Shower won't drain

[Bill Cooper]

I just purchased a 2 year old Beneteau 311 and had her hauled and the bottom painted before taking possession. The shower won't drain. This is all new to me. Does the shower drain into the holding tank? Regardless of where it drains, any suggestions on how to clear the line? Is a plumbers helper ok to use on it? I've made sure the appropriate seacocks are open, and run the bilge pump to no avail. I know the bilge pump works, because it sucked an inch of water out of the fridge unit and pumped it over the side. I ended up bailing/mopping the water off the shower floor.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

I suspect it drains into a sump

Find the sump pump switch and I think it'll solve your problem. If the sump pump doesn't run, you may need to turn on a breaker for it.

 

[Joe Hanna]

Shower Drain "Button"

On my 311, a French-built model,the shower drain process requires that you jump through a number of hoops. After you adjust the valves below the vanity, you then have to turn on the bilge pump and press the small black button that is located on the face of the vanity (just below the lavatory). The water is pumped to the bilge and must be pumped out after you reset the valves under the lavatory to the normal position.

 

[Vic]

Hair, hair every where ....

I was on a beneteau last week that had a shower that stopped working after the gals took a shower ... there was a hair catcher under the vanity sink ... but you may also have to attach a plastic hose to the intake to the shower bilge pump and blow out the drain if something like a tooth paste cap managed to get down there. or the pump may just be trashed. Seems like the problem is not unique. Vic

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

A good reason to install a sump

Hair, soap scum etc don't belong in the bilge... they only clog up bilge pumps and breed critters that make bilges stink. A sump, otoh, is fairly easy to keep clean (although I'd put a screen over the drain to keep long hair out of it)...just put a healthy dose of Raritan C.P. down the drain at least once a week when it can stay in the sump at least overnight. C.P is a bio-enzymatic cleaner that not only destroys odors on contact, but the enzymes in it "eat" hair, body oils, soap scum etc.