I have a 1985 Pearson 303 and need to do something about the shower sump mainly the boat does not have one. The shower drains directly into the bilge. Not Good! The original sump pump is gone but was mounted under the port sette. I am thinking maybe a new pump and sending the shower water out the bilge through hull. Any ideas?
shower sump
- Thread starter GarEi
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GarEi- Are you saying that you do not have a sump pan underneath your shower floor/drain and that the water from your drain goes directly into the bilge? If so, what was the function of the original sump pump since the water in your bilge would be removed by your bilge pump? Best, Ron
As best as I can figure a hose went from under the shower pan across the boat from starboard to port were there was a pump under the port sette and you would flip the sump switch which is in the head and pump the shower water overboard. The shower pan you stand in is about 4" deep. When I winterize the boat in a few weeks I will get a mirror or more likely stand on my head and get a better look under the shower pan.
Thanks Gary
Gary, Remove your stainless drain covers and look below the shower floor with a small mechanics mirror and a flashlight or a lighted borescope. Your pan is 3-4" below the floor. There should be a fitting with a hose that goes from your sump area to a diaphragm pump (in) and an outlet hose that goes to a through hull aft. If your water is going into the bilge there are two possibilities:1.) your hose/barb connection on the sump pan is bad, or 2.) there is a crack in your sump pan. Your biggest problem will be access and that's why you need to know how it all goes together. However, if you are very lucky, you might be overfilling the sump pan in which case water would overflow and go into your bilge. When you remove your drain covers, fill the area with water from a jug but not all the way to the top. If it doesn't leak, you might be overfilling the pan and not using your sump motor enough. Good luck, Ron
GarEi, I put a sump in my 323. I don't know where the initial sump was; only the switch with dangling wires remained when I got the boat. I epoxied a piece of plywood to the floor of the bilge (the flat part above the ballast) and attached the sump there. I then connected hoses from the shower, the sink, and the ice box. The outlet goes to a throughhull near the water line. (anti siphon loop needed.) I don't recall the brand of the sump but it was a simple plastic tub with a small pump/float switch inside.
Geoff
Geoff
Hi Ron, The previous owner ran the shower drain hose into the bilge. Now I have to decide if I want to try and mount a small sump tank with pump in the blige or go with orignal set up and just put sump pump under port sette and pump shower water out the bilge through hull.There is not much room in the bilge for a tank.
GarEi, go with the original design with the pump in the quarterberth and draining overboard for two reasons:1.)it is a clean functional system that will be easy to clean/repair/replace and 2.)why drain grey water in your bilge (smell and sediment) when it can go easily overboard? I would also install an inline filter before your pump to remove anything that can caused the pump to malfunction. My pump is an original diaphragm pump with an inline filter that is 20 years old and has seen much use. I disasssembled it a few years ago and the rubber diaphragm was in perfect shape. Good luck, Ron
Our 1984 303 had the setup rognvald mentioned. Unfortunately, our original diaphragm pump froze up a few years back. We replaced it with a small pump from West Marine. If you buy a pump, get one that is self priming and that can run dry. The port side has a thru-hull that is used to discharge the grey water. I agree; no grey water in the bilge!
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