Manual Bilge Pump

[darmoose]

Today I tried my manual bilge pump after not having touched it for several years, and wouldn't you know it, nothing but air. Did some checking in the blige to see that the hose was indeed in the water (my bilge always has some water in it), tried it again, nothing but air.

Filled the bilge with more water, bringing the level up to just under the floor boards, tried again, still only air. So, now I'm thinking, perhaps the diaphram is cracked or the hose is cracked which will require a uncomfortable trip into the port locker (my whale pump is located on the rear wall of my cockpit on the port side) for a upclose inspection, but before I prepare myself and do that, is it possible that the pump just lost prime and I need to prime the hose (I doubt it), but thought it worth asking (ooh I hate to go in there)

I am pretty sure that no manual pump would hold prime without a check valve (which I don't think I have), so I guess these pumps are supposed to be self priming, and when they don't there's some air getting in somewhere (oh, man I don't even wanna think about going dwon in there)

Anybody wanna share some knowledge, advice, synpathy. Please be gentle Its really hot down in there right now!!

Darrell

[Joe Myerson]

Hi Darrell,
I assume you're talking about the permanently mounted manual pump.

If it's one of several Whale pumps (I think they're called "Gushers," but I'm sure I'll be corrected if that's not right), there are rebuild kits available from Defender.

The rebuild is simple enough that even I was able to do it, although mounting the pump after fixing it can be a real hassle (at least it was on my 25D ).

Make sure you know which model pump you have, and you can even call Defender. The very nice customer-service personnel there can make sure you get the correct kit for your pump.

--Joe

P.S. If you could send SOME of that heat our way, we cold, soggy New Englanders would be grateful.

[bottomscraper]

About 2 years ago I rebuilt the manual bilge pump on Mahalo. I also purchased the kit from Defender. The hose on Mahalo looked like pool hose and cracked at the fitting when I was removing the pump. I think it is prudent to replace the hose along with rebuilding the pump. You may want to spring for the AWAB all 316 stainless hose clamps if you don't have them already. We test our pump on a regular basis.

[Joe Myerson]

Rich,

In the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" department: I should have replaced my hose and clamps when I rebuilt the pump.

--Joe

[Steve Laume]

I would check the suction hose before rebuilding the pump. Even a small crack or hole on the suction side will make the pump dysfunctional.

Something as small as a 1/4" hole mistakenly drilled in the hose will put your pump out of commission. I know this for a fact.

There is a very good chance that you will also have to rebuild the pump.

It does not need to be primed and should have no trouble lifting water from the bottom of your bilge.

Like most things it is probably good to use it on a regular basis, Steve.

[Tom in Cambria]

If you go to rebuild it, be sure to get the whole rebuild kit and not just the diaphragm. In my experience it's more often the flapper valves that go bad than the main diaphragm rubber. A piece of rust or lint can sometimes get caught under the flapper valve and that puts it totally out of action also since the valves won't close and create a suction. You don't need to prime the pump. When it's working right it will self prime.

[jbenagh]

Darrell,

my pump failed twice last year, with a horrible sound of air through the pump. I disassembled and reassembled it twice to remove cable tie ends that blocked the check valve -- I had been too cavalier in discarding them when installing some new wiring.

I don't know how challenging the access is in your boat. You might disassemble first to see what is going on before buying the rebuild kit. Once you open the pump you will discover how simple the device really is (kind of a toilet plunger with check valves).

Jeff

[Steve Laume]

Darrell,

Once you open the pump you will discover how simple the device really is (kind of a toilet plunger with check valves).

Jeff

Jeff. that was a great description!!! Pretty funny too.

If I were you, I would be expecting a call from the Whale people at at any moment asking if they could use your description in there marketing material. You may have missed your calling, Steve.

[jbenagh]

Steve,

glad I supplied comic relief. It was also splendid example about how I got myself worried about some boat part only to find that it was really not complicated.

Jeff

[johnny of STORK]

Today I tried my manual bilge pump after not having touched it for several years, and wouldn't you know it, nothing but air. Did some checking in the blige to see that the hose was indeed in the water (my bilge always has some water in it), tried it again, nothing but air.


Darrell

When my pump dries out, such as after a summer on the hard, it can take quite a while to prime. I rebuilt it a couple of years ago, and that didn't make much difference overall. After a time or two, at the beginning of each year, it seems to get a lot easier.

I'm interested in your comment that your bilge always has water in it. Mine had a constant slow seep for the first ten or so years I owned Stork, so I always had a way of checking the pump. I could see the seep coming down the inside of the deadwood, just barely. I assumed it was the shaft log leaking, and replaced that (much harder than the eventual fix), and it didn't make any difference. This was a *highly* depressing moment. I was able finally to stop the flow, which drove me nuts, after grinding and reglassing the whole area around the stern tube. The original glassing in that area seemed to have been very sloppily done, and I wonder how many CDs have that problem.

Johnny

[mattlydon]

Before going crazy, see if you can get some water up into the pump by putting a garden hose up the bilge end. It's possible that your check valves are stuck open from sticky 'water' that dried out in the pump.

[The Patriot]

My CD 28 has 2 "Gusher 8" pumps, a "Gusher 10" pump, a "Baby Foot Pump", and a "Galley Foot Pump." Over the years, all have either been rebuilt or replaced due to service. In general these are "good enough" pumps, especially the Gusher 10, but Whale pumps have a tendency to wear poorly with extended use. In particular the Gusher 8 has a diaphragm that is subject to pinhole leaks, and that means no suction and no lift. The Gusher 10, fitted last year, is a tremendous pump, but it's quite expensive and large enough to be difficult to fit in a smaller boat. You should probably buy the appropriate service kit for your model pump and replace everything you can, including the flapper valves, "O" rings, diaphragms, etc.

BTW, from your post it appears that you have been relying entirely on an electric pump to clear the bilge. You might want to consider the implications of this in extremis.

[chase]

I installed a gusher titan last week after multiple bilge pump failures (while offshore and cabin sole awash) and now I cannot get it to work. It worked for a week, then all air. I went ahead and just replaced the intake hose with check valve inspected but no dice, guess I have to pull it and check it out. Two weeks old.......

In addition, the handle cracked, likely from the shim that holds it to the stainless shaft, and not from misuse. I'll pay top dollar for a good bilge pump, this one does not give me confidence.

Chase

[SurryMark]

[quote= I was able finally to stop the flow, which drove me nuts, after grinding and reglassing the whole area around the stern tube. The original glassing in that area seemed to have been very sloppily done, and I wonder how many CDs have that problem. Johnny[/quote]

Tula's bilge keeps filling slowly, but enough to keep the electric pump coming on regularly if I don't pump down to the bottom of the keel. I'll study this solution of yours, though doing it in a 27 is an unpleasant idea.

On Whales. Does anyone with a cockpit-mounted Gusher empty it directly into the scupper, just for the ease of it? Do you generally add another through-hull? If so, where? I'd be inclined to put it up on the side, but that guarantees a mess if there's oil in the bilge. I guess that goes for the cockpit too, if any bilge water sloshes about before going down the hole. (stick the tube down the scupper?)

And, if you mount the Gusher at the back of the cockpit it's a longer run to the bottom of the keel than if it's monted in the front. Does this affect the pull? thx, MB