Bilge pump

[Johnnygil]

Sorry this may sound really basic but have only been boating for about 4 weeks last Sept

Where is the best place to site a bilge pump I purchased a Rulemate 500 that is auto and need to know where to put it?

Thanks in anticipation

Cheers J

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Trevethan]

Where the water is deepest!

I tend to mount min on a sheet of lead as I did fancy climbing under the engine to screw it down.

The lead plater keeps it upright and I was able to guide it back using the hose.

You lose a little bit iof pumping ability -- the lead lifts the pump slightly, so it will never dry it out totally, but then those little pumps aren't really able to pump a bilge dry anyway.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Johnnygil]

thanks for teh reply , even more confused now as have got rid of water from engine compartment but cant see how to get under engine to see if there is any water there . The aft cabin and forward bit are all lower than the engine but they have no holes inside where to pump out so am I losing the plot as to where the bilge thing should go is it mainly in the engine compartment

Hope this makes sense cos it doesnt to me

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Trevethan]

Different boats have different bilge layputs -=- the bilge is essentially the lowes bit of the boat where all the water collects.

My boat has a long deep bilge which runs from under part of the aft cabin, under the engine and on under the saloon.

The area under the salon is slightly separate -- but a pipe through the divider will allow water to flow to the deepest part of the bilge, which in my case is under the engine.

Find where the deepest part of the bilge is -- pour in a bit of water -- see if the water pools in one area or are there two deep bits -- if sso it mighjt make sense to have a pair of pumps --

If there is no nearby outlet, you can run pipes a fair distance but try not to send the up and down all over the place.

Its a good idea to fit a non return valve in the hose near the pump as this stops water in the hose flowing back out once the pump stops spinning.

If you're still confused give me a call 07900 244 185!


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[oldharry]

<Its a good idea to fit a non return valve in the hose near the pump as this stops water in the hose flowing back out once the pump stops spinning.>

Is this such a bad thing? Many submersible pump manufacturers use this as a selling point, as it flushes out any debris or rubbish that may have been sucked against the inlet. Of course they describe it as though their R&D department has invented gravity, but I find it at least sligthly reassuring that the pump strainer has been backflushed - and the amount of water involved is of no consequence, as no pump is going to dry the bilge entirely.

Non return valves are yet another thing to clog, and IMHO are only needed for an inline pump mounted above the bilges which does not self prime easily.




<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Johnnygil]

thanks a lot for the reply its all becoming a lot clearer now

Cheers

J

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Johnnygil]

thanks for the reply it is all making more sense to me now

cheers
J

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[roger]

I'm sorry to be a bit basic too. I'm giving advice in total ignorance of your circumstances.
It is usual to have several bits of kit for getting water out of the boat including :-
a. Bucket with rope on handle
b. Manually operated pump with pipe down to lowest point in the hull and strum box to stop the rubbish getting in
c. Electricallly operated pump for ordinary use and while the electrical supplies work.
Its amazing what rubbish you can find in the sump (broken bits of fluorescent lamp - after new engine fitted!!) Any of the bits can block up the pump and so cost you the boat. Careful sailors, which I'm not, keep there bilges clean for that reason.

<hr width=100% size=1>Roger

 

[Trevethan]

The reason I fitted one to my forward pump was was that the hose was long enough that when all the water flowed back out it it raised the level back to the point where the sensors decided it needed to pump again on its next cycle -- so it was running rather a lot.

I guess I could have raised the pipe somewhere along the run, but I wasn't feeling too clever that day, but even then I suspect it would still syphon out.

So far I haven't had problems with the n/r valve clogging... touch wood....

Having said all that, in the other pump there is no valve, but the bilge is big enough and the hose short enough for it not to be a problem.

<hr width=100% size=1>