bilge pump n collector tank

[tom]

The shower drains into a tank instead of the bilge. Anyway the tank was pumped out with a diaphram pump controlled by a switch. The pump and switch have failed.My proposed solution.1.Cut a hole in the tank cover.2. Put in an automatic bilge pump.My reasoning is that this arrangement will keep stuff out of the bilge and will eliminate the need to turn on a switch. An added benefit is that if the primary bilge pump failed the pump in the tank could help keep the boat afloat once the water was deep enough to flow into the tank.Any reasons that this wouldn't work??thanks Tom

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Not a good idea

That "tank" is called a sump, btw. Electric sump pumps are less likely to get clogged up by hair etc than a bilge pump would be. Besides, a sump pump would do the same job as a bilge pump if needed.Are you sure the pump has actually failed, or only the switch? 'Cuz electric diaphragm pumps rarely fail...the diaphragm can wear out, but that's a simple repair...the only reason to replace it would be a burned out motor. But if the switch isn't letting any power get to it, that's far more likely to be the reason it quit working. Or the problem may not even be the switch, but a wiring issue.

 

[tom]

First I checked the switch

it was bad so I replaced it. then checked the motor and it was bad. Motor wouldn't run even when directly connected to a battery. I thought about the hair etc but the sump is very accessible. By lifting a floor board. I want another bilge pump as a backup but don't want to do another through hull. I guess I could plumb a bilgepump into the same hose as the sump pump if I placed some sort of valve to prevent back flow into the sump. Or the cockpit drain or sink. For a sump pump do I need a pressure sensor pump??? The PO must have used an old pump from the freshwater system to replace the bilgepump. The old pump had a pressure sensor but it wasn't connected to the wiring.Thanks Tom

 

[Frank Walker]

Works for me

Tom, I have just the set up that you are contemplating and it has worked well for 6 years. The small sump bilge pump will not keep up with big leaks but it does provide some backup capability. No problem with hair ect. but then again we are not a bunch of gorillas.