for this condition and replacing older pumps as a precautionary measure.

On another boat, the factory-fitted pump broke down during a real flooding situation. Fortunately, the ingress of water was stopped before any damage could occur but since then, and in addition to a manual pump, I have a portable pump with 12v lead and roll-up hose - this is also useful when trying to remove water from the domestic water pipes without messing up my clean and dry bilge.

 

[Tradewinds]

Thanks for that.

Found it interesting and informative and reminded me that I need to do a couple of checks . . .

 

[fisherman]

I had a 1902 pilchard driver still with the original pump. An open topped lead tube about 4" dia spilling on the deck, pipe straight to the bilge, tee handle with a wood plunger, clack valves, shifted water by the ton, but when the handle came adrift it shot me over the side. Happy days!

Here she is in 1952

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/echo-fishing/query/newlyn+fishing

 

[Swanrad2]

Very useful, thanks.

Recently, I had the hose come off one of my boat's bilge pumps. When I tried to re-connect it, I noticed that the pump's plastic had become so brittle that some parts e.g. filter fins, clips and what remained of the hose connector broke apart almost on touch. The pump was circa 11yr old. I haven't used any strong cleaning agents but perhaps the previous owner did. Fortunately, I found this while doing routine maintenance / cleaning but it might be worth checking for this condition and replacing older pumps as a precautionary measure.

On another boat, the factory-fitted pump broke down during a real flooding situation. Fortunately, the ingress of water was stopped before any damage could occur but since then, and in addition to a manual pump, I have a portable pump with 12v lead and roll-up hose - this is also useful when trying to remove water from the domestic water pipes without messing up my clean and dry bilge.

Similarly a plastic reserve bilge pump (large stirrup) that was clipped into a cockpit locker completely disintegrated in my hands when using for the first time in years. It was never more than a third wheel in the bilge pump set up - but I'd still rather have it than not.

 

[sailvayu]

Thanks for the good feedback, i know this is not the most exciting video but I think it covers things well. I have had several people tell me they checked there systems and found issues after watching this so i hope I have helped keep someone afloat.

Cool video Fisherman, that historic footage is neat to see. I remember those old pumps myself but am not quite old enough to have personally used one. (At least not that I will admit!)

 

[jon711]

Interesting video that covers most point well, however, there are a few things that I would take issue with..... (Sorry!!)

A flexible impeller pump WILL handle crud and suspended solids, indeed it was, and even may still be, the only pump specified for use on landing craft as it can pump water with suspended dirt (eg sand), whereas the valves on diaphragm pumps suffer... (As an aside flexible impeller pumps in industry are used for pumping baked beans, soups etc). Also, you can get run dry flexible impeller pumps, that have a water chamber in the pump that holds the lubricant (water) for the impeller in the pump allowing up to about 20 minutes run dry time - it can also be possible to arrange the outlet pipework in such a way that the head of water in the outlet pipework can provide the needed lubriication for a short period. Run dry impellers in a flexible impeller pump, while permitting some dry running, the pressure/head curve shows that they do not have any thing like the performance of nitrile or neoprene impellers.

Centifugal pump output figures, are pretty much a bragging exercise, if company y quotes pump out put at zero head of 1500lpm, company x quotes output figures at 3m head then customers will buy company y pumps for the illconceived increased flow. Before specifying a submersible ask the manufacturers for the head flow curve, as it is surprising the flow differences at different heads between different manufacturers pumps.

But, generally a good guide that gives some good information to the uninitiated.

Jon

 

[sailvayu]

Hi Jon thanks for the nice comments. yes I agree there are some pumps that will perform as you say but most all marine and engine raw water pumps will not survive running dry for long or much trash. Never tried sucking up a can of beans but I guess they would handle that lol. As you say plumbing could help but in the end keeping it simple is often the best approach. So rather than complicate things I tend to recommend against flexible impeller pumps.
I never pay much mind to published data on pumps as they are optimistic at best. If someone really needs to know their pump output I would suggest pouring 5 gallons of water into the bilge and time how long it takes each pump to get it out of the boat. This is the only real way to know what you have. Thanks again for the feedback!
I hope the weather has been better on that side of the pond this winter than here! Seems I heard it was not though.