I would hope that most have automatic pumps installed. Have you installed high water alarms? Or multiple pumps?
I think it’s safe to say that everyone has an automatic pump, but I have only one. You’d have to tap into the current discharge hose and put in check valves to prevent backflow… and then add draining the hose to youe winter checklist.
I don’t have a high water alarm on the boat. The marina has wifi so that wouldn’t be hard to add. Maybe that will make the project list…
I added a DIY dry bilge system that removes the half inch or so that the bilge pump leaves behind. It cycles for two minutes twice a day and now my bilge is either dry or just has a thin film of water if I’ve been running under power.
Rather than tapping into any overboard discharge hoses it empties into a 4 litre milk jug. At the dock it never has much in it and if I’ve been out it’s is easily emptied into the sink.
I second Pauls suggestion to add some kind of dry bilge system. Makes a difference if you can keep the bilge bone dry… it’s a pain to do it manually with a sponge.
Soave has two pumps set at different levels in addition to the manual pump. Good to check the plumbing, when I removed the waste tank a few weeks ago I found the intake hose from the manual bilge pump was busted, effectively bypassing the strainer to protect the pump from floating debris ( which is likely if you’ve had to resort to using the manual bilge pump).
This will be my second season with Soave and I’m doing mostly inspections and remediation. It will probably be a few years before I feel any desire to start making upgrades. She’s pretty close to ideal ( for us ) as she is.
Regarding monitoring, I use an Ambient ObserverIP WS-0800-IP. I think it has been replaced by a product called Ambient Weather Network WeatherHub. I like this approach because it can relay data from lots of different sources to a data cloud. I monitor temp and humidity in engine compartment, cabin, and most importantly fridge… must have cold beverages to stay hydrated.
Cheers !
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The dry bilge system is something that I’ll look into. Hippō’s bilge usually has a small amount of water that when I do hand dry will stay that way for some time depending on use and weather.
I believe my primary sources of egress are the stern glad (when I spend long periods running the motor), windless / anchor rode opening, and a small pressurized water system leek that I can’t seem to locate… been through every hose clamp but haven’t been able to locate it. The pressure pump runs from time to time even if the sinks haven’t been used and I notice more build up of water in the bilge if I leave the water pressure on when not in use.
It’s interesting that the comments went to remote high water alarms, I do not have one of those installed. What I was referring to was an alarm to simply sound and alert you that you are taking on water or that a pump has failed.
Hippō has a simple alarm with induction light by the port bunk to alert me if the water has exceeded the level that the primary pump should keep it well below. So that either at the dock or on passage my first warning of a major egress or pump failure isn’t the floor boards floating.
Thanks for the replies,
Colle
I have a regular automatic bilge pump, a Dry Bilge pump, a high water alarm (audible bell) and a bilge pump counter. I like to know if I have a problem. I also have a digital SMS alarm message that will text me if the float is activated. The counter is one of the more telling devices. I know to look for issues when I come to the boat and see 300+ pump actions (from a dripping stuffing box).
Bob
I am finally installing an automatic bilge pump on Benefit. Curious about your counter. What is it and how / where is it installed.
I like the idea of knowing if the pump has been active.
Found the bilge full this summer at the mooring. May have been the stuffing box.
Benefit has never had an automatic bilge pump just the manual pump.
Years ago a surveyor told about the benefit of having a small light, visible while at the helm, that comes on when the bilge pump was running. Easy enough to wire it into the loop and super easy to keep an eye on what’s happening down there. Still in my list of things to do… haha.
RonB.
26U/214/Allegro
Pender Harbour, BC.
It is connected to the automatic bilge pump.
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https://defender.com/en_us/aqualarm-high-bilge-water-level-warning-system-20131
This is a nice audible alarm, as long as someone is around to hear it and it doesn’t kill your battery before someone does!
ON my NS 30C I have 2 automatic bilge pumps and 1 manual. However, the auto bilge pump empties the bilge except for what is in the hose which runs back into the bilge resulting in needing to use a cup and sponge which I am getting tired of.
I’ve heard that a check valve is something that is not really recommended for a bilge hose (I don’t recall where I saw that info). A couple questions on using a check valve:
- Is it ok to have the water in the hose because it would seem to me that the hose would be heavy and might cause an issue.
- If adding a check valve, where do you place it? Next to the bilge pump or near it or ??
- My hose is the original ribbed hose, has anyone found an inexpensive smooth interior hose? I’m thinking of replacing all the bilge hoses.
Thank you
David Godfrey
Thursdays Child NS30C #145
David, do a search for DIY dry bilge systems. They are cheap, easy to make up, and they work.
See my post above.
David,
Don Casey in “This Old Boat” recommends automotive heater hoses for this purpose (between the pump and through hull).
If helpful, here are a couple of options from my bookmarks of planned projects:
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Speaking of bilge hoses, should a vented loop be installed in the system or is just an elevated point adequate? Ed