Shower Sump

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Yotboss

I... We put a SS screen over the shower drain itself and clean it often. It's now going on five years and there is never any debris in the strainer in the box and both units work perfectly. Now that I've said that, they will break, of course....

Good idea, Boss.
I agree that you've probably jinxed yourself, though.

[Windblown]

Hmm, lots of good advice to ponder here. I would still like to have a float switch on it, so as to keep it simple for the Commodore, aka Mrs Windblown. However, since she sheds hair worse than a sheepdog in August, I think using a diaphragm pump and a screen over the drain itself will be the way to go.

Thanks all!

[cchesley]

I've been living and showering aboard for 3 years. I have a macerator pump without strum box and have never had a problem. The macerator handles the hair and gunk buildup and discharges straight overboard (yup, not a grey water system) It's still going strong without a problem.

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by cchesley

I've been living and showering aboard for 3 years. I have a macerator pump without strum box and have never had a problem. The macerator handles the hair and gunk buildup and discharges straight overboard (yup, not a grey water system) It's still going strong without a problem.

Is that to say that you just turn on the pump when your showering?
Can a macerator pump be run dry?

Regards,
Extemp.

[CruiseAbaco]

We are going to auto self checking Rule bilge pumps in a box for our charter boats at Cruiseabaco when current systems need replacing. This will be one less thing for charter guests to think about and we will have an extra auto bildge pump in each shower.

[Windblown]

Update.
I'm finally done, after spending a day re-contouring the pan, which was sloped AWAY from the drain, rather than toward it. Guess they don't have gravity in Taiwan where it was built I installed a Whale sump box and a Gulper 220 diaphragm pump. Several showers later, it all seems to be working great. Hopefully it will stand the test of time.

Thanks all.

[imagine2frolic]

The pump on my rule hasn't been the problem. It has been the float switch, and they don't sell it seperately. A very special size of course! This is with 6 years living aboard with daily showers.I will build my own next time with a bucket!......i2f

[theonecalledtom]

Is this the rule unit that everyone hates and is the only one that sells at a reasonable price?

[Edit...]

Now I have a decent internet connection I found a cheaper unit - anyone using the attwood or are we basically talking the same problems?

One way or the other taking showers onboard would go down well in some quarters...

[anjou]

If you use a pump, strainer and float switch in a sealed box, you can bet yer boots when it stops working, the box will be full of grungy water when open it, and that will all spill out.

Mine is a Whale 220. Saw it demonstrated at a boat show. They had it circulating a small clear tank of water and someone dropped an old sock in. It disappeared into the pump and within a second it shot back into the tank.
So I figured if it can handle old socks, its good for soap and hair.

[theonecalledtom]

So we're talking a box, a switch and a pump, mixed with some legal requirements.

Spitting out socks sounds more fun than choking on hair. Did anyone try one of these units: whale combo

[anjou]

Originally Posted by theonecalledtom

So we're talking a box, a switch and a pump, mixed with some legal requirements.

Spitting out socks sounds more fun than choking on hair. Did anyone try one of these units: whale combo

I cant see from the pic, what the float switch set up is in that box, but the main problem with sump boxes is the build up of hair and solidified soap which either blocks a pre filter or suffocates the switch, preventing it floating freely.

[donradcliffe]

One of the 'must-do' jobs every time we check into a marina (which is about every 6 months) is to take the hose and clean out the built-up soap scum out of the sump, as well as blowing the crap out of the hoses from the showers to the sump.

The rule pumps last us about 5 years on average, with no pre-filter, but they only get hairballs from the admiral...

[Mark Zarley]

We have a rule shower sump system. I clean the strainer anytime the water starts to "back up around my ankles". After 12 yrs of fulltime liveaboard usage am only on my 2nd pump and switch. Diaphram pumps in my opinion are expensive to buy, and with a belt and diaphram to maintain it just gets more expensive. The vane pump has no replacable parts, maintainance is simple, unclip the suction screen and clean any stray hair from the shaft and impeller. The rule pump is a $50.00 item , while the cheapest jabsco diaphram pump is around $250.00. The jabsco pump is completly rebuidable but the parts are a bit pricey. So I vote for the properly protected cheapo throw away rule pump as being the most cost effective.

[St. Elsewhere]

Solution for the Gunk Build Up

We have the Rule, sump box, strainers ahead of the pump system setup. About eight years ago someone told me to drop a Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner tablet in the box periodically. Since doing so, the gunk does not build up, and there are no odor issues. Also, the original Rule pump is still running after 13 years. We are on the boat about 100 days a year.

[Windblown]

Since I started this thread, thought I'd jump back in. After 8 months of daily use, everything is functioning fine. Every week or so I have to lift up the deck grate and clear the admirals hairball from the screen at the bottom of the pan. I'm military, so she can't blame it on my 1/4 inch "do", lol. About once a month the pump will start up when I shower, but won't turn off by itself unless I kill the breaker first. I open up the box and wipe the soap scum off the sensor, and then it works fine. Those 2 items are the only maintenance I've had to do since I installed it with 2 people taking showers daily. It wasn't cheap, but I'm happy with how it's performed.

Kevin