Shower sump - Replace with gulper?

alt

alt

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Folks,
Last season my traditional float switch gave up, so replaced it with one of those Whale no-moving-items ones. Less than 6 months later, it's given up!

I am thinking of sucking it up and buying a Whale Gulper pump.

What I would like to do is remove the shower sump altogether.

Ideally: Shower drain - hose - gulper - hose - outlet

Would this work? I would just turn on the pump when going for a shower and turn off when done. The other advantage is that there would be no need for the filter/strainer in the shower sump and i'd remove the whole shower sump box.

Will this idea work? Will the pump take hair? SWMBO has long hair!

If my above idea would work, any recommended products? I don't need a huge capacity one, i'd be looking at getting the smallest one available (well, within reason) - Any recommendations?
 
Cheers,
I'll hold out a few hours, in hope that someone can confirm it'll work, before ordering.
 
With the shower pump after the 50th time I lifted the carpets, removed the cabin sole panel, removed the four screws cleared the single short and curly the was blocking the float switch from not going up of from not going down, wiped out the soap scum and sand, cut back the electrical connections where they had corroded re-joined the wires, replaced the pump etc etc.

"I replaced the whole caboodle with a whale gulper pump that pumps water faster than the shower, does not leak, and discharges, sand, soap scum, long female hair and short and curlies the only down side is it sounds like a demented randy male bull frog. but it is 100% reliable with a manual on and off switch.

The Gulpers are actually bilge pumps but I just rigged mine in line with a non return valve.

Don't you have the vertical drop to do away with the sump pump and have a gravity discharge from the sink?

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?421824-Rule-sump-pump-lid#rfzuSLzIwul5MOA9.99[/I] "

This is from a recent post on this subject that I contributed to.

It has worked well for me, I have not touched it since I fitted it 3 seasons ago, prior to that I was head down in the bilges every couple of trips.
 
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Bandit said:
With the shower pump after the 50th time I lifted the carpets, removed the cabin sole panel, removed the four screws cleared the single short and curly the was blocking the float switch from not going up of from not going down, wiped out the soap scum and sand, cut back the electrical connections where they had corroded re-joined the wires, replaced the pump etc etc.

"I replaced the whole caboodle with a whale gulper pump that pumps water faster than the shower, does not leak, and discharges, sand, soap scum, long female hair and short and curlies the only down side is it sounds like a demented randy male bull frog. but it is 100% reliable with a manual on and off switch.

The Gulpers are actually bilge pumps but I just rigged mine in line with a non return valve.

Don't you have the vertical drop to do away with the sump pump and have a gravity discharge from the sink?

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?421824-Rule-sump-pump-lid#rfzuSLzIwul5MOA9.99[/I] "

This is from a recent post on this subject that I contributed to.

It has worked well for me, I have not touched it since I fitted it 3 seasons ago, prior to that I was head down in the bilges every couple of trips.
Click to expand...


Can an confirm the above: 15 years and still going strong, and there's a horrid slimy mess in the shower drain tank!
water pressure pump from the same company not so good.......
 
The only thing I forgot to mention was as no float switch, you turn on the water and then the gulper, when you turn off the water you wait till its sucking air then turn off the gulper.

Fit a non return valve after the gulper ie downstream.

Oh and when the gulper is running it sounds like you have a randy bull frog in the shower!

But 100% effective.
 
Bandit said:
The only thing I forgot to mention was as no float switch, you turn on the water and then the gulper, when you turn off the water you wait till its sucking air then turn off the gulper.

Fit a non return valve after the gulper ie downstream.

Oh and when the gulper is running it sounds like you have a randy bull frog in the shower!

But 100% effective.
Click to expand...

The 'Turn on water then the gulper' might be a bit of a nuisance, as the switch for the (original) float switch/pump is on the main panel in the cabin. Is this a must? Worst case scenario I will install a switch in the heads, I guess

So the non return valve goes on the outward side of the gulper?
 
alt said:
The 'Turn on water then the gulper' might be a bit of a nuisance, as the switch for the (original) float switch/pump is on the main panel in the cabin. Is this a must? Worst case scenario I will install a switch in the heads, I guess

So the non return valve goes on the outward side of the gulper?
Click to expand...

non return valve is not necessary on the output; mine primes itself no problem from a tank in the bottom of the bilges.
 
rustybarge said:
non return valve is not necessary on the output; mine primes itself no problem from a tank in the bottom of the bilges.
Click to expand...

I don't think priming will be an issue, as the pump will be in the bilge area, below the shower tray. So, water will be gravity fed into the pump, and then pumped out.

Was the reason the above poster said to turn on the water first because of priming, or damaging the pump? I know the pump states that it can be ran dry, but want to be sure
 
alt said:
I don't think priming will be an issue, as the pump will be in the bilge area, below the shower tray. So, water will be gravity fed into the pump, and then pumped out.

Was the reason the above poster said to turn on the water first because of priming, or damaging the pump? I know the pump states that it can be ran dry, but want to be sure
Click to expand...

The pump can be run dry no problem: it's just a simple rubber diafram pump with a rubber inlet/outlet valve

ps: mine sucks from about 2' -3' below the pump height when the tank is empty and primes 100%.
 
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rustybarge said:
The pump can be run dry no problem: it's just a simple rubber diafram pump with a rubber inlet/outlet valve

ps: mine sucks from about 2' -3' below the pump height when the tank is empty and primes 100%.
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me, i'll go ahead and order.

One consideration is that one pipe is 1", the other is 3/4" - The Whale Gulper 220 says it can accept either connection, but only shows the staged connector on one end... i'm guessing it's just for photo illustrations and the staged connection is on both ends?
 
alt said:
Sounds good to me, i'll go ahead and order.

One consideration is that one pipe is 1", the other is 3/4" - The Whale Gulper 220 says it can accept either connection, but only shows the staged connector on one end... i'm guessing it's just for photo illustrations and the staged connection is on both ends?
Click to expand...

Bearing in mind mine an old model, there's a 3/4 input and either 3/4 or 1'' output connection; but I can't explain why? ;)
 
I put a switch for the gulper in the loo/shower compartment with the master on the helm panel.

It can run dry it just sound like a frog orgy .

The non return valve is to reduce the risk of back flooding through the shower in case of a severe list.
 
Another vote for the gulper. I've got one as a shower pump; one as a heads sink pump; and one as a galley sink pump. I've fitted all three in the last 12 months. Great pieces of kit.
 
There is a thread on this a couple of years ago gave full fitting instructions using a shower box float switch and the pump, I used that and installed mine and it's going well, only down side when it shoots water out the side of the boat it comes out about4ft which is a pain when I'm in a berth next to someone on the port side.
 
Shuggy said:
Another vote for the gulper. I've got one as a shower pump; one as a heads sink pump; and one as a galley sink pump. I've fitted all three in the last 12 months. Great pieces of kit.
Click to expand...

This is a job I have to do in a few weeks, but only for the shower. Everything else is gravity. Which model Gulper are you using for the shower? We would need a 24 volt version
 
Be very careful where you install a Whale Gulper pump. If its in the bilge and you ever get any seawater there it will fail. The problem is that the worm wheel that drives the pump head is plastic and the worm is steel. Any exposure to water will rust the steel worm, which will then grind away the teeth on the plastic wheel. Unless Whale have changed the worm to bronze or stainless steel since I bought mine the thing is not fit for purpose IMHO.
 
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