Bilge pump poorly set up

[amcmahon]

The melting ice, and other liquids, from the ice box in my 1984 H27 runs into the main bilge. In a 24 hr period, a good bit of water collects. The hunter bilge is shallow and rather flat, and if I'm sailing, the water runs into the storage compts under the salon bench seats. Ive tried several pumps, but they all turn on after too much water gets into the bilge and for my preference, shut off too early, leaving toom water in the bilge. Anyone delt successfully with this issue??

 

[Bill Roosa]

Get a bucket

Put a valve on the drain to the reefer. Let the water and stuff accumulate till you are ready then drain it into a bucket. Letting it go into the bilge and the bilge pump taking care of it will result in critters growing and smells eventually. Better to keep this stuff out of the bilge altogether.

 

[Manny]

I can't take credit for this

I can't remember who I got the idea from (I'd guess it was MaineSail) but I use a turkey baster to get the last bit of water out of the bilge. Whoever posted it originally - Thank You!I feel your pain. The 27 bilge is soooooo flat, a pump can only get so much, and a good heel gets the water under the settees. The turkey baster gets the last little bit up within a couple of minutes. When I use the cooler I always use those blue ice packs. If I had to use ice I would put it in plastic bags just so the water wouldn't run into the bilge.Manny

 

[John T1594]

Put a cork in it

Water is not the only thing that drains out through your ice box. A fair amount of heavy cold air goes down the drain. This contributes to the melting of your ice. We used to put a rubber cork in the drain and use a sponge or other method to get the water out after a day or weekend on the water and the food and beer stayed colder longer.