Bilge pumps (experience and recommendation)

[Kushal]

Hi,

I'm looking for a bilge pump that has discharge upto 15m head. Some of the companies that I looked at are Seaflo (3700gph,

12V) and Rule (4000gph, 12V).

I plan to connect this to solar power and float switch.

Has anybody had an experience with these pumps? If yes, what has been their performance overall (reliability, water

discharge as expected)? Would be good to know other reputed bilge pump manufacturers as well.

Thanks!

Kushal

[zboss]

15 meters? How deep is your bilge!!!!??

I have the rule 4000 GPH married to an ultra bilge pump float. Great combination and it moves a lot of water. Be aware though, it's a large pump with the output located on the side. I could barely squeeze into the lowest part of the bilge.

So far its working great. However, like most bilge pumps the debris cage on the bottom is attached fastened to wherever you want to mount the pump to and then the pump is attached to the cage with a couple of flimsy plastic clips. I immediately broke one of mine and had to end up using a zip tie to attach it to the cage. If your pump outlet hose is not flexible or you do not have a fair way to run the hose, the hose will push against the pump and potentially break it away from the clips (or break the clip as it happened on mine).

Also, I find the "backflow" preventer device doesn't work miracles and will slowly allow some bilge water to flow back into the bilge, which if of a large enough volume will cause the pump to repeatedly operate. I installed a secondary backflow preventer much in the hose and this stopped that. Be sure your hull outlet is above the waterline!

The ultra switch is great because it has a high water alarm built in, although you need to buy an alarm box separately for it. So, if your pump fails and water starts accumulating you will know ahead of time.

[Blue Stocking]

The head pressure is 21.7 lbs for 15mts of height. Hard work for an open impellor design like a marine bilge pump.

[Kokanee]

A standard open impellor bilge pump will only pump to about 7 meters of head pressure. Even at 5 meters, the flow rate will be a fraction of the advertised rate.

Forget about buying a standard marine bilge pump for your application.

I'd go with a positive displacement diaphragm pump such as this one.
http://www.rittenhouseusa.com/delava...y-demand-pump-
12-v-dc-7870-101e/

They will self prime so you can mount it in an accessible position out of the water. Just swap out the pressure switch for a float switch.

Here is another similar pump.
Shurflo 2088 Premium 12 volt Delivery Pump, Sealed

[tinkrman69]

Originally Posted by Kokanee

A standard open impellor bilge pump will only pump to about 7 meters of head pressure. Even at 5 meters, the flow rate will be a fraction of the advertised rate.

Forget about buying a standard marine bilge pump for your application.

I'd go with a positive displacement diaphragm pump such as this one.
http://www.rittenhouseusa.com/delava...y-demand-pump-
12-v-dc-7870-101e/

They will self prime so you can mount it in an accessible position out of the water. Just swap out the pressure switch for a float switch.

Here is another similar pump.
Shurflo 2088 Premium 12 volt Delivery Pump, Sealed

the above is true. be aware that the discharge head is the hight the water is lifted not the length of the hose. altho the length of the discharge hose will cause drag and affect the rated volume. but if you do have an excessive discharge head then a positive displacement pump is the only way to go.

I have a 4000gph rule with back flow valve....which leaks back, go figure? and it will oscillate on and off if the water level is slow to rise. in effect burning up the pump. I have it incase I get a large hole. I also have an electric jabsco that comes on for the small stuff...like packing leak or rain down the keel stepped mast.....I can run it manually too and can keep the bilge with no more than a half gallon in the bottom. it'll take about ten or so gallons before the big pump turns on.

I have a big bilge and hose it down once in awhile to clean the hair out. nothing like hair to burn up a pump in an emergency. No hair? look again. I am a might hairy but every one has hair and it sheds. You sweep the cabin sole but some gets down the cracks. Lent and dust too can build in an impeller.

I do get home sick when I leave the boat for a while. but I don't worry too much about it staying afloat whilst I'm gone.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Kushal

Hi,

I'm looking for a bilge pump that has discharge upto 15m head. Some of the companies that I looked at are Seaflo (3700gph,

12V) and Rule (4000gph, 12V).

I plan to connect this to solar power and float switch.

Has anybody had an experience with these pumps? If yes, what has been their performance overall (reliability, water

discharge as expected)? Would be good to know other reputed bilge pump manufacturers as well.

Thanks!

Kushal

I feel sure you dropped a decimal point.

[tinkrman69]

(quote) I plan to connect this to solar power and float switch.

I hope there is a battery involved in that, "plan", as solar only works in daylight.

[Old Swampy]

Someone said the discharge from the bilge pump should be above the waterline. And then some!! On our previous boat the discharge through hull was below water when we were heeled. Once the pump cycled, the line was full. So, when the pump stopped, seawater was syphoned into the boat.

[Sirago]

While you are at it, you want to install an event counter in line with the pump. When you return to the boat and check the bilge it will be low. Now did the bilge pump not run and you are safe or did it cycle on and off all the time you were gone giving a false indication? The event counter will tell you how many times the pump cycled.

[Cadence]

Hopefully the discharge is above the waterline. You might want to elevate the sensor such that the backflow from the discharge line doesn't keep cycling the pump.

[tinkrman69]

Originally Posted by Old Swampy

Someone said the discharge from the bilge pump should be above the waterline. And then some!! On our previous boat the discharge through hull was below water when we were heeled. Once the pump cycled, the line was full. So, when the pump stopped, seawater was syphoned into the boat.

Hence the back flow valve and/or a vented loop. my bilge is 5 feet and I run the discharge hose out the transom. a few feet before it goes out I put a rise in it of about 16 inches and a flap on the thru-hull. this keeps water from washing in from waves. if yer goin out the side a valve and vented loop would be in order. It makes me worry if I can't keep the water on the outside.

[JAYEN1]

Use a diaphragm pump such as a gulper 220 etc. mounted outside bilge area, dry and easily accessable. You can put a strainer/non-return on end of suction hose if necessary. Also consider an air pressure switch AND a relay to protect it all.
All my bilge outlet hoses go to a high mounted common manifold that exits above water line under transom.

[zboss]

BTW - I think the rule pump instructions say to use a 15 amp fuse. I was reusing an old bilge control panel that had a 10 amp fuse in it. It works fine but this may be attributable to the 8 gauge wire to the pump.

We can empty our bilge in about 8 seconds.

[FamilyVan]

Did I read this right ,15 metres of head? What are you trying to do. Sell electricity to the natives?

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[mlibkind]

Tomorrow I'll be the owner of a 2011 Elan 444. Its a European boat and seldom seen in the US. As a consequence, some items are not to US standards. One such item is the electric bilge pump that can spark and should be changed.

There are two manual pumps and one electric pump. The low point in the bilge is so small that there is no way to use a submersible pump, i.e. it could not rest on the bottom of the bilge. Currently the Jabsco pump is mounted on the wall of the bilge with its bottom about 1 foot above the bottom of the bilge and has a capacity of 250 gph.

I'd like your opinion on my thoughts and plans.

1. Possibly raise the pump up about 1 to 1.5 feet into a settee. This way there is less chance that it would ever get covered with water. Do you think this is wise? The hose run will still be relatively short.

2. Increase the volume of this primary pump. The problem is that I am having trouble locating a non-submersible pump. I found one Jabsco pump that would fit but it is only 150 gph though Amazon has it listed at 350 gpm. My thinking is that about 400 to 500 gpm for the primary pump that is attached to the float switch, and a 2000 to 4000 gpm manually activated backup pump. Or should the primary pump be large too?

3. Like I said, I have had zero luck locating a pump that is not submersible. Do you have any suggestions?

Marcus