Anyone using auto bilge pump for shower sump?

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Parts are easily replaceable. But they do need regular maintenance, which means cleaning out the hair, soap scum and other "gunk" which finds its way in there. They are also subject to all the failure modes of a regular cheap sump pump and float, which are of course legendary on this forum. Spares are cheap.

The solution for constant maintenance is to have a reasonably fine screen on the shower drain that captures the majority of the hair where it’s easily removed and don’t use soap, use liquid body washes and “scrunchies”. These with non-chlorinated water leaves very little build-up in the shower sump.

I also pump my sumps into the cockpit drain (aft) and the sink unit drain (forward head) so don’t have to bother with anti-siphon loops.

[s/v Jedi]

Logic dictates that a pump that is unaffected by hair is better than a pump that requires a strainer to attempt to keep hair away from it.

I would think all would get that but then I read this thread

So if you’re buying new, be wise and get that nice shower kit with the Whale Gulper and water detector

If you already have something, then live with it or decide to upgrade/improve not make it worse because of the type of sound it makes put some sound insulation around it if it bothers you. I personally like to hear it as the sound tells me if it’s happy or not etc.

[boden36]

I like to wire sump pumps using two float switches and a relay in a latching circuit.
The pump will come on when the higher float triggers and will not switch off until the lower float switches off. We have used this for years and it totally removes the switch on-switch off syndrome.
Regards,
Richard

[Andreas W]

I experimented with that on my boat, and eventually kept the diaphragm pump with a manual switch.

[Cheechako]

As far as catching hair, you don't want that hair going down to a strainer. It plugs up pipes even at home. It catches and accumulates at any fitting in the hose. One of these cheap rubber catchers is like $4 and works amazingly well. There are various similar ones. My wife sheds long hair too, a ton of it after each shower.

[aeronautic1]

“Is anyone using an auto bilge pump for a shower sump? Does it work well?”

Other than Aqua-Car manufactured in the 1960s, does anyone still manufacture auto bilge pumps?

[Poche]

Stick with your Whaler. Indestructible, does not clog and uses very little juice.

[SV Magnolia]

Any premade sump box I have ever seen comes with a small bilge pump. We use one of these sump boxes with a mini bilge pump. Never had one single problem with it. No clogs, no tangles, no blocks, no floods. Maintenance on this as gross as it is is really very simple. On a routine basis I just give it a good cleaning. Remove the filter screen and scrub that down. Then clean our any debris from the box. This sump box services the head sink and the walk in shower. It gets used a lot as we're full time live aboards.
It's very quiet.

[captain38]

With respect to all the other answers, the problem is not the pump or the float switch! We use a standard rule shower sump that incorporates a big strainer, 800 pump and automatic float switch, intalled 4 years ago, and has never needed maintenance. Our SECRET is the drain screen in the shower that traps all hair before entering the drain. It must be cleaned after every use, and absolutely prevents the usual shower drain problems. Be creative and design one that suits your shower!

[Lepke]

A standard bilge pump works fine, but you have to screen out the hair. I have 3 sumps, each like a box with a window screen over the top. Each with a bilge pump and float. Floats are old mercury switches and last forever, new ones don't last. Water from sinks, showers pour on the screen. Screen can easily be removed to clean. A little dish soap deposited in the boxes from time to time, dissolves the fats and other sludge that accumulates.
Also with an open top, if bilge was to flood, sump would also pump out.

[andrewvik]

Unless you're a real princess-and-the-pea type, the Whale Gulper 220 works great without much racket. In fact, I use it as a light-duty bilge pump.

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=1777934

[com5984]

Originally Posted by CarlF

I’ve been using a Whale gulper IC shower pump that does away with the sump. A water sensor turns on the gulper and it runs a few seconds after the water stops to completely clear the sensor area. No water to turn gross. No screen. Very quiet.

In four years it hasn’t even needed a cleaning.

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...234&id=1612504

Thanks for the link, do you have any more info on the water sensor you use or will google help me find one?

[andrewvik]

I like this electronic water sensor. Stays on for 15 seconds after the water drops below the low mark.

https://waterwitchinc.com/product/mo...-bilge-switch/

[GwalarnYacht]

[QUOTE=vpbarkley;3172467]Hello fellow cruisers,
We have an auto bilge pump that's super quiet with an integral level sensor. It has some smarts so it doesn't switch on and off all the bloody time.



I have the same problem, my "WHALE" is turning on for every single drop that accumulates in the sump box (which catches my shower, toilet sink and my galley sink greywater).

The pump's constant noise is incredibly annoying and also takes a toll on power consumption. I already adjusted various components of the piping, added some non-return valves and anti-siphon without improvement.
I wrote to WHALE UK to ask if it is somehow possible to adjust the sensitivity of the intelligent sensor, so it would only start at a certain amount of water in the sump box. This is their answer:

"Many thanks for your email and apologies for the slow response. Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust the sensitivity of any IC sensor nor the programmed off delay. My only suggestion would be to install a 3-way rocker switch/ breaker of some sort to turn off the pump when not required."

I do have a rocker switch to turn it off, but has anyone figured out a better way to tame the WHALE? Would it be better to do away with the sump box and just connect all the piping directly to the pump? I was also wondering how to deal with the greywater out if I'm running out of power? Apart from not using shower and galley I currently don't have any alternative solution for this scenario. Does anyone has installed manual back-up pumps for greywater?

[GwalarnYacht]

Originally Posted by boden36

I like to wire sump pumps using two float switches and a relay in a latching circuit.
The pump will come on when the higher float triggers and will not switch off until the lower float switches off. We have used this for years and it totally removes the switch on-switch off syndrome.
Regards,
Richard

This sounds very interesting. Could I ask you to explain the actual installation a bit more in detail for technical dummies like me? Many thanks.