Solid heavy duty bilge pump for engine room + a few Qs

[jms28]

Hi,

I'm looking for a new heavy duty bilge pump for the engine room of my Cranchi Mediterranee 40.

Not sure what make the current one is but it's very old and since this is a critical safey kit I'd rather play safe and install a brand new one, keeping the current one as spare.

I've done a great deal of googling already but thought I'd ask the experienced experts here as well for input. To my questions:

1. Which make and model would you recommend? Currently favouring either the Whale Orca 2000 (price-performance winner in a Boot magazine test) or the Atwood 2000 (good rating on SVB).
2. Given the size of my boat as well as the location (engine room), do I rightfully assume that a heavy duty model with at least 2000GPH is the way to go?
3. The current pump is installed in a slightly elevated position on top of a bow ridge in the centre of the engine room (see images below). Was this out-of-the-box positioning intentional to prevent to pump from clogging up (oil, particles, etc.)? I'm asking since this is naturally preventing the pump from sucking up as much as possible whenever there is a bit of water accumulated in the engine room. Any harm in changing it's position to a lower point and as much in the back as possible for maximum effect? I'm even considering to install two (smaller?) pumps left and right with a T-bit to eliminate the single point of faillure. Thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[jms28]

Hmmm no one??

 

[Plum]

Hi,

I'm looking for a new heavy duty bilge pump for the engine room of my Cranchi Mediterranee 40.

Not sure what make the current one is but it's very old and since this is a critical safey kit I'd rather play safe and install a brand new one, keeping the current one as spare.

I've done a great deal of googling already but thought I'd ask the experienced experts here as well for input. To my questions:

1. Which make and model would you recommend? Currently favouring either the Whale Orca 2000 (price-performance winner in a Boot magazine test) or the Atwood 2000 (good rating on SVB).
2. Given the size of my boat as well as the location (engine room), do I rightfully assume that a heavy duty model with at least 2000GPH is the way to go?
3. The current pump is installed in a slightly elevated position on top of a bow ridge in the centre of the engine room (see images below). Was this out-of-the-box positioning intentional to prevent to pump from clogging up (oil, particles, etc.)? I'm asking since this is naturally preventing the pump from sucking up as much as possible whenever there is a bit of water accumulated in the engine room. Any harm in changing it's position to a lower point and as much in the back as possible for maximum effect? I'm even considering to install two (smaller?) pumps left and right with a T-bit to eliminate the single point of faillure. Thoughts?

Thank you!

No experience of your size of boat but you will be limited in the max pump output by the diameter of the outlet hose and the skin fitting unless you are willing to upgrade those too. If you are going to fit a second pump as backup then that should have its own hose and skin fitting.

 

[LittleSister]

A friend had an 'emergency' very high capacity Jabsco (mechanical) pump in his boat, which when needed would need the drive belt put on. (It had a permanently plumber in outlet, while the inlet was a long reinforced hose that could moved about the boat to wherever the problem (which never occurred) might be (there might have been an alternative inlet in depths of the deep bilge, with a Y-valve to switch between the two.

I mused that something like that pump could perhaps be, instead of being belt-driven, driven by an idler wheel, similar to that of my mum's big 1960s industrial Singer sewing machine - a rubber-edged wheel on an 'over-centre' lever that you operate to put it 'into gear' - that transferred power from the rim of the flywheel or a belt pulley to the pump.

 

[Rappey]

I bought a ebay 3000gph , thats just over 3 litres per sec. It uses a 1¾" pipe. I use it for pumping out boats that are flooded so it runs for an hr or two when in use pumping all sorts of debris . Ive pumped out a lot of boats over the years. I think in reality it may do up to 2 litres per sec. These pumps average around £50 on ebay. They can run dry and i think they are great value for money. They are "seasure" or clones of. I got mine for £19!
I would say this is the minimum size if your looking to protect against flooding say from a failed 1½" through hull.
You can never have enough pumps if your sinking.
When suitable, a standard 14 litre bucket is faster than a 3500 gph, around a bucket every 5 secs (until you run out of energy)..
Whale and rule used to be premium pumps many many years ago but come across a fair few that fail prematurely.
I have a drill pump that uses ¾" pipe and can empty a 20litre fuel container in a little over 20 secs powered by a cordless drill. Has proven to be very usefull.
I suspect many pumps dont pump the quantity they claim but a guide will be the pipe size and current consumption.

 

[PCUK]

A Jabsco engine driven clutch pump is what you need.

 

[Paul1962]

Hmmm no one??

The KPM Predator 350 pump is well respected in the commercial world - link below - no affiliation or vested interest

KPM Pumps | KPM Marine