Sea Water Foot Pump for Galley Sink

[revere]

Does anyone use the sea water pump pedal at the galley sink to rinse dishes? The water smells disgusting. I don't see any purpose to it. It is also a trip hazard when standing at the sink. Thinking about removing it. Any thoughts on how to get it out of the way on a Calliber 40?

Thanks,
Diane

[ksuberk]

Okay- is this an at dock live aboard with unlimited power and water? A weekend cruiser? A long term cruiser with loads of batteries and a water maker?

[bobconnie]

I personaly, would never be without a sea water pump of one type or another!! the saveings of fresh water is the reason! at sea the water is much better smelling!! LOL you might go to another type of pump instead of on the floor maybe to hand pump on top of the counter ?? but I think I would surely keep a sea water pump!! just my 2 cents

[ReMetau]

If you wish to cruise, then keep the pump.

You need to use it at least periodically to keep the smell down since the microbes in the water die as it sits in the line which causes most of the odors.

[reiner]

Originally Posted by revere

Does anyone use the sea water pump pedal at the galley sink to rinse dishes? The water smells disgusting. I don't see any purpose to it. It is also a trip hazard when standing at the sink. Thinking about removing it. Any thoughts on how to get it out of the way on a Calliber 40?

Thanks,
Diane

I just fitted a sea water hand pump. We had one in our H28 and used it a lot.
I agree with you reg removing the foot pump if it is the wrong spot but I would change that into a hand pump.
Maybe your seawater hose is smelly from rotting seawater in it. Maybe keep using it will clean it out of you might have to replace the hose.

Reiner

[revere]

You all make excellent points. Thanks for the feed back. Since we're new liveaboards, we didn't realized the advantages of the sea water pump yet. It is, though, a trip hazard when carrying hot food since it sticks out 4" from the cabinet. I like the suggestion of the hand pump.

Thanks again.
Diane

[Navicula]

you may want to think about removing the foot pump..............it is there for a reason, you pump the water with your foot and both your hands are free to rinse the dishes.................if you use the hand pump........one hand is busy pumping....


if you are at a busy anchorage (georgetown) or a marine........I wouldnt use it at all, people dump all the time.........this is a fact............do you want to rinse your dishes with that kind of water.

it is a nice backup....

[daddle]

Originally Posted by ReMetau

If you wish to cruise, then keep the pump.
You need to use it at least periodically to keep the smell down since the microbes in the water die as it sits in the line which causes most of the odors.

My opinion as well. Very handy at sea or in clean anchorages. Saves fresh water for those of us who are not motorheads. Use mine many times each day. Might need to put some dilute bleach in it for a while to get it back to reasonable. Regular use indeed keeps it completely without smell.

Tripping over the treadle? Well that's just a installation blunder.

[roverhi]

Hand pumps are really stupid. At sea you are pumping with one hand and hanging on with the other. Kind of leaves you are short one hand to hold whatever you're pumping the water for. Wonder why the pump pedals are in the way?? Ours don't stick out all that much and have never come into contact with them accidentally. If they are a problem and you have under sole clearance, whale makes a through the sole pump that worked great on our last boat.

Salt water in clean anchorages really cuts down on the amount of fresh water you use. While out cruising, we only used fresh water for final rinse, cooking, and drinking. Water lasted us forever and never had to fill up the tanks with other than catchment water from the awning.

[surfmachine]

I completely agree with posters, keep the sea water foot pump, hand pumps die!

Install the pump behind the plywood on the galley cabinet with a spacer so that only the last 75mm , 3" of the pedal sticks out through a slot in the cabinet ply?

I have a fresh water foot pump as well, wonderful!

Cheers from Keith.

[infinitysail]

For long term cruising, if you have a high output watermaker, I would ditch the saltwater pump.

Yeah, yeah, lots of people like them. We have one too, and have used it every day of cruising for five years (except when it was broken. We are on our 4th, but that is another story), because we don't have a watermaker and only have 70 gal of fresh water. The problem is, after 5 years of heavy saltwater use (always in clean anchorages) you start to see your boat suffer. Too much salt is introduced to the galley, even though we rinse everything with a little fresh as well.

The items that suffer are the faucet (we are on the third, soon to be fourth), the stove (recently replaced) and anything within splash range of the galley (a surprising distance.) That being said, the total damage is less than the cost of a watermaker (the stove was $1200, the biggest cost) but if you already invested in a watermaker, I would recommend using it.

PS, any stinky smells in the foot pump line or in the sink are best alleviated with muriatic acid/water mix, about 1:1. Foot pump intakes, like any intakes, can gunk up with seagrass and get really nasty. If you notice a decrease is flow rate per pump, get out the mask and long bladed screwdriver. We've actually had to take the hose off the thru-hull and have someone poke the grass through into a container.

Frank

[surfmachine]

Oh nooo! dont use the watermaker, you think the salwater foot pump stinks in the morning for the first 10 pumps. Imagine what the watermaker looks and smells like if you dont use it for 2 days in the tropics??? It goes black and smells like its dead!!
Unless used every day, the water maker must be pickled or rinsed with fresh water after every use.

I go through about 1 tap a year, should be better now that I have gotten rid of the pressure pump for the fresh water and no more stray electric currents eating the taps away?
Keith.......

[onestepcsy37]

i converted our sea water galley pump (whale foot pump) to a 'backup' manual pump for fresh water, in case the electric pump failed. actually got to use it.

we use salt water but get it the old fashioned way - in a bucket. in clean water areas we get a bucket of salt water in the morning and leave it in the cockpit. we collect our dirty dishes and such in the bucket all day, then wash them after dinner and give them a quick rinse with fresh water...

[wolfenzee]

On of the previous owners of my boat put one in using the engine water in take...rember to shut thru-hull valve when not in use. It worked great until the aluminum spigot dissolved from the inside out. It is something I will replace...in broze to match fresh water pump. I have two foot pumps one will be used to drain water ovrboard...sink is below waterline.

[carstenb]

I think someone mentioned it but when you are at sea and the sea is running, you will be strapped to your galley with a lifeline, bracing your feet against the cupboards. A hand pump is worthless in those circumstances - but a foot pump is ideal.

If you don't use it a lot, close the through hull valve and empty the hose as much as possible. Pour a little chlorine in - that should keep the water from going brackish and smelling.