H41 aft shower sump-out time?

Mar 16, 2021
92
hunter 41 DS tacoma
Newish to me ‘08 41DS. Haven’t showered much on board. I find the aft sump takes 5+ minutes to pump out. Pump sounds great & cool to the touch. Is this normal?
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Most shower sumps are about 800 gph.
I think you have a restriction or the back flow preventer has soap scum in it.
Mine pumps down in less than a minute.

Check the out flow rate which is about the waterline.
Jim...
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Different model boat, but yours seems to have a blockage. I shower frequently in our boat and the sump switch cycles the pump often while showering keeping the water from over filling. Our sump pump will empty the contents in less than a minute. Soap scum and body hair will accumulate over time that slows water draining into the sump, so I use a plunger to clear the drain.

Leave the sump switch off, fill the sump with water above the drain port and add some water in the shower basin. I use the plunger to agitate (up and down several times) the drain line and in doing so will break loose any hair and soap scum. Wads of stuff will percolate out and once clear will operate smoothly again. I do this about every dozen showers, or whenever I notice the water draining slowly.

On the other hand, if the sump pump is slow to drain, perhaps the discharge line from the pump to the through hull is clogged or restricted you may need to clear that it with a small auger or city water pressure. That is what I did to clear our waste tank vent line several years ago.
 
Jun 14, 2007
170
Hunter 45cc Florida
There is a check valve in the box where the pump slides into the discharge hose. Check to see it is opening fully
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Worst case buy an electric drill auger and aguer out the line......did that recently to clear a toilet sanitation line on new to me used boat.
 

MFD

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Jun 23, 2016
93
Hunter 41DS Seattle
I have 2009, there is a sump under the shower pan but not a 'real' sump. Run the pump while you are showering. Also, as others have mentioned, if you still have the original Italian-style 'quiet pump' that is incredibly impossible to rebuild - be sure to clean the intake strainer. Especially if you have ladies or cats aboard. For whichever showers you use, strongly recommend replacing with a whale gulper or similar and save the old pump for a spare in the galley.

Not sure if mine is different somehow (I guess there were changes with these boats during the ~2008 economic fiasco), but once again no real sump. Everything below the shower is a dead drop to the pump, and forward shower which I have goes straight from drain to pump and then a few feet back up and overboard. We keep the forward head & area as sort of a 'walk in closet/shower/grooming' area and primarily use the aft head for regular use and the shower there for storage nowadays so your mileage might vary. Hunter docs show a sump, but there are none on the ~2009 for sure.

Possibly one detail to check if you have a sump or not is whether there is a relay that triggers the pump when the sump fills up. My boat has none.
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,735
Hunter 49 toronto
I highly recommend changing out a sump box to the Whale IC pump. Shower sump boxes are continual maintenance, and are nasty to service. The IC pump is a permanent solution
 
Jan 4, 2019
50
Hunter 50 Halifax & Martinique
Art, did you plumb both showers to one pump using the 2 input head, or use 2 pumps?
 
Last edited:
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
........ I find the aft sump takes 5+ minutes to pump out..............Is this normal?
No...........unless the suction and discharge is restricted it might be time to replace the sump pump.
 

MFD

.
Jun 23, 2016
93
Hunter 41DS Seattle
I have a 2009 H41DS. Rarely use the aft shower. A couple of comments and my boat construction may be slightly different.
1. I rarely use the aft shower. When it used (typically once a quarter just to 'use it' for maintenance) there is definitely some kind of sump-type thing built into the fiberglass pan in there. Forward shower, at least on my boat - is just drain => hose => pump => overboard.
2. Yes, can take a bit to pump out - once again, I usually leave it dry as best as possible while keeping head/sink functional.
3. Yes, the original (Jabsco/Italian) 'quiet pumps' are extremely finicky about cleaning the intake strainers. Put a Whale Gulper (320 I think) in the forward shower and have never had an issue again even with cats, dogs & women aboard. Those pumps are also very difficult to rebuild from looking at the manual. I do like the 'quiet feature' but it they are simply impractical and over-engineered.

As others have mentioned - check the intake strainer on the pump, that is more than likely the issue. If you plan to use the aft head, then consider replacing it with a (loud) whale gulper and save the existing pump to repurpose for the fresh water system for when the 'quiet pump' there fails.
 
Mar 16, 2021
92
hunter 41 DS tacoma
Thanks everyone. I’ve been cleaning the strainer over and over again with pretty good results. Will switch pumps eventually when I can wrap my head around pulling some of the AGM golf cart batteries I put down there. ;)
 
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MFD

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Jun 23, 2016
93
Hunter 41DS Seattle
You stuffed a couple golf cart AGM's into space near the aft head?
Now you have me curious.
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Thanks everyone. I’ve been cleaning the strainer over and over again with pretty good results. Will switch pumps eventually when I can wrap my head around pulling some of the AGM golf cart batteries I put down there. ;)
I actually have a (4) position battery box in the space where the sump pump is, I modified the sole support to be removable and then dropped a battery box with hold downs in that location, fits real nice, moves the weight of the batteries lower and closer to the CL, I still have (2) under the nav seat as well.
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
You really should have those batteries in a acid proof box, but essentially the same as I did only I made the suito support rib removeable and I dropped a (4) position battery box in with (4) Trojan T-105's.