Installing Secondary Bilge Pump and Alarm

[Skipper]

I didn't read the whole thread, too long. So forgive if redundant.

Maybe you could just put a larger pump in the shower sump. The wiring and plumbing are already there.

My shower sump sits 2 feet above the keel sump in the same keel compartment aft of the ballast. In the keel sump is a bilge pump pickup, with the diagram pump back in the engine bay.

The shower sump has a rule 2000gpm pump with an alarm. This doubles as the shower sump pump and the emergency backup pump.

-your hull etc config are probably different, but would you get initial high bilge water into the shower sump?

Plus there's the manual ship's pump that can be engaged in harmony with the other pumps, if that alarm ever goes off. Also there are other pumps that can be employed, such as the domestic water pump, engine raw water pump, even the head or macerator. All with a little hose unclamping or cutting.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

Our bilge is usually dry with a PSS seal and AC condensation now pumped directly overboard.
I too keep looking at a secondary bilge pump, for that just in case time. The thru-hulls for the Yanmar, AC , and generator have Ts installed for freshwater flushing, so could be used in an emergency to do some additional bailing. I replaced our shower sump with a bigger pump this spring. I would still like to add a big bilge pump though at some point.
Regarding bilge alarms. I installed one on our bilge pump. It sets off an alarm if it runs for more than 2 minutes plus it keeps a running talley of how many times the pump has run since last reset. I installed it after a pipe pex joint in our fresh water system leaked.
Bob