Sink Water Drain

[tgalea]

Just out of curiosity...

On our little snapdragon we've been having a problem that the water in the sink takes about 1 hour to drain down.

My common physics it does make some sense since the height from the drain to the sea is not that much and consequently pressure is quite low.

Any of you have the same problems or solutions to this problem ?

Thanks

Tyrone.

 

[pugwash]

Solution is to pile on the sail, go faster, and suck it out!

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Fit a foot pump, that cured the same problem in a Sigma 362

Chris Stannard

 

[pvb]

Sounds like it\'s blocked...

Most boat sinks are close to the waterline and drain away without problems. Bet yours is blocked up. Try taking the pipe off and checking it. If that's OK, the seacock might be blocked.

 

[Mirelle]

Use the bilge pump

Route the sink waste to the below decks bilge pump via a diverter valve so that the other leg still goes to the strum box.

End of problem and one less seacock.

 

[ranga]

Happens on my boat at times as well. Usually sorts itself out after emptying a bucket of seawater into the sink. i.e. filling the sink up creates a head of pressure and then it tends to all drain away quite quickly.

 

[Avocet]

Bigger bore pipe is the only answer if you can't get the sink higher up. My boat is just the same.

 

[James_Calvert]

When mine blocks, I push the dinghy pump nozzle into the drainhole (a tight fit) and give it some welly. That almost always clears it. I've yet to blow the drainhose off its fittings.

When it's clear you can pump easily with relatively little resistance and hear the pumped air bubbling under the hull.

If pumping is hard/impossible it's still blocked. Try poking a straightened wire coat hanger down it. Should shift anything you've cooked.

I have a rule that anything greasy should be tipped directly over the side, since if you put it down the sink it immediately solidifies when it hits the cold water, which for my boat is several inches up the drain hose. Therefore any serious washing up gets done in a washing up bowl and tipped over the side (check for cutlery first!)

Hope this helps,

James

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Hi Tyrone,
It sounds like a blocked pipe to me. If your drain outlet is close to the waterline, chances are that you have fouling on the inside. When next you go over the side try poking a soft piece of cane (or a piece of semi-rigid tubing, like Acorn, if it fits) from the outside. You'll probably feel something crunching, possibly the white, tube-like coral. clear it out with the Acorn.
Next year remember to apply antifouling also to the inside of the drain outlet for about the first 100mm or so.

Wally