Need advice - Flat bilge problems (pumping out issues)

[BlackHeron]

You could mount a suction sponge pickup in each area and run individual vacuum lines to a manifold with a valve at each to isolate one ir two at a time. Little plastic valves for this type of tubing only cost a couple of bucks each at any home building big box store, and wouldn't be that hard to operate if they were placed in an accessible area. These vacuum lines are pretty effective and the control manifold could be placed higher up on a bulkhead and still work well.

You can easily see through the hoses and monitor how much water versus bubbles is actually moving through them to tell what is going on down below the floorboards of the cabin sole and work your way through each compartment sucking water until it stopped moving up the line.

I think turning some valves at a workstation would be less work than scrambling around lifting multiple floorboards and sponging in your hands and knees or vacuuming with the wand of a wetvac every time.

I am considering doing this same thing for our boat and adding a zone in the head where a shower used to be that tends to get water in it when we forget to close the portlight in there before it starts to rain. Another zone under the V-berth where the raw water strainer is and water spills everywhere when I open/clean it and add Raritan KO to kill the smell when it gets stanky. Plus one more zone under the stuffing box and build a damn there so the dripwater doesn't have to run all the way through the engine room on its way to our bilge sump I pictured above.

[BlackHeron]

Nice article. They did not mention the SeaFlo system I linked above but that somehow got deleted. For $150 it basically has all the parts in the DIY version put together with a waterproof box and the timer built in. It has the pickup, extra sponges, all the tubing, and a tiny strainer. It even has a nice little control panel with on/off/auto switch and a breaker.

Ill try and post the link to the amazon listing once more. Hope it doesn't get deleted again. Not trying to sell anything, just show folks their options. We bought ours for $150 and feel it was well worth it to have everything ready to install.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V4G41K4..._GmXCFb6Z9XD3H

[Visarend]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

You could mount a suction sponge pickup in each area and run individual vacuum lines to a manifold with a valve at each to isolate one ir two at a time. Little plastic valves for this type of tubing only cost a couple of bucks each at any home building big box store, and wouldn't be that hard to operate if they were placed in an accessible area. These vacuum lines are pretty effective and the control manifold could be placed higher up on a bulkhead and still work well.
e.

Thank you again, this is a vey good advice!
As I plan to use a robust diaphragm pump, I can place it outside of the engine room (suction with 3mm hoses not a problem), so the manifold can be easily accessed and valves operated. Definitely the way to go

[01kiwijohn]

Originally Posted by Visarend

Hi all. I definitely need advice for my very flat bilge multiple issues.

When I built my 36' boat some 30 yrs ago starting from a RPD bare hull, I installed a manual Gusher Titan pump for the motor bilge that is very very flat. It is obviously effective in pumping out large quantities of water (as when a raw water hose exploded some yrs ago), but due to strainer and hose dimensions cannot be placed to the lowest point of the bilge and leaves some 10-15 ltrs of water sloshing around and spraying everywhere.
When overhauling the motor and repainting the bilge, last year, I added a very flat Rule automatic pump that fits under the motor (can be operated: manually/at intervals/automatically with electronic switch at 2,5 cm height of water) https://www.svb24.com/en/rule-lp900d-bilge-pump.html
Still, 2 issues emerged:

1) I had an oil leak before replacing the gearbox, cleaned manually the bilge with specialized products to get rid of the oily film - but the automatic switch stopped functioning. Of course I can take out the small pump and clean it thoroughly - but at this point feel I cannot rely on the pump, because small oil/diesel leaks can always happen, and the only option is switching to manual mode;

2) engine support and hull stiffeners make 7 compartments badly connected and, when the Rule pump leaves only 1/2 inch under the engine, there is still water in the other 6 compartments making the whole install moist and messy.

I dream of a deep bilge (as I have forward of the engine compartment, over the encapsulated keel), but the only (difficult and somewhat risky option in this direction is to open up a 30x25 window under the engine, and stratifying a kind of bulge to make a lower recess. But this could be the very last option, and am not very much tempted. Moreover, it does not solve the problem of the other 6 compartments.

I look very much forward to your advice!

I have a similar situation. In my engine bilge I went to a manual pump, drawing thru a 1 1/2 inch hose connected to a strum box. That way, I always know how much water is coming into the boat, by the number of strokes it takes to clear.
Later, I added a 3 way valve and that same pump can draw from the shallow bilge area under the cabin floor, once again, thru a strum box.
I also have an electric pump, in the main bilge, as a back up.

[wnischt]

I built the diy system with the sponge, electrical outlet cover, pump and timer and it works great. Keeps my bilge completely dry and no bilge smell in the boat. I would recommend it.

[jmschmidt]

The Rule floating flopper switches seem to go bad very quickly from just a short time of e water submersion. Your bilge oil may have accelerated this seepage.

I use one only for my emergency high water detector just below the floor boards where it has stayed dry for thirty years or more and still works. For the bilges I use the solid state water level detectors with auto/manual control panels which are wired to a hot battery bus. One failure in thirty years.

For complete water removal from flat, semi-flat or even deep bilges use a shop-vac. Don't use a shop-vac for spilled fuel. Depending on the internal design, the vac motor may ignite fumes from the fuel.

[JPA Cate]

It really depends on how the boat is designed and built whether or not it has dusty bilges. Use of a flexible shaft seal eliminates that drip, and if your fridge simply collects it's condensate in its own bottom, where it can be sponged out, you're pretty much home free, with only a small shower sump to pump out automatically when you shower.

Even a monohull can have a dry bilge.

Ann

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Sos

I like to hoover my bilges clean

We polish ours after the hoovering

Vis, we also have one of those little auto pumps but from Whale. Just be aware they don't last forever and need replacing every few years as the "auto" function hidden in the plastic wing bit just seems to fail. Also there is a 2 minute delay on the auto function so a slosh of water doesn't set it off, it needs a minute or 2 of emersion before the pump runs.

Pete

[Cheechako]

A fresh water pump or other diaphragm pump will pump dry and not have to be in the sump location. However, you have 7 separate sumps? hmmm... any way you can connect them with maybe small fiberglass tubing glassed in between them? "limber holes" kinda..?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by djousset

It seems in general there is a level of acceptance for water in the bilge. I am newish to this so please excuse my naivete but shouldn't the bilge generally be dry? I understand that things may happen allowing water in, but wouldn't consistent water in the bilge, even a small amount be a sign of a leak somewhere? I originally assumed a little bit of water was "ok", even normal. After some investigating and repairs my bilge is now bone dry.
(I hope I haven't just jinxed myself)

I'm with you. Bilges IMO should be completely dry barring possibly a bit of condensation. There are cheap methods to get every last bit (almost) of water up. One involves a sponge with a hole cut out of it, secured with a compression plate, and a cheap $20-30 diaphram pump.

EDIT: someone has already linked to the solution I was refering to.

Another way to keep the bilge dry after removing (most of) the water is to have bilge blowers (retail or DIY from computer fans) to circulate air.

[randygva]

Take a look at this article from Panbo -- it poses a similar solution as the recommended pump on Amazon, but at a $50 total cost.


Panbo is pretty neat -- many discussions on state of the art electronics, nav systems, etc -- but a lot of it is tempered with "normal" peoples budgets in mind.


This project is a few down on my to-do list for Godspeed, our 41.1 Bristol, but it certainly looks reasonable and easily done.



Good luck