Manual Bilge Pump

Scott MacCready · Post by **Scott MacCready** » Jan 21st, '06, 22:12

The manual bilge pump on my CD30K is not working. I replaced the hose, thinking it might've had a small hole which would break the vacume without success. I took the pump itself apart, and other than finding a complete 1" hose clamp inside, everything looked fine. Anyone have any ideas? When I first looked at the boat prior to purchasing, It did work though required a lot of rapid pumping to prime it. Now it doesn't seem to work at all.

Oswego John · Post by **Oswego John** » Jan 21st, '06, 22:59

Scott,

Most manual pumps consist of three basic elements, the inlet or supply hose, the pump body, and the discharge hose.

First, check the bilge end of the supply hose for clogging at the strainer below the bilge water surface.

Then ascertain if the pump diaphragm is creating suction. Disconnect the hose at the pump inlet, activate the pump and make sure that there is a strong vacuum at the inlet by covering it with your palm. You will know if it is there or not.

If little or no water is being pulled up into the pump, chances are that there is an air leak in the supply hose somewhere between the water surface and the pump housing inlet. It could be at the inlet, itself. If this should prove so, the pump would be sucking mostly air instead of water.

Check inside the pump body at the inlet. Some pumps have foot valves or one way flapper valves. Make sure that there is no debris holding the valve open.

It would be a rare thing, but check that the discharge hose isn't kinked or pinched shut.

Good luck,
O J

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 22nd, '06, 07:52

I had a couple of problems with my bilge pump when I first purchased my boat. At first it worked, then I would pump like crazy and get very little water. It was easy to pump. That was an original cracked hose. I replaced both hoses, amongst many others on the boat and it worked fine for a while. The next problem was pumping and getting very little or no water. It was hard to pump. That was a plugged strainer. Rinsed out, pumped out and vacuumed the bilge and it has worked fine ever since. The point is how hard or easy the pump feels might give you a pretty good idea of where to look for a problem. The strainer would be my first check, Steve.

winthrop fisher · Post by **winthrop fisher** » Jan 22nd, '06, 08:37

hey scott, all pumps have repairs kits, just go get one. they don't cost much...winthrop

Scott MacCready wrote:The manual bilge pump on my CD30K is not working. I replaced the hose, thinking it might've had a small hole which would break the vacume without success. I took the pump itself apart, and other than finding a complete 1" hose clamp inside, everything looked fine. Anyone have any ideas? When I first looked at the boat prior to purchasing, It did work though required a lot of rapid pumping to prime it. Now it doesn't seem to work at all.

Scott MacCready · Post by **Scott MacCready** » Jan 22nd, '06, 21:09

I have taken it apart and everything looked fine. Perhaps the flaps are just old and not seating perfectly. As far the strainer being plugged, I don't have one. I guess that's why I found a hose clamp sucked all the way into the pump inlet.
Thanks Winthrop, I located a distributer. Now I'll have to wait 'til I return to the boat to see exactly which model I have. I think it's the Whale Gusher #8 but not 100% sure. Scott

LoneStar · Post by **LoneStar** » Jan 22nd, '06, 23:21

Scott,

I had the same issue, sans hose clamp... replaced the diaphrams in my Whale Gusher 10 and it works great.

Mike

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 23rd, '06, 08:54

The strainer might be a very good addition to your system. I am always amazed at how much junk ends up in the bilge. A nice bronze strainer not only keeps the junk out of the pump but it also holds the suction end under water. You would hate to go to all the work and expense of rebuilding the pump and then find you sucked up something nasty that would jamb up the works. You know this will only happen when you really need the pump. Best of luck, Steve.

rtbates · Post by **rtbates** » Jan 24th, '06, 14:35

Most likely culprit, barring a clog, is leaking diaphragms. Are they cracked and dried out? Keep silicone grease on them to prevent dry out and cracking. It also keeps the port gaskets from dry out as well as any and all rubber items aboard. Great stuff, I get mine from a dive shop

L.DeMers · Post by **L.DeMers** » Jan 24th, '06, 15:03

Scott,

My bet is that you have a diaphram that is leaking for some reason.

By the way, I would not install a strainer on the bilge pumps hose end, unless you can get to the end and clear it easily and quickly.

On the CD30's that job is darn tough to do. The hose is routed under the galley riser and disappears under the sole...straight down to the bottom, so there is no way provided to clean the end of the strainer. (I can see maybe tying on a small rope to the end of the bilge hose, and routing it out of the salon floor bilge access port, where it could be pulled to get at the hose end, but that also presents problems of it's own)

Fortunately, the bottom of the keel sump is a small space, and the hose end does not wander around side to side at all.

I would leave the strainer off. The pump should be able to handle small debris, and it is easier to open and clean than is the hose with strainer.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Lake Superior

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 24th, '06, 17:44

Larry, my pump hose also enters the bilge by running under the galley riser over the holding tank then forward to make a sweeping curve at he access hatch and then down and back to the bottom of the bilge. It is a very simple matter to lift the cover and pull out the hose end to clean off the strainer. It sounds like we may have a slightly different set up there by creating the difference of recommendations. My strainer is much easier to pull and clear off than it would be to pull the pump apart. I wish every thing was half so easy to get at, Steve.

Mitch F · Post by **Mitch F** » Jan 25th, '06, 08:59

I did what Larry recommends in our CD30K: two small lines run from the inside of the sole access hatch down to the end of the bilge pump hoses. When there is a problem I haul in the end of the hose and clear the strainer. The CD30 bilge access is not very good. You can't even see the bottom without a mirror. Once a season I run the shop vac down there to clear all the junk I can't see.

Jim Lewis · Post by **Jim Lewis** » Jan 25th, '06, 09:04

I have never had a strainer on my pump, but did put a flap type valve down at the bottom.....have rebuilt once in 25 yrs.......you can get a screw on to bilge hose type and that has worked just
fine......however it does hold some water in that long hose......

Good luck

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