Shower Sump Pump

[rukidn]

Our boat is plumbed with the shower drain outlet through the head inlet. With our brackish and generally nasty Galveston Bay water, just a week with water trapped in the head supply lines creates H2S and the smell of that first flush is a killer. We use the shower sump to rinse the head lines and trap fresh water for short term storage.

Either use the shower wand itself to rinse the head area and fill the sump or dump in a gallon or two of fresh water. Run the sump pump with the head intake seacock open until the sum is half empty then close the seacock and open the head flush valve. Pump the head and the sump will flush through the head into the holding tank. Just enough to flush the seawater from the lines. That first flush after a week or two will be fresh.

Same process works for winterizing, just replace the water with the antifreeze. I haven't calculated the volume of the hoses, but expect well under two gallons.

 

[Tom J]

Nice. Saltwater sitting in the intake hose will give that same sewer-like smell on the first flush, if it has been sitting a few days. That's one of the reasons we like to flush with fresh water when we are in a slip, and water is available. I always liked the idea that the shower drain would flush out that intake hose. Never thought to flush the head with shower drain water. The fresh water in the head hand pump will also help to flush out those salt crystals that build up on the flapper valve, etc.