Getting the last bit of bilge water

[chris95040]

Hi everyone,

My boat has a massive bilge with a flat bottom. My present pump can’t suck up the last 0.75 inch or so, this ends up being a significant volume that takes forever to get with something like a mop.

Can anyone recommend a pump arrangement that would do a better job sucking up the last of it?

If my shop vac can do it surely a legit alternative exists...

[MicHughV]

if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain...

not sure if you can do this, but you need to create a "sump" for the bilge pump..ie, either lower the bilge pump somehow....or a raise the bilge level around the pump...pour in some foam and smooth it out about an 1" above the present bilge level, the pump will remain where it is....keep the foam about 6" clear all around the pump...

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain...



not sure if you can do this, but you need to create a "sump" for the bilge pump..ie, either lower the bilge pump somehow....or a raise the bilge level around the pump...pour in some foam and smooth it out about an 1" above the present bilge level, the pump will remain where it is....keep the foam about 6" clear all around the pump...

It’s a good thought, and one I’ve certainly contemplated, but in this space it’s wildly impractical for a number of reasons.

Seems to me a pump that can prime itself with some serious vacuum and a hose with a heavy strainer would do the trick, just not sure what’s available that would do this reliably.

[rslifkin]

A diaphragm pump like a whale gulper with a suitable intake strainer will do the job. It won't move a lot of water, but it'll get it a lot closer to empty than a centrifugal pump.

[Cheechako]

Yes, you need a non centrifugal bilge pump to suck up the last bit. A regular pump may suck it but it flows back in when the pump shuts off. The diaphragm pumps lift through a hose with the pump up higher. Any pump that will suck/lift can do it if it will handle debris, or be screened somehow.

[bobnlesley]

A sponge and a bucket?

[MicHughV]

The Beneteau has a "sump" about the size of shoebox..it has no bilge per se, being a flat bottomed boat..the bilge pump is located under a settee....with a hose leading to the "sump" with a strainer....this tiny "sump" also needs to share space with the manual bilge pump located in the cockpit..another hose
it all works good, except the float switch is located on the hull bottom on a piece of wood as there is no room in the sump for it, always leaving an 1" of water sloshing around... a pita.....

then I noted my a/c has a tiny bilgepump located in the a/c tray to pump away condensate...it is very small...about the size of a small pack of matches....the discharge hose is about 1/4" in diameter...and voila....I found my answer...

you can look them upon online....a/c tray condensate pump...there are several varieties..something there might work for you..

[flee27]

I am currently purchasing a boat that will have the same problem you are having (Sabre 42) I am going to try this:
https://lifeempirically.com/2018/03/...-bilge-system/

There is a commercially make system that does the same thing but is really expensive.
https://www.aridbilge.com/

Foster

[boatpoker]

I've seen one of these installations and it worked.

https://www.seaflo.us/product/dry-bilge-system/

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by flee27

I am currently purchasing a boat that will have the same problem you are having (Sabre 42) I am going to try this:
https://lifeempirically.com/2018/03/...-bilge-system/

There is a commercially make system that does the same thing but is really expensive.
https://www.aridbilge.com/

Foster

Using the DIY dry bilge system in the first link as a guide, I created a similar system that works perfectly to keep my bilge dry. I have a single pick-up, and the discharge goes into my shower sump box. A timer runs the pump for 5 minutes every day, and this really works for me. Give it a try, it really does wonders, and it's inexpensive.

-David

[AA3JY]

Have a couple of these..

Bridgenorth Bailer and Boat Hook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYQCE5aWC8

..unfortunately they don’t make them anymore.

[Tom_F]

A remotely located diaphragm pump may not be your ideal solution. I have one and it is located behind the back of the dining table settee and needs about 8 feet of hose to reach the bilge. When the pump stops, the water in that hose then drains back into the bilge. With a cavernous bilge like yours that may mean a small coating of water, but with my French postage stamp-size bilge it dumps about 1/4 inch of water back into the bilge, and that's on top of what the pump did not pick up in the first place. Sure, I could fix that with a one-way valve, but that would just leave the hose full and give me yet another possible failure point.

If you really want a bone-dry bilge, one of the other systems may be better. In fact, I'll be looking into that Sea Flo system this winter.

[Minggat]

The work to augment my keel bolts blinded off the limber holes at the bottom of each section of my bilge. Basically turned each section to individual bilges. I drilled limber holes higher on each little bulkhead. Now the furthest aft section is the one that acts like a sump. If water there gets high enough to flow over to the other sections, then the big alarmed bilge pump comes into play. So the smallest section is my maintenance bilge, and the only one that should have residual water, which can easily be mopped up.

[cat-keys]

Yes I have the same problem in my leopard 40, in fact I have it twice since it’s a cat. and it drove me nuts

The aridbilge mentioned above is the only on the market solution I know. Have seen it work at the miami boat show.

The only reason I didn’t install it was because if the cost.

But I believe may try to use my guest showers diaphragm pump with a small diameter hose and T and shutoff valve to force the pumps vacuum to the new hose and away from the shower bilge

Then with a piece of foam in the hose at the other end in the lowest point the foam should already suck up the bulge water and the pump will to the rest.

Not automatic but beats me using the wet dry or sponge and bucket.

While at it - it’s always good to check where the water is coming from.

I found three problems and fixed them - no more water in the bilge

1. Toe rail lock nuts through the deck had loosened near the chain plate. Very easy fix just retightened and used some Creeping crack cure liquid under the toe rail

2. Refrigerator drain plug hose was leaking behind a service panel. Easy fix

3. The biggest one - the pressure relief valve on the water heater had a dripping leak. So even though we were not using the water heater whenever we ran the engine the cooling water heat exchanger increased the pressure in the tank and cause the drip. Again below the bed and out of sight driving me nuts for weeks. Replaced the water tank that was 12 years old

The point is fix the leaks if you can.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by flee27

I am currently purchasing a boat that will have the same problem you are having (Sabre 42) I am going to try this:
https://lifeempirically.com/2018/03/...-bilge-system/

There is a commercially make system that does the same thing but is really expensive.
https://www.aridbilge.com/

Wow, Arid Bilge is crazy expensive and the DYI version looks awesome!

We have a deep, large bilge and I keep a wet/vac in my engine room to dry it every week or so as preventative maintenance. We live on the hook but running the wet/vac for 1 minute or so is no big deal.

I'll save the link to the DYI system for a future project!