1986 Weekender 300 Bilge Pump

[David619]

Hi All:

My Weekender has a small pump under the steps as you enter the cabin. The water from the shower dumps directly in there, as does the condensate water from the A/C. I am thinking about installing one of those plastic trays with bilge pump and float switch inside, and with ports to securely clamp the hoses from the shower drain and A/C. Seems like a cleaner and more self-contained system. Only question, that will eliminate the true "bilge" pump for evacuating any stray water that might come up there, but with 2 other pumps , between the engines and also farther aft, I think I will be fine. I would welcome any thoughts, suggestions and similar experiences!

Dave

 

[JVM225]

Sounds like you’re describing a sump. My old boat (300 Sundancer) was a lot like yours but that pump was under the cabin floor just outside the head and only the shower water dumped in there. The AC condensation dumped in to another space under the aft berth. I was constantly cleaning both of those spaces to avoid mold cause by standing water.
My current boat has two sumps under the cabin floor.
One is for the forward head shower and A/C and the other is for the aft head shower and salon A/C.
The sump is a much cleaner set up. My sumps are right next to each other in that space and there is another pump and float switch just aft and a little lower in that same space. If one of the sumps overflows the water will go to that lower space, the float switch will rise and an alarm will go off to alert me to a problem.
The soapy shower water will likely cause a failure at some point and you’ll want to know about it.
You may not have room under your step to do all that.
If not, could you extend those hoses and set up a sump somewhere in your bilge? You have a lot more room in there than I had in my old Sundancer.
Your emergency bilge or aft bilge pumps could serve as a backup to the one in the sump.

 

[David619]

Thanks for the feedback!