Mainsail was right (as usual)
There is a deep sump in my keel behind the ballast. Water from the stuffing box and ice box drain down in there, and it is the boat’s bilge bottom. There is (was) a Rule bilge pump at the bottom, attached with the float switch to the foot of an L-shaped aluminum strap. The top of the strap was screwed to the cabin-sole framing at the hatch board in the floor.
This setup worked. Except there was always a couple inches of water in the bilge. Also, at one time I had a failed check valve, which caused backflow and constant cycling. The pump has to push the water up from the sump, through the engine room, and out the transom, hence the need for a check valve. When the backflow started occurring, I removed and inspected the check valve and found no fault, at which point I posted a question on this board some months ago about what else might be happening.
It turned out to be the check valve leaking in some way, for when I replaced it, the problem ceased. However, it was during the conversation that Mainsail said (paraphrase) -in this type of setup, you need a diaphragm pump, mounted remotely. The diaphragm pump is tough to clog, easy to maintain, and doesn’t need a separate check valve. Mainsail noted that separate check valves in bilge pump plumbing are a point of failure that can be dangerous, especially if the bronze valve seizes shut.
I replaced the check valve anyway without re-doing the whole bilge pump system. It worked, until yesterday when I noticed that the float switch had failed. Actually the switch turned out to be fine, it was a corroded wire connector. Anyway, I had to get it out of there. The bilge pump\switch assembly was under the shower sump, which is glassed in right in the top middle of the keel-sump space. Therefore, you have to unbolt the aluminum strap holding the pump gear, then rotate the cantilever to the aft of the shower sump (sorry, no pics). Once it’s near the aft of the shower sump, you have to remove the hose which is still caught under the shower sump, take the plastic top off the bilge pump, then wrench the parts out of there, all the while trying hold up slippery parts. It’s a major PITA. I couldn’t believe that Bristol would come up with such an installation.
Well, they didn’t. After staring at everything for a long time, remembering a bronze strainer in the spare parts bin, affirming the original intention of a seized Wilcox impeller pump mounted in the engine room, and testing a wire terminal near that pump with the bilge pump “Man\auto” switch taped to “man”, it became clear that Bristol had originally installed a remote bilge pump.
So I’ve ordered a remote diaphragm pump. It was info from this board that helped to come to the conclusion, and install the correct equipment.
There is a deep sump in my keel behind the ballast. Water from the stuffing box and ice box drain down in there, and it is the boat’s bilge bottom. There is (was) a Rule bilge pump at the bottom, attached with the float switch to the foot of an L-shaped aluminum strap. The top of the strap was screwed to the cabin-sole framing at the hatch board in the floor.
This setup worked. Except there was always a couple inches of water in the bilge. Also, at one time I had a failed check valve, which caused backflow and constant cycling. The pump has to push the water up from the sump, through the engine room, and out the transom, hence the need for a check valve. When the backflow started occurring, I removed and inspected the check valve and found no fault, at which point I posted a question on this board some months ago about what else might be happening.
It turned out to be the check valve leaking in some way, for when I replaced it, the problem ceased. However, it was during the conversation that Mainsail said (paraphrase) -in this type of setup, you need a diaphragm pump, mounted remotely. The diaphragm pump is tough to clog, easy to maintain, and doesn’t need a separate check valve. Mainsail noted that separate check valves in bilge pump plumbing are a point of failure that can be dangerous, especially if the bronze valve seizes shut.
I replaced the check valve anyway without re-doing the whole bilge pump system. It worked, until yesterday when I noticed that the float switch had failed. Actually the switch turned out to be fine, it was a corroded wire connector. Anyway, I had to get it out of there. The bilge pump\switch assembly was under the shower sump, which is glassed in right in the top middle of the keel-sump space. Therefore, you have to unbolt the aluminum strap holding the pump gear, then rotate the cantilever to the aft of the shower sump (sorry, no pics). Once it’s near the aft of the shower sump, you have to remove the hose which is still caught under the shower sump, take the plastic top off the bilge pump, then wrench the parts out of there, all the while trying hold up slippery parts. It’s a major PITA. I couldn’t believe that Bristol would come up with such an installation.
Well, they didn’t. After staring at everything for a long time, remembering a bronze strainer in the spare parts bin, affirming the original intention of a seized Wilcox impeller pump mounted in the engine room, and testing a wire terminal near that pump with the bilge pump “Man\auto” switch taped to “man”, it became clear that Bristol had originally installed a remote bilge pump.
So I’ve ordered a remote diaphragm pump. It was info from this board that helped to come to the conclusion, and install the correct equipment.
