Thinking of adding sump pump

[Bad Obsession]

The shower in my Catalina 30 drains directly into the bilge and I am probably going to add a sump pump into the bilge area for the shower. I was looking around and saw that I can probably buy one for $100 but I am not sure if it will fit into my bilge. I am thinking about building a sump pump setup but I am not sure what to build it out of. I thought about getting 1/4 inch plywood and fiberglassing over everything to create a custom sump area. I could attach a bilge pump with a float switch in that area and maybe add a screen area to filter the water before it gets to the bilge pump. This way I know that it will fit in my boat. I could put a cheap plastic throughhull attachment in the box that attaches to the hose that runs from the shower drain.Has anyone done a project like this?Where did you lead your drain hose to?Can I splice into the bilge pump drain hose without backfeeding the sump water into the bilge pump?How should I attach the sump pump to the bilge area?Any other suggestions?

 

[Jenni]

Shower Water

Better Check your local enviromental laws it may not be exactly proper to be venting "grey water" from the bilge to the lake you may need to install a Grey water tank.

 

[Dick Dixon]

Before you do that.....

Why don't you check one of the marine store catalogs for a self contained sump pump. For about the same price as building one (and a lot less hassel) you can probably find what you need. It will have everything you need including the pump and switch. Because one was needed for the air conditioner condensation on my boat, that is what I did. It automatically comes on when needed and then pumps the condensation overboard through the sink drain. It works great! Good luck....Dick

 

[seadaddler]

On Mine

On my 2007 Hunter 36 they don't use a sump pump like on previous boatslike the 356,they have a hose from the shower drain go directly to a pumpwith a on and off switch in the shower and the pump go's to a above water line thru hull.I think what happens with a sump pump and box is like the bilge that water does not all empty out,what ever you do make sure you use a filter screen to keep from clogging the pump from lint.Nick

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Jenni, the discharge of gray water is legal in all

US and Canadian waters except for a couple of inland lakes in VT and NY and several small well marked areas of the FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary where even bilge water discharge is illegal.Besides, any shower water that goes into the bilge is gonna go overboard via the bilge pumps anyway...no different environmentally from sending it into a sump and then overboard via a sump pump. In fact, since most bilge water has at least a little oil in it, a sump is actually MORE environmentally friendly. And a sump is a LOT easier to keep clean than a whole bilge.

 

[GuyT]

diaphragm pump??

Seems I remember someone using a diaphragm pump for their shower discharge.They simply used a stocking for a screen over a small diameter tubing(like your freshwater system) and submerged this in the bottom of the shower sump.The stocking (or filter material) was inserted over the tubing with a simple rubber band for easy removal to replace or clean. The exhaust of the pump went directly overboard like your bilge.If you use a bilge pump, you may need a check valve because the head water may drop back into the sump and may cause cycling or it may not discharge all the water you want.The diaphragm pump was definately clever cause it can run dry, and it will suck up all the water!You would need to put a switch on the pump to turn it on and off. You could probably parallel a float switch with that switch and then just use the manual switch to pump it completely dry.