Deckwash Pump Spec?

[Old Bumbulum]

After spending - yet again - twenty minutes scrubbing and sloshing mud off the anchor, chain and then boat and me it's time to consider a deckwash pump.
What spec should I be looking for in terms of delivery rate and pressure? Domestic supply is between 2 and 6 bar so pressure somewhere in that range, preferably in the higher end for shifting E coast clay, but delivery rate? Is 15l/min enough? I solo a lot so quick and efficient is important to minimise time on the foredeck whan motoring out.

Am I on the right lines?

How best to instal it? Pickup hose over the side so its fully portable or built in and tee'd off an existing seacock? The heads intake perhaps?
Any cunning plans?

Boat is 35ft with plenty of 12v electric capacity.

 

[Yngmar]

The pump is pretty much the same as a normal freshwater pump for a pressurized system. If you buy an identical model to yours, you then have a spare if the more important freshwater pump breaks. That's 10 litre/minute and 30 psi (2 bar). These are triple diaphragm pumps that are self-priming and safe to run dry. They also have the all-important pressure switch, so they shut off. Important, as you probably want to use with some kind of spraygun/nozzle. Most for the marine market are already suitable for seawater (plastic/rubber/stainless). You probably want a simple strainer (not a filter) on the intake.

If you want it permanently installed, put a hoselock fitting somewhere near the anchor locker and a spiral hose with spray gun attached. For your "quick and efficient" you also want a permanent intake somewhere near the pump (they are self-priming but limited lift - check specs) - dangling hoses over the side will waste time. Where to put that depends entirely on your boat. If I ever get around to fitting it, on my boat the intake would go in the bow crash section near the transducers, as that's safe and convenient to route.

 

[NormanS]

The pump is pretty much the same as a normal freshwater pump for a pressurized system. If you buy an identical model to yours, you then have a spare if the more important freshwater pump breaks. That's 10 litre/minute and 30 psi (2 bar). These are triple diaphragm pumps that are self-priming and safe to run dry. They also have the all-important pressure switch, so they shut off. Important, as you probably want to use with some kind of spraygun/nozzle. Most for the marine market are already suitable for seawater (plastic/rubber/stainless). You probably want a simple strainer (not a filter) on the intake.

If you want it permanently installed, put a hoselock fitting somewhere near the anchor locker and a spiral hose with spray gun attached. For your "quick and efficient" you also want a permanent intake somewhere near the pump (they are self-priming but limited lift - check specs) - dangling hoses over the side will waste time. Where to put that depends entirely on your boat. If I ever get around to fitting it, on my boat the intake would go in the bow crash section near the transducers, as that's safe and convenient to route.

Yngmar makes a good point about having preferably the same model as your FW pump. When I fitted mine, I teed off the forward toilet intake, led the delivery forward (with some difficulty) up to and along the void of the bulwark, then brought it through the inside face of the bulwark as far forward as I could get it, and finished with a hozelock fitting. I wouldn't be without it.

 

[duncan99210]

We've got a seawater pump fitted in the same locker as the fresh water pump, using the same electrical supply. Inlet is by the locker and the pump feeds a tap at the galley sink for washing up and a hose connector in the anchor locker for cleaning the chain. Ours is only 5 lpm which is fine for the sink but it would be better is it was 8 - 10 lpm but there's no room for a larger pump and it was cheap.... Well worthwhile both for keeping the decks clean and for doing the washing up.

 

[rudolph_hart]

We've got a seawater pump fitted in the same locker as the fresh water pump, using the same electrical supply. Inlet is by the locker and the pump feeds a tap at the galley sink for washing up and a hose connector in the anchor locker for cleaning the chain. Ours is only 5 lpm which is fine for the sink but it would be better is it was 8 - 10 lpm but there's no room for a larger pump and it was cheap.... Well worthwhile both for keeping the decks clean and for doing the washing up.

+1.

I fitted a Jabsco ParMax 4, which has four 'chambers' & has delivered enough squirt to shift weed and East Coast loam off my anchor & guano of my decks for over 10 years now.

It has its own switch/circuit breaker, and & I T-ed it off the toilet intake, using a Y-valve to switch between Toilet & Washdown.

However, I took the shortest route from the pump to the topsides -which was luckily just aft of midships - where I fitted a Jabsco flush deck fitting which comes with its own 'twistlock' hose connector. I then use a curly hose (which stows compactly) which reaches all parts for washdown - or grandchildren discipline - which also takes Hozelok snozzles etc.

Hope this helps.