Shower drainage solutions?

Tim O

Tim O

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Hi...when i purchased my Countess 33, I was under the impression from previous owner that the shower simply drained into the bilge and was then pumped out when needed by switching bilge pump on.

Recently noticed shower was not draining away so investigated further and found that in fact it drains via a pipe (about 1") into one of two interconnected holding tanks under the cabin sole....the toilets go into the other one if diverted from going out to sea...

Anyway seems that the tank into which the shower drains is full and the shower is backing up...and furthermore, since I have pumped out the other holding tank, that maybe the interconnecting pipe between the 2 tanks is also blocked as this did not solve the problem. (That needs dealing with too...which means taking the lid off the holding tanks....looking forward to that one!!!)

Anyway, it seems to me a bit daft and unnecessary filling up holding tanks with shower water.....

Simplest solution is to cut the pipe to holding tank and just let the shower drain into the bilge then pump out with bilge pump overboard?

Anyone see a problem with that that I am missing?

Slightly more complex option is to fit a 3 way Y diverter with tap to divert water either to bilge or holding tank......

Full-on solution would obviously be to fit a shower sump with a pump to pump it out via the sink outlet, but this seems an unnecessary waste of time effort and money when Option 1 achieves the same result!

Thoughts??
 
Shower draining into the bilge is sordid MAB territory.
Pumping straight into the sea probably isn't acceptable in a marina, since you have a holding tank, I'd suggest making it work.
 
Yes, you could just let it run into the bilge and then pump that out. My old HR352 had that arrangement. However, it's not ideal.

Perhaps the best solution is the Whale Gulley IC; this is a shower waste with a built in sensor to turn on the Gulper pump, and an overrun timer to make sure the pipe is drained. Works flawlessly!
 
Tim O said:
Simplest solution is to cut the pipe to holding tank and just let the shower drain into the bilge then pump out with bilge pump overboard?

Anyone see a problem with that that I am missing?
Click to expand...

Only that you will now have manky shower water, soap scum, hair, etc swilling all around underneath your living space. Might be ok on a traditional shaped hull with a deep well of ming already, in which the extra won't make much difference. But your hull looks fairly shallow, the kind where excess bilge water sometimes comes up to say hello when well-heeled.

An interconnection with the toilet tank probably isn't desirable, but if you have space for tanks then you shouldn't have any trouble fitting a small electric diaphragm pump instead.

Pete
 
Definitely pump overboard, with Y valve for marinas. Or just pump overboard, and use the marina shower. You're going to have a damp boat all the time if you use the bilge as waste water storage. In my view, water in the bilge = problem that needs sorting. Without a dry bilge, you'll never know when you get an unwelcome but minor leak in a system.
 
Appreciate draining into bilge is not ideal....but as a temporary solution until i can tackle the storage tanks blockage it might be ok...especially as I would pump it out every time i used the shower anyway.

Appreciate also that trying to avoid polluting a marina is a good plan...thats why i only use biodegradable environmentally friendly products in shower and sink....

Surely not everyone in a marina is sending all their grey water to holding tanks....that would mean a trip over to the pump out station every few days?!!!

(Or alternatively...not washing up or showering..... :) )
 
Many people use the shore facilities when in a marina.
If you fill your bilge with water and then pump it out, then shut the boat up this weather, the whole thing will stink. For months.
Either sort the tanks out, or pump it directly overboard while you shower, if you think that's acceptable where you are.
Where I'd draw the line on discharging grey water varies. Not where it's going to be noticed may sound cynical, but it's about right!
 
lw395 said:
Many people use the shore facilities when in a marina.
If you fill your bilge with water and then pump it out, then shut the boat up this weather, the whole thing will stink. For months.
Either sort the tanks out, or pump it directly overboard while you shower, if you think that's acceptable where you are.
Where I'd draw the line on discharging grey water varies. Not where it's going to be noticed may sound cynical, but it's about right!
Click to expand...

Yes. See post 6...
 
Our shower drains overboard. If you are going to worry about a couple of squirts of shower gel, then you need also to retain all your washing-up water as well as the residue from hand washing, if this occurs. Although we use shore facilities as much as possible, I can't say that I worry myself unduly with regard to seawater in tidal areas, and the whoosh of shower water being ejected from motor boats is part of the normal ambience of sailing in many places. It's not that motor boats are unduly clean or environmentally unaware, it's just that their outlets tend to be higher and make more sound.
 
I do use shore facilities for showering and toilets whenever possible...just occasionally have had to make use of on-board shower when my daughter has been aboard and I've not wanted to leave her alone on the boat....

Have just "gulped" at the price of Whale IC Gulper system...that is NOT going to happen...have far more pressing priorities for spending unfortunately.

I do however have a small spare Rule bilge pump which i'm sure i could rig up to pump the shower overboard....just turn it on manually when needed....and put in a Y valve so it can gravity drain into the holding tank when that is required by marina rules.....
 
johnalison said:
Our shower drains overboard. If you are going to worry about a couple of squirts of shower gel, then you need also to retain all your washing-up water as well as the residue from hand washing, if this occurs. Although we use shore facilities as much as possible, I can't say that I worry myself unduly with regard to seawater in tidal areas, and the whoosh of shower water being ejected from motor boats is part of the normal ambience of sailing in many places. It's not that motor boats are unduly clean or environmentally unaware, it's just that their outlets tend to be higher and make more sound.
Click to expand...

Exactly.....with washing up I tend to wipe plates as clean as possible with kitchen paper and dispose of that in bins...then wash up with Ecover washup liquid
 
I had a shower pump with a filter in line just before it which pumped straight to the sea. The pump is like a sink H & C water pump but no pressure regulator. We have never showered on board so I hit on the idea of placing a hoselock connector in the line before the pump & fitting a 10ft length of hose to it as a wandering suction pump to clear up any excess water under the engine etc. I also have an adaptor with a 6mm copper pipe for draining small quantities from the shallow bilge through a hole in the floor.

If you fitted one of these pumps you could plumb the outlet into the sink, or even just have an outlet hose poked into the basin when wanted. Then you can drain the holding tank to the shower when full & also clear up any water from elsewhere when you wanted.
 
Our galley sink water, shower, and heads WHB water, all go into a grey tank, which is normally pumped out every second day. I hadn't realised that the installation was "extremely rare".
 
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