How Much water stays in your bilge?

Benny17441 · Jun 30, 2014

It is totally normal. Check valves are not recommended as they have a tendency to fail preventing bilge discharge overboard. There are probably gallons of water trapped in the stringers below your cabin sole so one inch of water is not going to make much difference. If you want to sponge out that water it will quickly be replaced by some of the trapped water. As long as the back flow does not trigger the pump to recycle continuously you should be fine.

Don Lucas · Jun 30, 2014

Since the only time normally I get water in my bilge is when I've done something to cause it I wet vac it out as the 1/2" or so of water that sits in it after the pump runs or it gets nasty.

kito · Jun 30, 2014

Probably just the water in the line running back since the pump is much lower than your through hull. Your pump can't totally evacuate the line since it needs water to pump. Only way to get rid of the water is to vac it out.

Bob 04 H260 · Jun 30, 2014

If I wash out the bilge I use a sponge to clean up any water left in the bilge. Normally the bilge is dry and dusty.

Bob

quadrille38 · Jun 30, 2014

Water comes mostly from the condensation generated by the 2 air conditioning units. Stuffing box was repacked with gore Teflon packing and has virtually no dripping.
Bilge pump can take it down to slightly under 1 inch

seadaddler · Jun 30, 2014

Normal

Yes as already said no check value it is what it is,use a sponge or scoop.
Water from AC other wise should be dry.
Nick

artboas · Jun 30, 2014

I'm a little fanatical about this

zigracer said:
Every time I use the bilge pump on my H36, it pumps out completely, but back fills about an inch of water once it's shut off. I thought these things had a check valve. Is this normal? That inch of water will eventually corrode something.

Thoughts?

Ok, I'll admit it.
I hate water in my bilge.
So, I plumbed all 3 airco unit pans to sump boxes, and ensured that all other small leaks were done with.
But, you still, (on a 49) get nominal hull condensation, etc.
And, yes, you should never put a check valve in your bilge pump.
The standing water in the uphill run can keep the flap from opening, because you get an air lock in the pipe below it.
I used to vaccum my bilge dry with an oil exchanger pump. Got it down to less than 1/4", and I was happy.
Then, I decided to go crazy, and installed an additional bilge pump, (Jabsco), with a pipe that goes straight down to the bottom.
I wired it so that if the normal bilge pump actuates, a relay also energizes this pump. So I now have 2 electric bilge pumps. Plus, I wired it to its own switch, so that I can run it independently.
"Why" you ask?
Well, because when it runs with the main pump, when it shuts off, the backflow in the main bilge pump line leaves 1/2" of water in my bilge.
And as I said, I'm a fanatic, and that's 1/2" too much.
So, the extra pump literereally vaccums the bilge dry.

rufus1138 · Jul 1, 2014

if you dont have a dripless packing the bilge will have water in it all the time. this is normal and if you have properly wired connections and everything is monitored regularly then its not a problem.