Shower Sump Pump Woes

[Rich Stidger]

The usual pump for shower sumps is a small 500 gpm centrifugal pump. I have replaced and struggled with these pumps for 25+ years. I have just encountered another pump failure where the shaft simply won't turn. (It was working in the fall at layup) But the normal frustrations are body hair clogs outside the pump body, hair build-up around the impeller shaft, and more soap and hair clogging the corrugated discharge hose. And there is a lot of flow-back when the pump is stopped.
There is a pump made by Whale that claims to be superior to all others, but at a price well over $300. That is not going to happen- I would need two of them!
Here are my solutions: If I wrap the outside of the pump with a plastic gauze-like material, maybe I can trap all of the body hair from getting into the pump itself. Then I can just replace that gauze as required.
I can try a check valve in the output line and just remove it at winter layup so it doesn't cause a freeze issue.
Lastly I can try to replace the corrugated hose with a smooth bore hose that may not trap and build-up with soap and hair. Hose replacement is difficult because much of this hose is hidden behind structures.

Comments? Does anyone have a solution to these issues?

 

[dlochner]

Comments? Does anyone have a solution to these issues?

Lower your hygiene standards?

Seriously, we have a similar issue, the pump failed, Atkins no longer makes a pump that fits the sump we have and no one makes a sump that fits the space we have. The old sump had a screen on the inlet to the box that trapped a lot of hair and what not washing out of the shower. You might try a simple inline water strainer. Something like the one below. A smooth bore hose will also help stuff from getting stuck.

https://defender.com/en_us/jabsco-20-mesh-coarse-pumpgard-in-line-strainer

 

[JamesG161]

Does anyone have a solution to these issues?

I replace mine with this unit.

Amazingly easy to clean.

or just for you



Jim...

PS:

https://www.xylem.com/siteassets/brand/rule/resources/brochure/ngr-rule-shower-drain-box-sales-flyer.pdf

 

[JamesG161]

nice air trap too

Jim..

 

[Davidasailor26]

We had a strainer like the one dlochner linked on a previous boat with a centrifugal pump. It worked pretty well for keeping the pump running. Our current boat has Whale Gulper diaphragm pump that needs no filter. It’s nice to not need to clean out a strainer filled with smelly shower residue a couple times a year.

 

[Rick D]

The last pumps (Rule) I installed have a back flow valve. However, much like the in-line valves I installed before, they ultimately flow back and will clog. I have had better luck adding some Raritan CP to the sump after using it. Good luck!

 

[Rich Stidger]

I should have attached a picture of my sump and pump. It is under the shower floor and the pump sucks directly. There is no ability to filter the shower water before the pump. I also tried a duck bill check valve that came with my current Johnson pump. It's a failure, all it does is slow the backwash into the sump.
I will check out the Whale Gulper diaphram pump.
I can't figure out how to post a picture from my Android phone.

 

[colemj]

We have spent years with the Rule drain boxes like shown above, and while they do trap the gunk, they are obnoxious to clean out, leave gross smelling water in them, and the small pump fails often from accumulated hairs that do find their way out of the strainer and around the shaft. Or they just burn out. The pump isn't difficult to replace, and it is a commonly found one, but it is annoying.

On two boats with these now, we have replaced them with the Whale Gulper pumps that you consider too expensive. We consider it some of the best money spent on the boat. These things just eat and expel anything that goes down the drain. We make no effort to strain and do no maintenance or cleaning of them.

We live full-time on the boat, so the shower is used daily and throughout the year. The current Gulper has at least 3600 showers on it and I haven't even looked at it since we installed it 5yrs ago. Previous boat was the same.

Ours is the "IC" version that has an automatic sensor and does cost north of $300. If you just use yours on a switch you turn on when you shower, just the pump itself is <$150. The only difference is that automatic sensor, and the only reason we have that is because we also have our A/C condesent feeding into it (and the automatic operation when taking a shower is a bonus). Otherwise, the pump is just fine running dry, so no worries about it on a switch.

Mark

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Ive read of some Hunters using a macerator instead of a bilge pump to eliminate issues with clogging

 

[colemj]

Ive read of some Hunters using a macerator instead of a bilge pump to eliminate issues with clogging

Without any straining of debris before a pump using a whirling impeller of any type, the pump is going to fail. I've pulled apart too many macerators with hair wrapped around the blade shaft to the point of cutting through the shaft seal. The OP's solution is either a good straining system prior to the pump, or a diaphragm pump.

Mark

 

[Rich Stidger]

Here is a picture of my shower sump(s). I will look at the gulper pump again.

But I still don't understand how a diaphragm pump that by necessity has inlet and outlet valves does not clog.

 

[colemj]

That picture is helpful. I'm not sure you can fit a diaphragm pump in there, but I also can't tell the depth. I also don't think they are submersible pumps. Pretty sure they are not.

You would need to install a strum box or similar where your current pump is, and a diaphragm pump somewhere in-line in the hose leading from it.

The valves used in the diaphragm pumps are rubber flapper valves, and there is a double layer of them. Similar operation as used on toilet pumps. At most, something might get caught enough to temporarily prevent the flapper from fully sealing, but this just gets carried off soon in the flow.

Mark