Shower Sump Issues

[nigelmercier]

Originally Posted by peghall

For more details about using Raritan C.P to clean sumps and drains, see post #7 in the thread "Substitute for Raritan C.P" in this forum...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-cp-88654.html

Never seen Raritan in Europe, but never had a problem with smelly shower sump either. Best modification I did on my boat was a one minute timer on the shower pump-out.

The inlet for the heads gets stinky though, easily solved with a chlorine tablet in the inlet filter. If you don't have a filter, add one. They sell mini tablets for spa pools (hot tubs).

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

AC drains to shower sump, shower sump is about 5 gls, looks to me to be a kitchen garbage can or if not sure looks like one, just a heavy duty one. My bilge is about four ft deep?
I have a very good float switch, forgot the name, got it from Hopcar. I hate getting older, I can see the darn thing, just can't remember the name, something Jr.
Oh, I see now, I did say bilge didn't I? I meant shower sump, that sits in the bilge

Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Agree. Getting older is a pain, but it beats the alternative.

Is your switch a Ultra? The float inside a clear, round plexiglass tube? That's what I've got and so far it's great. I got the model with the built-in alarm.

By the way, I couldn't remember the name. Had to Google it.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by skipmac

... Is your switch a Ultra? The float inside a clear, round plexiglass tube? That's what I've got and so far it's great. I got the model with the built-in alarm...

Ultra Pump Switch JR.

[a64pilot]

Yes, the one Gord linked to.
I think it will likely last forever, honestly. One thing I like is when it gets nasty and gunked up, it is easily disassembled and cleaned. I have the same switch for my bilge as well.

[Steve Lavigne]

i've had 3 years of daily use with flawless performance and zero maintenance from my Whale Grey IC shower pump. It senses water and turns on automagically.

It seemed expensive when I bought it, but I'm convinced it was worth every penny.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Steve Lavigne

i've had 3 years of daily use with flawless performance and zero maintenance from my Whale Grey IC shower pump. It senses water and turns on automagically.

It seemed expensive when I bought it, but I'm convinced it was worth every penny.

Hey Steve, I have the dual inlet Whale IC as well. Did you have a problem with the auto on? When I hook it up via the auto wire it doesn't want to start when it senses water. Almost like a car starter with a super low battery, just lumps over and over. But when I do the manual wire it runs perfectly. Did you have that issue per chance?

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

[Steve Lavigne]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

Hey Steve, I have the dual inlet Whale IC as well. Did you have a problem with the auto on? When I hook it up via the auto wire it doesn't want to start when it senses water. Almost like a car starter with a super low battery, just lumps over and over. But when I do the manual wire it runs perfectly. Did you have that issue per chance?

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

The only issue I ever had was when I had an airlock in the y sensor. This was because the drain lines were slightly lower than the sensor. All is well as long as the sensor is the lowest point.

[HeadingUnknown]

Thanks...this got me thinking..I believe the refrigerator and the AC drain to the sump. I have water that keeps showing up in the forward bilge. I am betting this is from them as the sump overflows. I will order a new sump this week.

I saw a post on here today.. "Buying our First Boat...Advice?" RUN..RUN FAST

Frank

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Steve Lavigne

The only issue I ever had was when I had an airlock in the y sensor. This was because the drain lines were slightly lower than the sensor. All is well as long as the sensor is the lowest point.

Thanks for the info Steve. I'll have to look further into it and maybe give Whale a call. I had that lock too haha, I had to mount the sensor lower as well. Super neat pump for what it's worth.

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

My advice would be to plumb a whale diaphragm pump directly to the shower drain. Bypass the sump tank completely and toss it out!

I wired the pump switch to the vanity. If I forget to turn it on, the water just backs up into the shower pan which reminds me to turn on the pump. :-)

I used one of those for years on the previous boat plumbed directly to the drain in the floor of the head. Worked extremely well and never failed. Completely manual operation, turn it on before the shower, turn it off after the shower.

On the new boat I use the Whale IC pumps which have a capacitive sensor in the drain fitting. Same concept but automatic. They work very well, only issue is that if the scum in the drain builds up enough it will pump for longer after the drain has no more water in it.

As all of the sinks are below waterline when heeled over, all of the sinks drains (two heads and galley) use the sink drain version which also works nicely.

In any case, either manual or automatic these do have the classic "gulp gulp" sound which is quite amusing to some guests. It can be limited by creating a bit of a trap in the line, but for example the galley sink drain is sufficiently straight that nothing ever gets clogged going down it so I find it a fair trade.

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by Steve Lavigne

i've had 3 years of daily use with flawless performance and zero maintenance from my Whale Grey IC shower pump. It senses water and turns on automagically.

It seemed expensive when I bought it, but I'm convinced it was worth every penny.

Yes, that is exactly the pump I am using across the boat, there is a version which replaces the drain, (which I have in the showers) a version with a large yellow "T" to join two hoses and then on to the pump, and a bilge pump version.

I own all three, I have not yet installed the bilge pump version. What is nice is that all of these pumps use the same pump and have the same watertight wiring connection.

They also have an override wire to force them on.

I did discover by accident that when the pump comes on the override wire becomes active. I had both the shower drain and the sink drain in one of the heads wired to the same manual "force on" switch. When one of the pumps came on the other would run at the same time. Could be useful in some cases but not what I needed. So added a second switch, one for the sink and one for the shower sump. Rarely use the "force on" but all of the drains on the boat have them nearby so kept with the program


As noted previously, the only issue I have had with one of these pumps is the shower I use all the time will get a buildup after a couple of months which retains enough moisture for the pump to keep running for longer than I would like. A quick wipe out with a paper towel and the problem is gone