Bilge Pump discussions

[alldodge]

I'm on my 4th complete shower bilge, have 3 sitting on the shelf. Last one bought had the Sarhara 500S pump. Looked like a good self contained pump with built in float switch. This is the first year for this shower bilge. During winterization I did the usual and soaked up all liquid and put boat to bed.

This year I'm adding water to the tank and letting water flow thru the system, and to keep it short the bilge pump is not pumping. Check voltage and it has power but does not run. Removed pump, turn upside down and still nothing. So removed and cut it open.

From the pics the unit is glued shut except for where the wires come in. Its a little rubber grommet of such which could not stand up to maybe 1 to 1.5 inches of water above it. Its in a shower bilge so its not deep.

Have Johnson, Rule and others, but the Attwood seams to be a non-starter without modifications. May be ok if it was sealed better, maybe take some silicone or 3M 4200 where the wires are

 

[JimS123]

You have a corrosion problem. With 48 years experience as a Plant Engineer I have seen this many times in an industrial setting.

Are you in salt water? Regardless, what is the pH of the water? Additionally, corrosion may also be caused by galvanic action. Is there possibly an electrical leak into the bilge?

Its not the equipment, its the environment.

 

[alldodge]

No it's not the environment, I'm in fresh water, boat sits on a lift, only time there is water in the shower bilge is twice a year; when I bleed air out of the system in spring, and when I blow the system out with air in the fall.

I have several bilge pumps and this is the first one which died after one season. Its a bad design with a bad seal

Should add this is a 1994 boat, so 4 shower bilges isn't that bad, just would like to discuss issues with shower bilges and the like

 

[Scott Danforth]

cheap chinesium bilge pump sold to US boaters thru unscrupulous distribution passed off as USA made .... AKA Attwood

stick with Rule, Johnson or Jabsco

Attwood is sold at walmart, and you are not a walmartian

 

[alldodge]

Probably on to something there, I have 3 different pumps coming in, original Attwood, Aurelio and Rule. Have a 24 yr old engine bilge in my Rinker that still works with a rule float switch. Only issue with it, is it will not keep up with even a slight leak :facepalm: but don't want to talk about it.

Want to install a higher volume pump

 

[QBhoy]

Rotten to hear this AD. Can’t really add to much but the last boat I had with a shower pump had a rule pump and float in it. Never an ounce of bother with it. Sureflow and rule are certainly the best I’ve ever had.

 

[PITBoat]

I unscrewed my inop Attwood Mini King 500 the other day. I'd guess it's been there for a while. There was a blown fuse, and the motor was frozen up. I freed it by hand and swapped in a temp fuse, but still nothing. I have yet to check for 12V at the switch. I'm gonna do that before I give up on it.

I hope I'm not shifting the topic too much to say the thing that concerned me was when I unscrewed the base portion, water seeped up from one of the screw holes for a few minutes. An ounce or two maybe. That says bad things to me, but I don't know how bad. I haven't tried to pull more of the water out of the hole yet to see how much might be in there; wherever "there" is.

 

[alldodge]

Anything dealing with pumps and there use/install is all good. Try to find what others have used which have lasted

Removing a screw that held it in place and seeing water is not good.

 

[alldodge]

Got all the pumps in and I'm getting impressed by Aurelio Tech (Person & Co out of MA). Either tey are coping ideas and improving on them, or others have been coping off them. There is a 1100 GPH bilge pump for only $16 and it looks like Rule, colors and all.

The one I picked up to compare with the Attwood is heavier, rated 750 GPH over the 500, and uses a better seal for the wires. I used 3M 4200 to seal the new one before install. Thought about using the Aurelio but wanted to see if sealing the wires would keep it running.

I should have taken more pics of the Rule, but I just popped the bottom off and the threaded out put connector and appears well made enough and wires are sealed good

 

[JimS123]

No it's not the environment, I'm in fresh water, boat sits on a lift, only time there is water in the shower bilge is twice a year; when I bleed air out of the system in spring, and when I blow the system out with air in the fall.

I have several bilge pumps and this is the first one which died after one season. Its a bad design with a bad seal

Should add this is a 1994 boat, so 4 shower bilges isn't that bad, just would like to discuss issues with shower bilges and the like

I've had many bilge pumps, most all have been Rule. One was an Attwood, as I remember. Some have been used once a year to test, others on my fishing boats that I have been out in the rain and they activated by float switch every 5 minutes for hours. I have never had to replace one...ever.

Based on your pictures they have seen water intrusion and / or corrosion from an outside source. If you said it was the first time, I would say you got a bad one. But 4 times on a 25 year old boat seems excessive to me. My 1984 boat is still on the original pump.

Whatever you used in the past, maybe try a different brand.

 

[alldodge]

Attwood may make some better ones, but just looking at the seal they used on the S500 I can see how it would leak. I the same seal is compared to the other on in above pic, its a by far better design and cost less

 

[PITBoat]

I already bought a new 600SGPH (suppose-ed gph) one the other day while I was in WM - Shoreline Marine, made in... nevermind. I had power at the switch, and after pulling the old pump out tonight it wouldn't run when I put the wires to a battery.

Barging in here with my other issue again... I used a piece of tygon tubing and siphoned more water from one of the 2 mounting screw holes in the bilge. I didn't catch it, but I'd say it was a pint maybe? Perhaps a bit more. I don't know how to address this. Like how do I drain that, now and future? I don't want to seal it up in there, now that I know about it. But that floor ain't coming out either, at least not this year.

The old pump sat on a raised platform (3/4"?), under fiberglass of course, and I don't know if the water is just from that raised area, or in a larger place under the floor. That screw at least, didn't seem to have any kind of sealant on it. I may check again tomorrow to see if any more has collected there. I tried several times after the initial siphoning tonight, and it didn't seem that any had.

 

[alldodge]

I've never found a bilge pump which will get all of the water. I do like a piece of wood glassed in to the hull to mount the pump "if" its being mounted to the hull. Replaced the Rinkers Atwood 450gph pump with the Rule 800 yesterday, and it was screwed to the hull without extra spacing. The good thing is the 800 was a 3/4 outlet so no need to get another hose. Did add hose clamps because the pressure should be increased

 

[Grub54891]

All I can think of is to put a vaccume pump on the screw hole, and suck out the water to see how much you get. A hose sealed to the screw hole, to a separate tank, and the hose running to the vaccume pump.

 

[GA_Boater]

AD - You know what to do if you want to reopen the thread.