Bilge pump

[Endurance2018]

My newest upgrade. Not the finished product but works very well. Debating on making it permanent or keep it portable. What say you....

[DesertAlbin736]

Interesting! A submersible pump? Automatic (level sensing) or manual activation? My only concern would be does it have a strainer of some kind or something to prevent getting clogged with debris. We have a diaphragm pump with an inline strainer that has to be cleaned out often.

[WillieC]

The WillieC came with a pencil thin moustache pump that slipped way down in the bilge. Not much in the way of strainer on it. It was pretty much toast when we got it so I put in a ridiculous self-contained unit that sits way too high to be any use whatsoever. We end up pumping the bilge by hand when we need to. The only water that ends up in there is from an occasional window leak and the melt from our ice chests.

When we upgrade, maybe another winter project, I'll be moving to the high and dry self priming pump with only the hose and its strainer sitting in the bilge, and an electronic sensor. There are good ones readily available, plenty of info here elsewhere on the site.

[Endurance2018]

Understand your dilemma. My diaphragm pump died also and wanted a cheaper alternative.

It works better than expected. Use it manually for rain water. May hard wire it later this winter. I have an auto pump a little higher in the bilge. Also has a small strainer that can be cleaned

[DesertAlbin736]

"The WillieC came with a pencil thin moustache pump"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoZ9poFsWzE

Our PAR diaphragm bilge pump with inline suction strainer upper right (non-automatic, must be switched on & off as needed via the DC fuse panel switch at the helm), as inherited from PO, and Vetus raw water strainer as replaced from the previous one that came with the boat. Whale backup manual pump at lower right. If we were to dock our boat in the water full time I'd need to add a float switch into the pump circuit as well as a three way On-Auto-Off switch.

DSCN1991.JPG

"Understand your dilemma. My diaphragm pump died also and wanted a cheaper alternative."

Diaphragm pumps are nice, but they are quite expensive to replace like for like, in the $400 range. But if the diaphragm part failed I'm not sure but I think they may be able to repair and/or rebuild by replacing the rubber parts? I know our PO left behind spares.