Has anyone successfully installed an electric bilge pump on a 1979 O’Say 30? I have a manual bilge pump however it’s failed and before I spend time fixing the manual pump want to explore installing an electric bilge pump. Thank you!
Installing an electric bilge pump 1979 O’Day 30
- Thread starter jkidleary
- Start date
Electric bilge pumps are great for removing nuisance water. You should repair the manual bilge pump. 
I have done this. My O'day 30 is a '83 centerboard version, so our bilges may or may not look similar. I used a
Rule Lopro 900gph Bilge Pump Automatic, available at Hodges marine at a great price, lowest I've found.
I wired it up to a bilge switch which is hooked up direct to the battery, therefore being always on. (My solar panels constantly charge the batteries)
The Pump lays in the lowest part of the bilge. The hose runs through the upper bilge wall immediately under the sole board lip, past the water tank and around, through the head bulkhead, T's with the sinks thru hull to let the water out. I installed a check valve to avoid back flow.
I will post a picture of the pump in the bilge and the point where the hose goes through the inner wall.
Stayed tuned.
Rule Lopro 900gph Bilge Pump Automatic, available at Hodges marine at a great price, lowest I've found.
I wired it up to a bilge switch which is hooked up direct to the battery, therefore being always on. (My solar panels constantly charge the batteries)
The Pump lays in the lowest part of the bilge. The hose runs through the upper bilge wall immediately under the sole board lip, past the water tank and around, through the head bulkhead, T's with the sinks thru hull to let the water out. I installed a check valve to avoid back flow.
I will post a picture of the pump in the bilge and the point where the hose goes through the inner wall.
Stayed tuned.
In my view, one needs both an electric and a manual, in case the electric dies I use the manual to help me gauge how much water is coming into the bilge. I re-wired the bilge pump switch on the service panel so that it bypasses the master battery(Off, 1,2 both) switch.
Totally agree. My manual bilge pump works and I have a rebuild kit ready for when it fails.
Per ABYC:
H-22:
"22.8.6 The discharge location shall be above the maximum heeled waterline,[the sink discharge through hull does not meet this requirement] or
22.8.7 the discharge may be located below the maximum heeled waterline if the discharge line is provided with
both of the following:
22.8.7.1 a seacock installed in accordance with the requirements of ABYC H-27, Seacocks, Thru-Hull Connections,
and Drain Plugs, and
22.8.7.2 a vented loop or other means to prevent siphoning into the boat. A check valve shall not be used for this
purpose.
22.8.8 If the discharges of several pumps are manifolded to discharge through a single thru-hull fitting, the
system shall be designed so that the operation of one pump will not back feed another pump, and the simultaneous
operation of each pump will not diminish the pumping capacity of the system. A check valve shall not be used in
the discharge manifold system.
22.8.9 A check valve may be used only when necessary to prevent an automatic bilge pump from cycling on and
off due to back flow from the discharge line."