I want to install a saltwater handpump at the sink in the kitchen. I also don't want to install another thru-hull. Thus, I'm trying to decide if anything untoward could come from t-ing into the raw water line for the engine cooling system. Anyone done this? Can you envision a bad-for-the-engine scenario? Cheers- Brad
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Wash Down Pump
I installed a wash down electric pump and tee it into the engine's raw water intake. When I tried it the first time, I pulled air from the engine side when the engine was not running. I then installed a one way check value, just passed the tee heading to the engine. No problems. I only use the wash down pump when the engine is not running.
I installed a wash down electric pump and tee it into the engine's raw water intake. When I tried it the first time, I pulled air from the engine side when the engine was not running. I then installed a one way check value, just passed the tee heading to the engine. No problems. I only use the wash down pump when the engine is not running.
SALTWATER HAND PUMP
Brad; The engine raw water intake is pretty big. Can you find a tee that will fit? If your boat is a Beneteau and has water-cooled refrigeration, it might be easier to tee into that intake.
Brad; The engine raw water intake is pretty big. Can you find a tee that will fit? If your boat is a Beneteau and has water-cooled refrigeration, it might be easier to tee into that intake.
DO NOT USE ENGINE INTAKE !!!
Never use engine intake - your engine may suck up air from the sink pump line and cause big problems to the engine. Use head line instead, no room for potential damage there. Good luck
Never use engine intake - your engine may suck up air from the sink pump line and cause big problems to the engine. Use head line instead, no room for potential damage there. Good luck
original author reply: handpump tee from engine
I acknowledge the possibility of air coming through if the pump's one-way valve malfunctions. No water cooled refrigeration available. The head intake is soooo far away, and the enging intake is riiight there. A couple of one-way valves would seem to do the trick eh? pump ^ | {1w} | wtr>---|--{1w}----[engine]--[muffler]-->wtr seems pretty foolproof. Brad
I acknowledge the possibility of air coming through if the pump's one-way valve malfunctions. No water cooled refrigeration available. The head intake is soooo far away, and the enging intake is riiight there. A couple of one-way valves would seem to do the trick eh? pump ^ | {1w} | wtr>---|--{1w}----[engine]--[muffler]-->wtr seems pretty foolproof. Brad
Footpump
Put a Tee in the engine raw water intake. Put in a ball valve and run line to a small foot pump, and plumb to a sink faucet. Your foot pumping is not going to out pull the engine, and while running the engine close the ball valve.
Put a Tee in the engine raw water intake. Put in a ball valve and run line to a small foot pump, and plumb to a sink faucet. Your foot pumping is not going to out pull the engine, and while running the engine close the ball valve.
My set-up
My set-up is just like Andy describes - I just close the ball valve when the engine is running, I've never had a problem with this setup. Also, I have another Tee in the same line (also isolated with a ball valve) with a line off the Tee that runs into the bilge. If I close the seacock and the ball valve to the foot pump I can start the engine and suck the bilge dry real quick. It's an emergency bilge pump. I haven't had to use it in an emergency but I tried it out with a full bilge and it works great. I used fresh clean water from the hose to test it so as not to gunk up anything in the cooling system, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I found a foot or two of water in the cabin. That's actually what prompted me to install it, I found 2 feet of water in the cabin while in some real nasty seas in the middle of the channel between between The Big Island and Maui. The bilge pump eventually caught up with the water, but it got me to thinking "what if it didn't?"
My set-up is just like Andy describes - I just close the ball valve when the engine is running, I've never had a problem with this setup. Also, I have another Tee in the same line (also isolated with a ball valve) with a line off the Tee that runs into the bilge. If I close the seacock and the ball valve to the foot pump I can start the engine and suck the bilge dry real quick. It's an emergency bilge pump. I haven't had to use it in an emergency but I tried it out with a full bilge and it works great. I used fresh clean water from the hose to test it so as not to gunk up anything in the cooling system, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I found a foot or two of water in the cabin. That's actually what prompted me to install it, I found 2 feet of water in the cabin while in some real nasty seas in the middle of the channel between between The Big Island and Maui. The bilge pump eventually caught up with the water, but it got me to thinking "what if it didn't?"
Foot pump recommendations
I would like to install and salt water foot pump at the galley sink as well. I've never actually seen one for sale in a store though. Any recommendations on a pump brand and where to buy it? As an aside, I'm going to set up my never-gets-used mascerator pump as an emergency bilge pump as well. Of course I will have to make sure it'll actually work when I throw the switch! Craig
I would like to install and salt water foot pump at the galley sink as well. I've never actually seen one for sale in a store though. Any recommendations on a pump brand and where to buy it? As an aside, I'm going to set up my never-gets-used mascerator pump as an emergency bilge pump as well. Of course I will have to make sure it'll actually work when I throw the switch! Craig
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