Washdown pump ideas?

[oldboat1]

I have electricity but no water (none close, anyway) at the slip I rent during the season. I would like to be able to rig a washdown system that I could stow below decks, in cabin storage or something similar. I'm thinking an AC pump would provide more power than DC, but open to suggestions. I would really like to be able to use my pressure washer, but probably can't develop enough flow or water pressure for that(?) I have an extra mascerator pump (DC power), and those rascals really get after it. Maybe that would work (not sure if it would draw up lakewater -- need about a 4 or 5 foot lift, I guess). Maybe, though. Boat is a Trojan F26.

thanks,

Curt

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

just a basic well pump on the pier; 2 " intake into the lake, garden hose output. Bolt it down to the pier.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

thanks Cookin'. marina might be OK with that -- hadn't occurred to me to plant something on the pier. Thinking boaters around me out on the end of the dock would probably like that too. Shoot, maybe the marina would be interested in covering some cost.....

appreciated.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

I have one of these, works good, in the event your Marina wont let you have something permanently installed.



Its a self contained washdown pump from TRAC.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

thanks spoils. never used one, but thinking I might end up going with that or something similar. Think home cookin' has in mind something installed at the dock for the season (bolted in place to keep it from walking off, among other things). When the snow melts, I need to check with the marina operator and see where she would be coming from. I'm sure she will be concerned about any potential liability issues.

tired of the bucket, rope and brush routine -- but like the slip.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

Do a search for washdown kits,installed onboard,uses lake water and can be used anywhere. It requires a thru hull fitting but the install is really simple.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

I would really like to be able to use my pressure washer, but probably can't develop enough flow or water pressure for that(?)...

Small Electric Pressure Washers use surprisingly little water.
A typical 1800 PSI Washer uses only 1.5 gallons a minute.
I know that if you shut off the water supply, the washer pump will suck the hose flat.
They may very well be self priming and no feed pump would be needed.
Just drop a short hose in the lake and turn it on.

A filter would be a must as the nozzles are typically in the 0.010" range.
Anything big enough to see is going to plug it up.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

good info, Uncle (you too grub) -- may be that the washdown kits have enough pressure to do the job. Just don't have experience with them, so may end up taking a chance. If I can get the grime off periodically (and the seagull stuff), might be good enough. But the suggestion above (uncle willie) re use of my pressure washer is worth exploring. (It's getting a little old, so may be a good excuse to replace it.) It has a small hose for sucking in detergent (which I never use), and the main intake hose -- possible it would draw up the lake water as suggested. I'll give it a try at the garage when the snow melts.

Thanks.

btw -- checked the Karcher link above. I have one of those, in an older model. good washer, although they don't picture the tangle of hose and power cord that you can never get neatly rewrapped after use. But I would buy another one.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

You could install a transom shower on the boat (thru hull water intake) with a removable shower hose, and connect a garden hose to it for washdown.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

could do the job. The boat has a shower in the head, and I could probably rig up an extension there too, come to think of it -- and just use the existing water system (use lake water in the water tank anyway, and keep bottled water in the frig for drinking.) I'm currently thinking I would rather not put in another thru hull, if I can come up with something else that will work. I'm not sure what the pump pressure would be in using the boat shower, but if it's good enough for the shower it would probably work for washdown, right?

Left alone, I've been inventing a bunch of Rube Goldberg schemes, and think I'm overlooking the simple stuff. Lister input helps.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

I " think " most washdown pumps put out 60lbs. The last one I did was there. I'd imagine the freshwater systym would be similar. Check the pump itself,it should have the rating on it. Then its just a simple "t" fitting inline someplace,and a deck fitting,done! How ya filling the tank with lakewater? A bucket would take awhile.....

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

yup. bucket at a time, but pretty much just flush out the antifreeze in the spring, and then don't use the onboard system much. The shower puts out a pretty good flow -- don't know offhand what the pressure is at the pump, but would probably be enough for washdown. (I could put a T or diverter at the showerhead, maybe, and just attach a hose stretched out the window in there. Just want to clean off the decks when the gulls are using me as a latrine.)

 

[racetrack]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

go to harbor freight and buy a cheap sump pump . Build to be submersed that you can just hang over the side of the dock , connect a garden hose and away you go . $ 49.95

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Washdown pump ideas?

yup. thought about that, Racetrack. advantage is it's AC and a big flow. big and heavy (relatively), and think I'll probably try the onboard system first, then move into the heavier stuff if that doesn't get it.