Galley Drains into Bilge?

[BayMan]

1997 Hunter 450.

The galley drain goes straight down to a thru hull. But there is an installed T just before the seacock that leads into the bilge. I can select whether the galley drains into the bilge and then is pumped out by the bilge pump or whether it drains down through the thru hull.

Why a choice?

Which is more advisable?

Does anyone worry about small particles of food (lets say the size of rice) going into the drain and then causing problems in the system?

 

[Alan Gomes]

1997 Hunter 450.

The galley drain goes straight down to a thru hull. But there is an installed T just before the seacock that leads into the bilge. I can select whether the galley drains into the bilge and then is pumped out by the bilge pump or whether it drains down through the thru hull.

Why a choice?

Which is more advisable?

Does anyone worry about small particles of food (lets say the size of rice) going into the drain and then causing problems in the system?

By "galley drain" you are referring to your galley sink, I take it.
No way should that drain into the bilge. When you say that you can "select" where it drains, is there some kind of Y-valve that redirects the flow? Something doesn't sound right here. Is it possible that there is plumbing that somehow involves your icebox drain?

 

[Davidasailor26]

I agree with what Alan said. It makes much more sense that the T would be for something else to drain out the seacock than for the sink to drain into the bilge. Dirty dish water is definitely not what you want in the bilge.

 

[whatfiero]

Or there was or is a second bilge pump that pumped into thru hull like shower sump or em bilge

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Unless you like the smell of rotting food, do not drain the sink into the bilge- Ice box either

 

[Terry Cox]

Our galley sink drain has a dedicated through hull. I always keep it closed when away from the boat between cruises. Our showers/bath has a separate sumps and pumps. those must be cleaned out at the end of every cruise. Otherwise, the soapy water (rotting fat) really stinks up the boat.

The only water that ends up in the bilge is either sea water or rain water. It remains dry most of the time, unless the skipper has failed in his maintenance duties.

 

[Jackdaw]

Or it was a T that supposed to go to supply fresh water to a head for flushing. Maybe a job never finished.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Our showers/bath has a separate sumps and pumps. those must be cleaned out at the end of every cruise. Otherwise, the soapy water (rotting fat) really stinks up the boat.

Easy way to clean a shower sump: Last thing before leaving the boat--or, if you're a live-aboard, once a week when it can stand at least overnight--pour 2-3 ounces of Raritan C.P. down the shower drain and add enough clean water to fill the sump about 1/4-1/3 full. Do NOT run the pump. That's all you need to do.

C.P. is part of the product line that my own company developed and sold to Raritan. Raritan only markets it as a bowl cleaner--and it is an excellent one! But it's also the best sump and drain cleaner on the planet... no toxic chemicals, C.P. is a non-chemical bio-enzymatic cleaner that kills odor on contact...the enzymes "eat" hair, soap scum, body oils etc, leaving sumps and sump pumps clean and sweet smelling without the need for any manual labor. You can also use it to keep your sink drains running free and sweet smelling...close the seacock, then put an ounce of C.P down the drain and fill with water...again, when it can stand at least overnight,'cuz the enzymes need time to work. However, it can a stay in the drain or sump indefinitely without harm, so it won't matter if you can't get back to the boat for several weeks.

 

[All U Get]

Peggie we took four bottles with us on our eight month trip south and used it in the heads and sumps. Nice to travel odor free. Thanks for your tip.

All U Get

 

[JamesG161]

Why a choice?

Guessing...

From time to time, we use the engine produced hot water + a cap full of Bilge cleaner to scrub out our bilge.
We have a mini bucket to make the 180°F water mixture in the galley sink and manually pour in the bilge.

At the same time we look for grandkid's candy wrappers, fallen screws, bits and pieces, etc that could foul the bilge pump.

Tip: I used a "dip stick" to find the static water level in that drain. Distance from water mark to the counter top will give you the "relative" water line of your boat "from an inside" cabin view.
Jim...

PS: Good find! Advise would be to make sure that valve can't be accidentally opened.

 

[BayMan]

My refrig is now a 12v model without a water intake (new boat to me- about 90% sure of that). Its possible that what I am seeing as an open galley sink drain into the bilge was where the prior refrig drain connected to the thru hull.

Someone reassure me that if I keep that drain closed (so it does not drain into the bilge) that the galley sink will actually drain thru that thru hull rather than the outside water draining into my galley sink. I know about gravity and air vs water pressure but that is all that keeps the outside water outside.

 

[Davidasailor26]

My refrig is now a 12v model without a water intake (new boat to me- about 90% sure of that). Its possible that what I am seeing as an open galley sink drain into the bilge was where the prior refrig drain connected to the thru hull.

Someone reassure me that if I keep that drain closed (so it does not drain into the bilge) that the galley sink will actually drain thru that thru hull rather than the outside water draining into my galley sink. I know about gravity and air vs water pressure but that is all that keeps the outside water outside.

Water will seek its own level. So as long as the bottom of the sink is above the boat's waterline (even when heeled), water won't come into the boat through the sink. It is prudent to close the seacock when you're away from the boat in case something goes wrong below the waterline.

You could also try posting a few pictures of this T / valve contraption - that might give us more leads on what it's doing there and what should be done about it.

 

[JamesG161]

. So as long as the bottom of the sink is above the boat's waterline (even when heeled), water won't come into the boat through the sink

Well perhaps not in a "flooding sense".

Short story: 10 days ago we were nearly 90% of hull speed with just the head sail in 5' seas. Yee Haw!
I went below and saw a big splash of water on the floor next to the galley sink?
Suddenly this spurt of water shot about 2' higher than the sink shot into the cabin. I had to put the stopper and and full quart of bottled ice tea on the stopper to prevent it.
We might call that the "dolphin blow hole" effect.

Someone reassure me

After a simple test , boat in berth, I will!
Open them both and see what happens! (Static Test)
Then with both valves open, fill up sink to maximum, unstopper the sink. Which way does YOUR water flow? (Dynamic Draining test)

For any drain to work by gravity, normally the source of water must be higher than your TEE point. Since our boats are similar, my frig drain goes to my Aft Head shower sump.

BTW is very very good practice to close them both when away from the boat. I do and guess what happens when you forget to open the galley thru hull valve?
Jim...

 

[S/V UsCa]

The only water I used to get was from what I discovered was coming from the Ice box Drain I was thinking I had a leak somewhere until I found the icebox drain hose flowing directly into the bilge I solved it by installing a fitting to the Sink drain witch solved that I now have a Completely dry Bilge it is always dry as a Bone it only took me a few years to finally notice where the water was coming from Have Fun a Keep the wind in your Sails