Recommendations for an emergency electric pump

[Deleted member 36384]

If you want to have big pumping capacity for emergencies then you cant rely on batteries or engines. I would consider something like a petrol engine driven portable pump such as these: -

http://www.tidyco.co.uk/store/water_pumps/tsurumi_engine_pumps/engine_pumps_info.asp

http://www.tidyco.co.uk/store/honda/waterpumps/pumpdetail.asp?ProductID=158

http://www.tidyco.co.uk/store/honda/waterpumps/honda_pumps_standard.asp

 

[prv]

It was originally a keel cooled setup, which meant that as I did not want a keel cooler, conversion to heat exchanger would be the way to go.

I'm curious - why would you not want a keel cooler? I've never used one, but if you have a metal boat then it seems to me like an excellent way of having one less hole in the hull and one less way of breaking the engine (no blocking with debris). What are the downsides I've missed?

Pete

 

[prv]

A simple diesel engine will probably keep running until the water reaches the air intake, by which time you would be thinking about an exit stategy anyway.

I'm not sure about that. A smallish engine mounted low in the boat has its intake fairly low too. At the point it's starting to cover, there's still a lot of boat above the water and I wouldn't be planning to jump ship at that point.

As it happens, I've been there. On the Day Skipper course I did, in fact. The transducer had been incorrectly fitted after maintenance, and popped out on the second or third day of the course. Since it was a bit choppy we had the hatch pulled across, and didn't notice the boat flooding till the water was above the bunks. I didn't check where that came up to on the engine, but it can't have been far off the intake. At no point did the idea of getting off the boat even cross my mind.

Pete

 

[mattnj]

one of these maybe....

http://www.georgecarrpowerproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Honda_Water_Pumps.html

 

[Poignard]

I'm not sure about that. A smallish engine mounted low in the boat has its intake fairly low too. At the point it's starting to cover, there's still a lot of boat above the water and I wouldn't be planning to jump ship at that point.



Pete

OK. Amend my post to read 'might' instead of 'would'.

I probably had my boat in mind, in which the air intake is above my knees when I'm standing on the cabin sole. Although, by the time the water reached there, the cabin sole would be floating, together with the bunk boards and cushions.

Time to be thinking 'Leave her, Johnnie, leave her.'!

 

[prv]

OK. Amend my post to read 'might' instead of 'would'.

Fair - I guess I don't get to dictate what other people might be thinking

I probably had my boat in mind, in which the air intake is above my knees when I'm standing on the cabin sole. Although, by the time the water reached there, the cabin sole would be floating, together with the bunk boards and cushions.

Time to be thinking 'Leave her, Johnnie, leave her.'!

In all seriousness, I don't think you should be leaving at that point. Maybe "thinking about it" in the sense of making sure the liferaft's accessible and so on, but you're still a long way from the famous "stepping up" moment. As I said, we had water above the bunks in a Westerly Fulmar, and were safe and sound a few hours later eating steak and chips in the pub above the Helford. Once the hole was plugged (wooden bung tied next to it, as there should be) it was just a matter of bilge pumps (electric, plus me pumping the manual while steering) and two guys with buckets.

We completed the course for the rest of the week, albeit sans log and depthsounder as their "brain" under the chart table had been flooded. Fortunately my clothes and sleeping bag had been stowed in the high lockers under the deck, and the couple in the forepeak had a fancy waterproof kitbag. The remaining student and the instructor lived locally and their wives brought dry stuff down to Mylor the next day. We hung the bunk cushions on the shrouds whenever moored, to try to dry them out. The company paid for some clothes that had been damaged by oil in the water (from the engine bilge) and gave a discount on future charters.

It seems more dramatic in retrospect than it did at the time

Pete

 

[emnick]

Bilge pump

Honda WX10

leave it to pump while you deal with the problem.

If short handed I think its a must.

Can be used on deck through a hatch so will not gas you, I appreciate that you will reduce the flow as you increase the head always a compromise.

 

[sarabande]

umm, no. It needs priming before you start the suction process, and that normally takes about a minute - assuming you do it right and the priming works all the way to the lowest point.


Once they get going, they are marvellous, though.

 

[DownWest]

Odd thoughts: planning for that sort of ingress is difficult. The french regs oblige one to carry wooden plugs.. Engine driven pumps can give you time to figure out the problem, as they are massively more effective than an electric/genset combo. Regular maintainance on hull fittings might be a better idea.... I had a chat with an experienced sailor who lost his boat in the S. Carib. Big bump, huge water intake, and no way of seeing where from. He was in his L/Raft in under 10 mins. Doubt that any pump combo would have altered that.

 

[lenseman]

one of these maybe....

http://www.georgecarrpowerproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Honda_Water_Pumps.html

It specifically states "Fresh Water". Possibly due to the fact it would corrode very readily in the presence of sea water?

 

[lenseman]

Hi all
I'm looking for recommendations for an emergency electric pump that would extract a lot of water in an emergency . . . Any thoughts or suggestions?

I bought two electric pumps off e-Bay for £29.99 and added a 5 metre hose pipe (1½" diameter pipe) The hose is fold flat type like a firemans hose.

They will shift 3,000 gallons per hour each and although the british seller seems to have disappeared, they are readily available from the USA plus postage but I think they US sellers are asking for about $80 each.

I believe they draw 17 amps at 12 volts and are identical looking to the Rule submersible pumps.

**STOP PRESS**

The British seller is back selling them and he sells the blue hose pipe to fit the pumps:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-3000-GPH-...tEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item3cae98bd41

 

[Salty John]

That's a TMC pump. They move 3000 us gph on open flow. In the real world, assuming 10' pressure head, they pump around 1200 us gph, less if your batteries are below 13.6v.
Electric bilge pump capacities are notoriously overrated. Rule and Jabsco catalogues have performance charts that illustrate this.
Good value, but don't kid yourself about their capacity.

 

[emnick]

WX10

umm, no. It needs priming before you start the suction process, and that normally takes about a minute - assuming you do it right and the priming works all the way to the lowest point.


Point taken but if you start near the water level and then lift it once primed does not take long, you can also fill the suction hose with water to quick prime.

They do need fresh water flush though.

 

[mattnj]

It specifically states "Fresh Water". Possibly due to the fact it would corrode very readily in the presence of sea water?

i have a 3 year old one pumped a load of sea water, and its fine.

 

[mattnj]

added a 5 metre hose pipe (1½" diameter pipe) The hose is fold flat type like a firemans hose.

where did you get hose please?

 

[pvb]

where did you get hose please?

Just a note of caution on flat hose - it doesn't like going around corners, and will often kink and restrict the flow. This is particularly important to consider with centrifugal pumps, which don't create a lot of pressure. A more rigid hose would be better.

 

[ean_p]

try a look here http://www.flygt.co.uk/19479.pdf these are pretty much industry standard for sump pumping etc, try the sk 3,4,5,6 and 7. These will shift from 12 tonne to about 20 per hour to about 4mtr head......not bad for .5 to 1.1 kw, all in stainless and if I remember right quite a low cost