johnalison
Well-Known Member
I have heard of, but not used, boats where the shower water goes into the bilge, where the bilge-pump does the job. If using an electric pump you need a filter for crew members who moult.
Shower pump / water requirements
- Thread starter TopBanana
- Start date
I have heard of, but not used, boats where the shower water goes into the bilge, where the bilge-pump does the job. If using an electric pump you need a filter for crew members who moult.
pvb
Well-Known Member
My old HR352 had the shower draining straight into the deep bilge sump. I only had a manual bilge pump, so no problem. However, I don't think it's a great idea.
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
It's a bad idea, the soap and shower water creates a terrible smell, I sailed on someones boat that did that and it was appalling.
pvb
Well-Known Member
There was no smell in my old HR352!
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
but it ponged a bit.
geem
Well-Known Member
We can easily get four Navy showers from our 29litre calorifier and still have enough water for washing up. No thermostatic control on the calorifier but we do have a thermostatic valve on the shower. The first water to come through on the shower fills a kettle for the morning tea. We shower in the hot stuff.
We use the generator to run the immersion heater (1200w) when we need to. We get 2 hot showers from 15mins of generator run time. If you oversize the calorifier it takes more energy to get the water warm so you can shower. Friends have just removed a 50litres calorifier to install a smaller one for this reason. The problem is made worse if you mount the calorifier on its side. At least with a vertical calorifier you can take the advantage of stratification in the tank and just use the warm water at the top.
We use the generator to run the immersion heater (1200w) when we need to. We get 2 hot showers from 15mins of generator run time. If you oversize the calorifier it takes more energy to get the water warm so you can shower. Friends have just removed a 50litres calorifier to install a smaller one for this reason. The problem is made worse if you mount the calorifier on its side. At least with a vertical calorifier you can take the advantage of stratification in the tank and just use the warm water at the top.
smb
Well-Known Member
Same set up on our Voyager. Shower used the same drain channel as the anchor locker to run to the bilge sump where an auto pump threw it overboard together with anything else that had found its way down there. Not pleasant. Soon changed it to a proprietary shower sump/pump but found it unreliable so replaced it with a diy sump, gulper pump and simple electronic timer/delay circuit.
RupertW
Well-Known Member
I'm glad ours are both self contained drains with their own 1.5l sumps. Both to avoid smells and hairs in the bilge (and even the mini sumps smell if left for a few days), but also because when the sump cover starts floating you know you've used the next 1.5l so time to hit the drain button for a few seconds. I find I use about 3l for a full shower with hair wash and a quick spraydown of the heads.
SteveGorst
Well-Known Member
Ours used to drain straight into the bilges but I didn't like the idea because of potential smells and build up of hair and old soap so I've connected a hose from a whale gulper pump directly to the shower tray outlet. This works well.
geem
Well-Known Member
Our shower sump is 7 litres with a 2000 gph bilge pump and float switch. It runs automatically and is also part of our emergency pumping system. The big pump is very tolerant of the mrs long hairs but does need a clean out periodically. It doesn seem to get smelly