routing for transom drain 09 26M

[jeffjuneau]

Hi, I am just 5 days into a new-to-me 26M, and am stumped by a lot of the plumbing. This is an 09 26M that came from BWY, but I don't know if they plumed in the transom well drain and salt water pump system. In front of the engine mount there is an external well with a hole in the bottom. It is full, and does not drain. I tried putting a flex copper wire in it and it seemed plugged. From the inside, by the steering linkage, I see a drain pipe from that well leading port to a tee. It seems to be heading out the hull through another fitting in the hull. Not sure if that discharge point is above or below water. Also inside that area of the stern, , and another foot to port, there is a pump that has broken loose from the fiberglass on the fiberglass ceiling of that portion of the stern that includes the steering mechanism. I was told by the previous owner, that he had heard from the owner before him, that there was a salt water pump installed to supply sea water to the sink. Sure-enough there is an external 1/2 inch plastic flex pipe dropping down the transom into the water where it could draw in salt h20. It passes through the engine gas/electrical port and connects to the pump that is just hanging on the floor of that transom area with the screws exposed that tore out of the fiberglass it was mounted in. The pump doesnt seem to respond, and some of the copper wires are exposed. I tried to take a few pictures of all this, but couldn't get my camera very well oriented last night, so I cant supply good images here yet of what I am trying to explain.
Question 1: Do any of you have a salt h20 pump installed? Is it worthwhile to have that in the first place. Should I take it out?
Question 2: What is the best way to unplug the hose discharging from the transom well?
Question 3: What other info or images do I need to supply to get some assistance on what to do with these plumbing features?
Thanks, Jeff
Juneau, AK

 

[sail sfbay]

Congratulations on your new Macgregor 26M!!

1. Salt water pump system - a diagram of the pump system and what is used for would help as the attached manual did not have any information on a saltwater pump. Might consider removing it if you cannot confirm it is useful.
2. Unplugging the drain hose suggestions: backflush with a water hose, pressure washer nozzle and/or compressed air while the boat is on a trailer or in a cradle, run an auger down the drain, pull a vacuum on it with a shop vacuum, chemical agent such as Ridex to dissolve any organic material such as leaves that may have plugged the hose, dissemble/replace the hose? These MacGregor threads on the same subject might be helpful:

Transom/motor well drain plugged up - MacGregorSailors.com

www.macgregorsailors.com

Clogged rear drain hole - MacGregorSailors.com

www.macgregorsailors.com

COCKPIT DRAIN - MacGregorSailors.com

www.macgregorsailors.com

 

[jeffjuneau]

Hi, I am just 5 days into a new-to-me 26M, and am stumped by a lot of the plumbing. This is an 09 26M that came from BWY, but I don't know if they plumed in the transom well drain and salt water pump system. In front of the engine mount there is an external well with a hole in the bottom. It is full, and does not drain. I tried putting a flex copper wire in it and it seemed plugged. From the inside, by the steering linkage, I see a drain pipe from that well leading port to a tee. It seems to be heading out the hull through another fitting in the hull. Not sure if that discharge point is above or below water. Also inside that area of the stern, , and another foot to port, there is a pump that has broken loose from the fiberglass on the fiberglass ceiling of that portion of the stern that includes the steering mechanism. I was told by the previous owner, that he had heard from the owner before him, that there was a salt water pump installed to supply sea water to the sink. Sure-enough there is an external 1/2 inch plastic flex pipe dropping down the transom into the water where it could draw in salt h20. It passes through the engine gas/electrical port and connects to the pump that is just hanging on the floor of that transom area with the screws exposed that tore out of the fiberglass it was mounted in. The pump doesnt seem to respond, and some of the copper wires are exposed. I tried to take a few pictures of all this, but couldn't get my camera very well oriented last night, so I cant supply good images here yet of what I am trying to explain.
Question 1: Do any of you have a salt h20 pump installed? Is it worthwhile to have that in the first place. Should I take it out?
Question 2: What is the best way to unplug the hose discharging from the transom well?
Question 3: What other info or images do I need to supply to get some assistance on what to do with these plumbing features?
Thanks, Jeff
Juneau, AK

Thank you so much Sail sfbay for your very helpful information. I also checked the manual, but should have tried some better searches like you did for the plugged drain problem on this site. It is a big relief that the plugged drain isn't an uncommon problem and has a number of fixes. The previous thread you attached helped to verify for me that the drain routing in my Mac is similar to others. Yes, I will be on it today, and should be able to get some better pictures, and diagram the pump. The inline pump motor is surprisingly dense, and I can see how it cold have torn out of the thin fiberglass ceiling in that transom area just from a day of rough seas in southeast Alaska. I am not sold on the need for it yet either. A big relief to get some help with this, because being new to sailboats bigger than Rebel/Lightning sizes, I have way more questions on this little boat than answers so far.

 

[sail sfbay]

Good to hear.........keep bringing the questions on!!!

 

[Jim26m]

The drain hose is small and plugs easily. It is tee'd to the sink drain line. Your through-hull may be below the true waterline. If not, it's very close. Mine is plastic, but much newer. Replacing it with a proper through-hull assembly is on my list.

You can stopper the sink (have someone hold the stopper in), and put garden hose pressure on the through-hull to backwash the motor well drain. As stated earlier, a shop vac on the motor well often does the trick as well.

I plug the motor well and through-hull, and fill the sink with water to verify the line isn't leaking. Just FYI.

The salt water pump was probably a DIY. Yours is the only one I've ever heard of that has it. Exposed copper wire is a bad thing. You are doing well to remedy that. It might be handy to reduce potable water use on an extended cruise, though.

 

[jeffjuneau]

The drain hose is small and plugs easily. It is tee'd to the sink drain line. Your through-hull may be below the true waterline. If not, it's very close. Mine is plastic, but much newer. Replacing it with a proper through-hull assembly is on my list.

You can stopper the sink (have someone hold the stopper in), and put garden hose pressure on the through-hull to backwash the motor well drain. As stated earlier, a shop vac on the motor well often does the trick as well.

I plug the motor well and through-hull, and fill the sink with water to verify the line isn't leaking. Just FYI.

The salt water pump was probably a DIY. Yours is the only one I've ever heard of that has it. Exposed copper wire is a bad thing. You are doing well to remedy that. It might be handy to reduce potable water use on an extended cruise, though.

Thanks to all who provided information on my transom-well clogged drain issue and what to do with the salt water pump installed by the previous owner of my M26. I was able to get the drain working better, and am going to try some of the other suggestions to see if I can get it draining a bit faster. I think the current discharge point for the well/sink is slightly above the water line, but haven't looked at it for a few days, so I might be wrong. On the salt water pump, I have decided to remove it. I am thinking of replacing it with a Rule low profile sump pump adjacent to the battery platform, and just use the ½ inch plastic hose that was already installed through the outboard conduit port as the intake for the sump pump outside the well. I am not quite sure how the clear plastic hose is routed from that salt water pump up to the conduit port for the outboard, but if somebody has already routed it, I might as well use it. I like the “LowPro Bilge Pump” by rule, because it looks like it will fit. Open to any guidance and tip as to whether this is a good idea, and how to do it. There is already a bilge pump switch located below the last rung of the stairs down to the cabin. Thanks, Jeff

 

[Jim26m]

Thanks to all who provided information on my transom-well clogged drain issue and what to do with the salt water pump installed by the previous owner of my M26. I was able to get the drain working better, and am going to try some of the other suggestions to see if I can get it draining a bit faster. I think the current discharge point for the well/sink is slightly above the water line, but haven't looked at it for a few days, so I might be wrong. On the salt water pump, I have decided to remove it. I am thinking of replacing it with a Rule low profile sump pump adjacent to the battery platform, and just use the ½ inch plastic hose that was already installed through the outboard conduit port as the intake for the sump pump outside the well. I am not quite sure how the clear plastic hose is routed from that salt water pump up to the conduit port for the outboard, but if somebody has already routed it, I might as well use it. I like the “LowPro Bilge Pump” by rule, because it looks like it will fit. Open to any guidance and tip as to whether this is a good idea, and how to do it. There is already a bilge pump switch located below the last rung of the stairs down to the cabin. Thanks, Jeff

If this is the pump you are considering; http://newcontent.westmarine.com/do...s/PLUMBING/BILGE_PUMPS/Rule/LP900S_M-1171.pdf
It is a centrifugal pump. If the intake hose goes up and over the transom, the pump won't prime. Basically, that is the wrong type of pump for the job. The existing pump appears to be a positive displacement type; which you will need for that application.

The one described above has an automatic feature which isn't suitable for salt water sink duty either.

The Rule would be a good bilge pump, where the pump suction is directly submerged.

 

[jeffjuneau]

If this is the pump you are considering; http://newcontent.westmarine.com/do...s/PLUMBING/BILGE_PUMPS/Rule/LP900S_M-1171.pdf
It is a centrifugal pump. If the intake hose goes up and over the transom, the pump won't prime. Basically, that is the wrong type of pump for the job. The existing pump appears to be a positive displacement type; which you will need for that application.

The one described above has an automatic feature which isn't suitable for salt water sink duty either.

The Rule would be a good bilge pump, where the pump suction is directly submerged.

Thanks Jim26m for that info, and my apologies for not communicating very well in my previous post. Here is what I intended to say. I have completely abandoned the previous owner's system of pumping surface water from the outside of my Mac into the sink inside the Mac. I am now looking at installing a bilge pump to pump accumulated water from inside the Mac to the outside. Since a flexible hose is already routed from inside the Mac to the outside (from the previous owner's defunct and broken salt water suction pump), I am proposing to use that Rule pump you highlighted, as a submerged sump pump, to be placed on the bottom of the boat near the battery and pump bilge water out of the boat to provide protection in the event that enough water ends up in the Mac. I think your pointing out that the LP900s is an acceptable sump pump if used as a submersible pump. That is helpful guidance I was looking for. Many Thanks!

 

[jeffjuneau]

Thanks Jim26m for that info, and my apologies for not communicating very well in my previous post. Here is what I intended to say. I have completely abandoned the previous owner's system of pumping surface water from the outside of my Mac into the sink inside the Mac. I am now looking at installing a bilge pump to pump accumulated water from inside the Mac to the outside. Since a flexible hose is already routed from inside the Mac to the outside (from the previous owner's defunct and broken salt water suction pump), I am proposing to use that Rule pump you highlighted, as a submerged sump pump, to be placed on the bottom of the boat near the battery and pump bilge water out of the boat to provide protection in the event that enough water ends up in the Mac. I think your pointing out that the LP900s is an acceptable sump pump if used as a submersible pump. That is helpful guidance I was looking for. Many Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the input on my salt H2O pump and plugged drain. Today, I removed the rusted pump that was banging around the stern, pulled the unnecessary hose out, and taped up the loose wire ends formerly connected to the pump. I will probably have more questions on installing a bilge pump in the future, but the next priority is to repair a deck crack at one of the horizontal double pulleys to the starboard of the mast. I am sending a photo with questions about that tomorrow. P.S. A small plumbers plunger worked like a charm in purging and clearing the plugged engine well drain. Thanks to the person that gave me that tip.