How do I drain my galley sinks?

[demonboy]

I have a dilemma. My galley sinks were always emptied by a Whale hand siphon pump, which had a 1 inch gauge inlet and outlet. In a few strokes the sinks could be emptied in seconds. This pump has now broken and a replacement pump is built such that I can't take it apart to install it in my galley.

My sinks are too low to plumb directly to the outlet to let gravity do its work.

I am thinking of an electric pump alternative, but the pump units appear to be designed for small gauge pipes only and I am unsure the sink would be drained quickly. There is also the issue of food stuffs blocking the pipes, hence the importance of a 1 inch diam pipe, or at least a macerator. Expensive at 300tl (£120ish), and wouldn't that be quite loud too?

Short of running the sink into the bilges what alternatives does anyone have to offer? My galley is building up with washing up and dirty surfaces - I need a solution quickly!

 

[misterg]

... My galley is building up with washing up and dirty surfaces - I need a solution quickly!

HTH

Andy

 

[FullCircle]

First off get a stainless steel insert sink strainer. I paid 50p each for mine. I also use this on the shower now.
This will prevent large nasties going down the pipe.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-PC-STAINLES...TH--BASIN_W0QQitemZ270449649292QQcmdZViewItem

Now you want a bilge pump, with a manual sprung toggle switch.
http://www.rule-industries.com/products/compare_view/pumps/bilge_pumps/index.htm

Also fit a Jabsco shower filter (cheap. I bought one off ebay for a fiver)

http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/11679-line-filter-3-4-hose-from-jabsco.html

You could let your sink drain into a 5 litre container and then suck it out and overboard with the shower/bilge pump.

If you are really flash, you could put a cheap bilge switch in the bottom of the 5 litre container to operate it automatically.

You can also extract and clean the 5 litre container periodically for cleaning.

 

[demonboy]

Hi Jim,

Just thinking this one through. I have a similar solution with my heads sink but that uses an auto float switch, which is a pain when the boat heals over as it runs dry. I just need to secure and make water-tight that container.

Thanks, food for thought.

 

[FullCircle]

Hi Jim,

Just thinking this one through. I have a similar solution with my heads sink but that uses an auto float switch, which is a pain when the boat heals over as it runs dry. I just need to secure and make water-tight that container.

Thanks, food for thought.

No, just dont use an auto switch - use a cheapo manual switch from Maplins, around £2.50.
Push button and hold until water goes away and note in pump changes - then its empty.

 

[earlybird]

My sink is emptied by a 3/4" electric diapragm pump with a manual switch, similar to a shower tray pump. No strainer, but it's never blocked. I'm unsure of the make because I almost never look at it, probably a Whale. AFAIK it's priced around £80, they also make a 1" size and bigger The reason mine's fitted is because the low-set sink could otherwise fill with water when the boat heels. I suspect that centrifugal bilge pumps would block unless a good strainer was fitted, also, in my case, they would not stop back-flow.

 

[srm]

I am thinking of an electric pump alternative,

Not a good idea, they have more to go wrong so fail more often, usually when most needed with the sink full of unpleasantness putting you back to square one. I would suggest finding a manual pump alternative.

Reason for saying so - my shower tray drain (electric) pump failed so have now fitted a manual diaphram pump. Also, put a diverter valve in so it doubles as (another) manual bilge pump.

Also, have been on boats with no manual back up for the fresh water system - on one boat the pump worked but the battery charging system failed so after a while we had half full fresh water tanks and no way of getting at it.

Electric pumps are very useful and convenient, but I think you still need manual backup pumps in all primary systems and I would classify the galley as a primary system.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Had the same problem.Whale no longer made the hand pump and could not supply spares but pointed me in the direction of the "Gulper" electric pump. About £88.00. Works very well with an ordinary on/offf switch. However make the fuse holder easily accessible if you have to turn off the outlet valve when beating. SWMBO forgets to open it, when level, and when the pump tries to empty sink, bingo, new fuse required!

 

[earlybird]

[QUOTE I think you still need manual backup pumps in all primary systems and I would classify the galley as a primary system.[/QUOTE]
Qualified agreement. OK, I'm not live-aboard but my sink waste pump is 7+ years old and it's not failed yet, ( wait until my next trip!! ). A manual pump would be quite cumbersome. Also, to save hot water, I wash up in a plastic bowl within the sink so heave-ho over the side is an easy option. Also, if very bothered, it's easy to plumb a valved gravity emergency by-pass in most cases.