Well, hello all.... I sure do love my Hunter 27 ('83) but the most significant problem is the lack of depth to the bilge. In fact that is my major gripe. Any bilge water just sloshes over the floor boards. Anyone have a creative solution to this problem. Has anyone placed a check valve in the discharge side of the bilge pump? Does this help? I just installed a automatic Attwood 500 GPH pump in the location of the original Rule. Works great but does not get that last gallon. I guess a sponge and five minutes is the answer. Any ideas on keeping the scuzz out of the bilge. I use bleach but summer in dixie is hot and muggy and scum is a problem when I leave the boat for about a week. Thanks for your help... Keith
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Marc Honey
Water is coming from somewhere...
My 28.5 is dry as a bone since I chased down the sources of water that wound up in the bilge. If you consistantly have water down there that the pump and a quick sponge-out won't handle, I'd spend some time tracking down the sources. Stuffing box, toe-rail screws,bedding around ports/fixed windows, fresh water holding tank, leaks from sink fixtures, leaks around deck hardware...the list goes on, but as I said ...it's coming from somewhere!!! A larger bilge isn't the answer.
My 28.5 is dry as a bone since I chased down the sources of water that wound up in the bilge. If you consistantly have water down there that the pump and a quick sponge-out won't handle, I'd spend some time tracking down the sources. Stuffing box, toe-rail screws,bedding around ports/fixed windows, fresh water holding tank, leaks from sink fixtures, leaks around deck hardware...the list goes on, but as I said ...it's coming from somewhere!!! A larger bilge isn't the answer.
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Dave Condon
Scuzz balls
Kieth; You did not tell us where the water is coming from. If not from a floor drain, is there a leak causing water to get into the bilge and if so, you will need to find it. Easy way for all who are reading this on leak finding. Seal up the boat. Get a leaf blower and force air into the cabim. Make sure the hatchway is of course sealed too and around the leaf blower. Then get soapy water and go to every fitting, rub rail, mast step area, etc. and sponge the soapy water on. IF you see bubbling, then there is a leak which needs to be fixed. As on all boats, the hose from the bilge goes up high in order to pump water overboard. You do not want it going below the water line as I saw one fellow installing it in this fashion years ago. Of course he did not listen and shortly afterwards had to have the boat hauled out. No matter what, you will have a little water coming back down into the bilge as the bilge pump cannot force all of the water aout of the line. If that is the case, sponge dry the bilge before leaving. If it is a leak, you need to find it. Crazy Dave
Kieth; You did not tell us where the water is coming from. If not from a floor drain, is there a leak causing water to get into the bilge and if so, you will need to find it. Easy way for all who are reading this on leak finding. Seal up the boat. Get a leaf blower and force air into the cabim. Make sure the hatchway is of course sealed too and around the leaf blower. Then get soapy water and go to every fitting, rub rail, mast step area, etc. and sponge the soapy water on. IF you see bubbling, then there is a leak which needs to be fixed. As on all boats, the hose from the bilge goes up high in order to pump water overboard. You do not want it going below the water line as I saw one fellow installing it in this fashion years ago. Of course he did not listen and shortly afterwards had to have the boat hauled out. No matter what, you will have a little water coming back down into the bilge as the bilge pump cannot force all of the water aout of the line. If that is the case, sponge dry the bilge before leaving. If it is a leak, you need to find it. Crazy Dave
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Jim rice
How much water?
We had a ton of water in our bilges the next day after shutting off a hot engine, and found that a vacuum siphon was being formed: without shutting off the water intake to the engine, water was being pulled into the exhaust manifold, and from there back into the engine--and by some mysterious means, into the engine compartment bilges and from there to the cabin bilges! An anti-syphon valve and loop in the water injection to the exhaust cured all this, and left the main bilges pretty dry (ex. for the drain from the "cooler"). I will publish a picture of the installation later this year on HOW. PS--a capful of lemon clorox in the bilges helps with mold, mildew and !smell!.
We had a ton of water in our bilges the next day after shutting off a hot engine, and found that a vacuum siphon was being formed: without shutting off the water intake to the engine, water was being pulled into the exhaust manifold, and from there back into the engine--and by some mysterious means, into the engine compartment bilges and from there to the cabin bilges! An anti-syphon valve and loop in the water injection to the exhaust cured all this, and left the main bilges pretty dry (ex. for the drain from the "cooler"). I will publish a picture of the installation later this year on HOW. PS--a capful of lemon clorox in the bilges helps with mold, mildew and !smell!.
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Keith Fawcett
Thanks for the help !
Thanks for the help all. There is some shaft drip, a little diesel fuel, some drip from the freshwater accumulator tank and then the drip from deck leaks. Add it all up and you have about a gallon every couple of weeks. The recently installed Attwood pump with float switch should lessen the headache and I do bleach the bilge. Thanks for your comments. I love my boat !!!!!
Thanks for the help all. There is some shaft drip, a little diesel fuel, some drip from the freshwater accumulator tank and then the drip from deck leaks. Add it all up and you have about a gallon every couple of weeks. The recently installed Attwood pump with float switch should lessen the headache and I do bleach the bilge. Thanks for your comments. I love my boat !!!!!
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Marcie Robson
Bleach in bilge?!
For several years I repaired equipment in a research lab and we used alot of bleach at a 10% ratio which is not a very strong mix...my point that it is very very corrosive even diluted and will eat through high quality stainless over time and aluminum in a second it deteriorates rubber and eats finishes and is harmful to your lungs over time in concentrated amts. or inadvetenly mixed with another reactive chemical not just ammonia and even produces fumes in contact with aluminum if you leave your boat closed it will pit and discolor chrome and other metals including fittings and fasteners. People think bleach isnt damaging because they add it to our drinking water but its a small amt. in comparasin to a capful or more in the bilge. Fortunatly if you are at all alarmed by this and chose to quit using it it dillutes with water and is gone after it evaporates to the outside air unfortunately I cant think of anything else to use to kill the things that can grow except liguid lysol and hydrogen peroxide crystals you get at the motorhome supply dealer in the water tank chemicals section (great for freshwater tank odors and taste) but Im not familiar with how corosive they can be, lysol is toxic.. Bilge cleaner will clean ok but probably wont kill the sience project in the bilge....Id get it dry as possible and stay away from the bleach itll ruin your bilge pump also....Wish I had a better solution .......Marcie
For several years I repaired equipment in a research lab and we used alot of bleach at a 10% ratio which is not a very strong mix...my point that it is very very corrosive even diluted and will eat through high quality stainless over time and aluminum in a second it deteriorates rubber and eats finishes and is harmful to your lungs over time in concentrated amts. or inadvetenly mixed with another reactive chemical not just ammonia and even produces fumes in contact with aluminum if you leave your boat closed it will pit and discolor chrome and other metals including fittings and fasteners. People think bleach isnt damaging because they add it to our drinking water but its a small amt. in comparasin to a capful or more in the bilge. Fortunatly if you are at all alarmed by this and chose to quit using it it dillutes with water and is gone after it evaporates to the outside air unfortunately I cant think of anything else to use to kill the things that can grow except liguid lysol and hydrogen peroxide crystals you get at the motorhome supply dealer in the water tank chemicals section (great for freshwater tank odors and taste) but Im not familiar with how corosive they can be, lysol is toxic.. Bilge cleaner will clean ok but probably wont kill the sience project in the bilge....Id get it dry as possible and stay away from the bleach itll ruin your bilge pump also....Wish I had a better solution .......Marcie
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Cleaning a bilge
I don't THINK anyone would advocate "cleaning" a bathrub .by just throwing some Srubbing Bubbles in the dirty bath water and leaving it in the tub...maybe adding a little bleach when it start to get ripe...and I don't know anyone who skips the rinse cyle in the dishwasher or the clothes washer... So whyizzit that so many boat owners people think that "cleaning" a bilge is doing nothing more than throwing in some bilge cleaner and/or bleach when the odor reaches the intolerable stage? "Cleaning" requires a little effort--at least rinse out the dirty bilge water for heaven's sake! There are a variety of molds, bacteria and fungi that just love wet dark swamps (and what else is a wet bilge?)...they also just love hot weather 'cuz they multiple faster. And in hot weather they can make a bilge smell like the swamp it is...or even a sewer. You've already discovered that just throwing in some bilge cleaner and bleach isn't getting the job done...but if you'll actually get the hose and a scrub brush out and actually CLEAN your bilge...and then leave the hatches open so that air can circulate in it between weekends, I think it will solve your s"scuzzy smell" problem completely. And btw...Marcie is right about bleach...it's at best a "band aid" that does more damage than it cures. So put a one way valve in your bilge pump line...mop up any water it doesn't trap...and
I don't THINK anyone would advocate "cleaning" a bathrub .by just throwing some Srubbing Bubbles in the dirty bath water and leaving it in the tub...maybe adding a little bleach when it start to get ripe...and I don't know anyone who skips the rinse cyle in the dishwasher or the clothes washer... So whyizzit that so many boat owners people think that "cleaning" a bilge is doing nothing more than throwing in some bilge cleaner and/or bleach when the odor reaches the intolerable stage? "Cleaning" requires a little effort--at least rinse out the dirty bilge water for heaven's sake! There are a variety of molds, bacteria and fungi that just love wet dark swamps (and what else is a wet bilge?)...they also just love hot weather 'cuz they multiple faster. And in hot weather they can make a bilge smell like the swamp it is...or even a sewer. You've already discovered that just throwing in some bilge cleaner and bleach isn't getting the job done...but if you'll actually get the hose and a scrub brush out and actually CLEAN your bilge...and then leave the hatches open so that air can circulate in it between weekends, I think it will solve your s"scuzzy smell" problem completely. And btw...Marcie is right about bleach...it's at best a "band aid" that does more damage than it cures. So put a one way valve in your bilge pump line...mop up any water it doesn't trap...and
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Doug Buerkle
Cooler Drain
Most of the responses seem to indicate that not everyone's cooler drains in to the bilge. Is this just a misconception on may part or is there some trick in the drain routing?
Most of the responses seem to indicate that not everyone's cooler drains in to the bilge. Is this just a misconception on may part or is there some trick in the drain routing?
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Bob E.
Bleach very corrosive
I was a believer in using a little bleach to "cure" boat problems until a couple of weeks ago. My wife wanted to "antique" some chrome plated brass bells for a craft project she was doing. She dropped them into a cup of bleach overnight, and in the morning they were heavily corroded -- almost eaten away. This was an object lesson for me. There are lots of expensive parts on my boat I'd rather not have eaten away.
I was a believer in using a little bleach to "cure" boat problems until a couple of weeks ago. My wife wanted to "antique" some chrome plated brass bells for a craft project she was doing. She dropped them into a cup of bleach overnight, and in the morning they were heavily corroded -- almost eaten away. This was an object lesson for me. There are lots of expensive parts on my boat I'd rather not have eaten away.
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Jim McCue
bleach in bilge
Not to mention that the bleach will cause the insulation onyour bilge pump wires to crack!
Not to mention that the bleach will cause the insulation onyour bilge pump wires to crack!
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