Emergency Engine Driven Bilge Pump

[Ironhorse74]

I am the pump killer. I have four bilge pumps on my boat and have managed to kill all four on one passage. So I was thinking about what to do, besides carrying several spares. I had an ephiny! Why not plumb a Y valve into my raw water line? I could do it just upstream of the through hull. Take the new leg of the Y into my bilge. Shut off the through hull leg and turn on the bilge leg. Since I would only use it in an emergency. I could could keep a pretty close eye on the level of the bilge water and switch back before the bilge was completely empty.

Thoughts?

[atoll]

fit a good strainer on the bilge side that is easy to clean,and with your track record get the liferaft checked!!!!!

[cal40john]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-62013.html


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ump-74212.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...mma-20374.html

Above 3 from custom google search found on the search button on CF

emergency bilge pump - Google Search

[nauticalnomad]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse74

I am the pump killer. I have four bilge pumps on my boat and have managed to kill all four on one passage. So I was thinking about what to do, besides carrying several spares. I had an ephiny! Why not plumb a Y valve into my raw water line? I could do it just upstream of the through hull. Take the new leg of the Y into my bilge. Shut off the through hull leg and turn on the bilge leg. Since I would only use it in an emergency. I could could keep a pretty close eye on the level of the bilge water and switch back before the bilge was completely empty.

Thoughts?

You must be reading my mind,
Ive been doing research all afternoon about this...
I have found pulleys you can buy for my engine anyway but sure you can get them for all types,

http://www.peachment.co.uk/downloads/download_700.pdf

and these are shaft driven,

Fast Flow Emergency Bilge Pump

[rtbates]

what kind of pumps? Any of them diaphragm pumps? Or were they the drop in centrifugal pumps? I've found the latter to be worse than useless, dangerous in that they tend to give a warm fuzzy where none belongs..

[Ironhorse74]

Originally Posted by rtbates

what kind of pumps? Any of them diaphragm pumps? Or were they the drop in centrifugal pumps? I've found the latter to be worse than useless, dangerous in that they tend to give a warm fuzzy where none belongs..

I am an equal opportunity pump killer. In order of death. 1) new Jabsco belt driven diaphragm pump. (Jabsco was awesome about this) 2) Whale centrifugal pump. (backup to the diaphragm pump) 3) Whale manual diaphragm pump (Old and has since been rebuilt) 4) Jabsco impeller style wash down pump.

Brad <= serial pump killer

[bobconnie]

Don't get me wrong, but how much water do have aboard your vessel?? I would worry if I had to pump enough to wear out pumps like that ! maybe Im wrong just asking Bob and Connie

[Ironhorse74]

Wasn't a great deal of water. None of them lasted very long.

[S/V Alchemy]

I would consider using the raw water pump only in serious fix, as I would not wish to put even the strained contents of a well-flooded bilge through the diesel. Better I think to have a separate belt-driven pump on a second power take off. This could involve a fairly typical situation where the pump is disengaged much of the time, but could be rigged quite quickly, or where a second alternator belt must come off to belt up the fixed pump.

I can see this working in a situation where you also have an engine-driven compressor, for instance, as you would likely already have a double PTO.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse74

I am the pump killer. I have four bilge pumps on my boat and have managed to kill all four on one passage. So I was thinking about what to do, besides carrying several spares. I had an ephiny! Why not plumb a Y valve into my raw water line? I could do it just upstream of the through hull. Take the new leg of the Y into my bilge. Shut off the through hull leg and turn on the bilge leg. Since I would only use it in an emergency. I could could keep a pretty close eye on the level of the bilge water and switch back before the bilge was completely empty.

Thoughts?

Your little engine water pump might be better than a small electric pump...but still woefully short of what you want. As someone suggested a separate BIG pump on a separate pully/belt or clutch driven is a better solution.

Are you burning up pumps because you are letting the voltage get too low?

[DeepFrz]

Get a belt driven pump with an electrical clutch that you can drive from your engine. Being a pump killer I would worry you would kill your raw water pump and your expensive engine.

[Ozbullwinkle]

On the 36 foot gamefishing vessel that I skipper it has a Jabsco engine mounted deck wash which has ran trouble free for over 6 years now and it has a valve where the inlet can be changed from the through hull to the bilge for use in an emergency pumpout which is very effective as it pumps a lot of water - much more than a large electric bilge pump.

[HopCar]

Take a look at the Groco Safety Seacock Conversion:

Add an SSC to the top of any seacock to allow instant emergency bilge pumping, or to simplify winterization and cooling system flushing.

IN AN EMERGENCY: While the connected engine is running, close the seacock and remove the quick release plug. Excess bilge water will be pumped overboard by the engine raw water pump. Add GROCO Bilge Strainer to pump out remote bilge locations. See Illustration

FOR WINTERIZATION: Close the seacock, remove the quick release plug and insert the service adaptor (included). Anti-freeze can be pumped into the cooling system.

FOR SYSTEM FLUSHING: Close the seacock and insert the service adaptor. Dockside water can be used to flush the cooling system with the engine running at idle speed. See Illustration.

[Ironhorse74]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Take a look at the Groco Safety Seacock Conversion:

Add an SSC to the top of any seacock to allow instant emergency bilge pumping, or to simplify winterization and cooling system flushing.

IN AN EMERGENCY: While the connected engine is running, close the seacock and remove the quick release plug. Excess bilge water will be pumped overboard by the engine raw water pump. Add GROCO Bilge Strainer to pump out remote bilge locations. See Illustration

FOR WINTERIZATION: Close the seacock, remove the quick release plug and insert the service adaptor (included). Anti-freeze can be pumped into the cooling system.

FOR SYSTEM FLUSHING: Close the seacock and insert the service adaptor. Dockside water can be used to flush the cooling system with the engine running at idle speed. See Illustration.

I think that is just the ticket. Thanks Parks

[Ironhorse74]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Get a belt driven pump with an electrical clutch that you can drive from your engine. Being a pump killer I would worry you would kill your raw water pump and your expensive engine.

Deep, I forgot to add that I killed the seawater pump at the dock before I left on the passage.

I have a V-drive. In order to add a pump like you are talking I would have to pull the engine.

Going way off topic. One of my long term projects is to install a large hatch in the cockpit floor for engine maintenance.