Hunter 22 bilge pump location question

Benny17441 · Jan 2, 2012

I had a bilge pump on a trailerable boat which the PO had Teed off the sink drain and as he did not have enough room to place it above the water line he had to install a check valve to prevent back flow. To make a long story short the boat was trailered from Florida to Baltimore, MD and apparently the road vibrations loosened the hose clamp to the check valve and as soon as the boat was launched it started taking in water. By the time we realized what was going on we had a foot of water in the cabin. Remember the smaller the boat the faster it will fill up. I learned two things from that experience 1) The boat was really dry and had no need for a bilge pump (it had no propulsion shaft piercing the hull and only one thruhull for the sink drain) and 2) that the routing for a discharge hose should lead to a point above the water line. I have known that bilge pumps are more a convenience item than a safety one. It is convenient to drain the bilge by flipping an electric switch rather than getting on the knees and lifting the floorboard with a manual pump or scoop and a bucket. On the safety side it is practically useless to rely on them as they are easily overwhelmed by water gushing in from even a small hole or failed hose. Once again, the smaller the boat the faster it will fill up. In my case I removed the Tee conection from the sink drain and decided against drilling a new thruhull above the waterline as the amount of freeboard was not very large so I took out the pump. The boat stays dry and I have better peace of mind. I don't know about the h22 but if you do install a bilge pump make sure the discharge port is above the waterline.

inarathree · Jan 3, 2012

Benny17441 is correct on many of his point, but mostly a bilge discharge should be above the waterline.

Dave, I was going to install a bilge pump in my H22. I have thought of several locations, below the companion way is the most obvious and easy to access. The problem is this isn't the lowest point of the bilge. With a pump under the companion way, the bilge still holds almost 10 gal of water. When I got my boat, she was in bad shape, which accounted for the LOW price

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Running a discharge line from a pump under the companion way to the stern and installing a thruhull there is how I had planned on doing it. I say planned, because I still haven't done it (I have all the parts). My boat sits in the water 24/7/365, but once I replaced the keel and bolts, she has been dry. Am I worried about not having a bilge pump? yes and no. On a 22' not as much as I would be on something larger. The H22 only has one thruhull, which I replaced from the original gate valve to a ball valve/seacock. The only other water infiltration point is the keel bolts. I get more water from the leaky hatch and ports, than anywhere else, but even in the monsoon like rains we get here in FL, only a trickle of water makes it to the bilge, and it evaporates after a couple days.

rgchak · Jan 29, 2012

I have a 1984 H22 and installed two bilge pumps. The smaller unit I installed in front of the water tank with a float switch. This takes care of everything from the galley forward. The second and larger pump was installed in the bilge area behind the water tank and runs from an on/off switch I located next to the sink.

rgchak · Feb 5, 2012

If you take out the batteries there is an open area in front of the water tank large enough to install a bilge pump and float. I installed my primary pump (800 gph) there and ran the discharge hose over the water tank and to a 3/4" mushroom head thru hull I installed between the stern light and the rudder. My second pump (2000 gph) is behind the water tank and discharges to a 1" mushroom head thru hull located next to the 3/4" thru hull. I got rid of my cockpit cooler drain, I didn't like having a wet cockpit all the time. Also you may want to inspect your cockpit drain lines. I found my drain line was never fully put together from the factory at the 1 1/2" tee.

rgchak · Feb 6, 2012

If I knew how to add a photo I could show you my setup. In my '84 H22 when I remove the square bilge inspection cover ( underneath the steps and where the cooler goes) the bilge depth is 4". And that bilge collects water from water tank forward. I image that there has been many changes over the years. That's what makes boating fun, everything is self invention and from the owners perspective.

inarathree · Feb 7, 2012

rgchak said:
If I knew how to add a photo I could show you my setup.

How to post pics.

inarathree · Feb 7, 2012

Do you guys get that much water in your boats? As I posted before, the H22 only has one thru hull, which by this age, should have been replaced to a proper seacock. My boat sits in the the water 24/7/365 (or 366 as this year is a leap year). She is dry, except when it rains. I never worry about having a bilge pump. The bilge will hold almost 10 gallons of water, before it hits the cabin floor boards (don't ask how I know), and will hold 100 gallons before she is ready to down (once again, don't ask). I visit her every weekend, wether I sail or not, and I am lucky enough to live 5 minutes from the marina, and work from home, so if there were any issues, my response time isn't that long.

On larger boats, a bilge pump is VERY important to keep in proper working form, but on a 22', I take it or leave it.

On a side note, I wouldn't tap into your cockpit scupper drains, as that would just increase the need for the second pump behind the water tank. The proper thru hull placement can be anywhere, but I would run it aft to a new thru hull on either side of the rudder. Motor side if you use a swim ladder (nothing like getting squirted by bilge water while climbing onto the boat)

twodzusfittings · Feb 7, 2012

Want to see if this works?

twodzusfittings · Feb 7, 2012

Yep it does. Wow what a great looking boat. Looks just like mine!

rgchak · Feb 7, 2012

This is the way I found my cockpit drain lines in my H22. You can see the leak at the bottom of the tee assembly.

inarathree · Feb 7, 2012

You know that the hose is not fully seated on the tee.

SeaTR · Feb 27, 2012

Digging for my pix..

All Y'all,
On my 1981 H22, I bought it with one bilge pump installed under the starboard quarterberth low forward near the sink drain sea cock. That's my backup pump/location (higher capacity pump), but I put the (new) discharge out the port stern next to the stern light (it was originally tee'd into the starboard deck drain).

I have my primary bilge pump (smaller capacity) in the well just forward of the battery/water tank area, discharging to the tee into the starboard deck drain (with a loop to prevent back flow from the deck). This pump is "portable" with enough hose & wire to reach the starboard side keel bolt bilge (removable access plate on the newly built Ipe and Maple laminated deck boards replacing the original teak & holly marine ply).

Pictures coming as soon as I can locate..'kinda chilly these days to go tearing into the tarp/wrap for newer pix.

SeaTR · Feb 29, 2012

Some bilge pump pix

So here are a couple of pix:

#1564 - does not show the anti-siphon loop just prior to the T connection with the stbd deck drain.

#1507 - after this pix was taken, I installed an Ipe bracket to clamp down the pump, yet the pump can be slid out to pump out the stbd keel bolt bilge, if needed.

#2835 - shows the transom discharge for the back-up pump (higher capacity and installed under the stbd quarter berth near the sink drain seacock)

If you need some additional pix, I can look around for any more, or take a dive into the boat and snap what you can't visualize.

Hope this helps!

inarathree · Feb 29, 2012

nice rudder... I'm jealous.

SoggieLoggie · Mar 2, 2012

Me too.

SeaTR · Mar 4, 2012

Gee, Thanks fellas...

I bought this one from IdaSailor ( http://www.idasailor.com/catalog/default.php , 866-400-2204 ),and am VERY satisfied with it! It's well made and has an interesting piston arrangement allowing the same pulling motion for haul up or down.

SeaTR · Mar 5, 2012

So what do you plan to do??

SenecaDaze, any other pix you need of my setup?

Hunter 22 bilge pump location question

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