Anchor Washdown Hunter 38

[Rob38]

I just finished installing a Johnson 5.2 washdown in my Hunter 38 ESCAPE KEY. All went well. After lots of planning, I mounted the pump in the sub floor compartment that holds the macerator and shower sump pump on the port side of the aft cabin. I ran a 3/4 Trident red/blue tracer pipe from the washdown pump, back under the shower and vanity, into the thru-hull well compartment, under the fridge, sink, and trash can; then followed the blue plastic cold water pvc tube past the genset, into the V berth. I went behind the starboard v birth closet by removing the ceder insert. Then I plumbed the line past the water tank and up behind the forward finsihed wood that covers the underside of the anchor locker. I drilled a 1 1/4 hole about an inch to port of the anchor cleat and mounted the hose adapter. Raw water input for the washdown pump was a little tricky. I mounted a Forespar 3/4" Y-valve next to the pump. I cut the white 3/4" sanitation hose for the head water supply and plumped it thru the Y-valve allowing me to switch between the head and the washdown pump when I turn the Y-valve handle. Power for the pump came from the prewired electric head circuit (Purple/Brown and Yellow ground all 10g wire).
I'm hoping to keep the Chesapeake Bay mud off the boat from now on.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Rob38,

I hope your head water supply has a strainer. Sucking in a piece of weed won't really bother your toilet, but the pump for the wash-down pulls in a lot a water quickly and I don't think that pump will handle weed well at all.

 

[Rob38]

Thanks for the heads up.
The head input doesn't have a strainer but the Johnson pump does. It's small so I'll keep an eye on it and clean it when/if it clogs up. I usually check the engine, genset, and airconditioning strainers regularly; so this strainer will be added to the list. The pump is also on my winterization list now too.