I need to redo the bilge pump, which is currently tied into the manual pump hose. To decrease the amount of back flow I am thinking of putting a new loop in the cabinet where the fuel hose goes through, giving it a very short return path. Has any one done something like this? Looking for ideas.
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Alex H.
SV Alexanne, 1985 #432 SR
SF Marina Bay YH
Alex,
First of all, everything I have read says that it is not a good idea to combine bilge pump hoses. Each pump should have its own hose and its own thru-hull. You might want to consider a different approach for your bilge pumps. I was also very discouraged by the amount of back-flow when the pump stopped pumping. Check valves don't really work, and they restrict water flow too much. I changed the hose for the primary, large capacity bilge pump to a smooth-bore hose, to get maximum capacity if/when it is needed, and ran it straight back to the transom. The vast majority of the times the bilge pump works, it is for small, nuisance amounts of water. I installed a smaller bilge pump, with a vented loop up near the galley sink, and a small diameter hose. The back-flow is maybe a cup. Much better all around. Here's some more details:
[url]http://www.c36ia.com/node/944[/url]
Hope this helps.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Thank you, yes I read about your installation and will do something similar. I want to run the primary pump through a new loop to shorten the backflow problem and I will also use smooth bore hose. The surveyor noticed that the primary pump was combined with the manual pump and that is why I am changing it.
Alex H.
SV Alexanne, 1985 #432 SR
SF Marina Bay YH
I was actually just clambering around upside down in my boat's rear lazarette yesterday, checking out how the MkII bilge hoses were run, and saw that just like you describe, the automatic bilge hose is teed into the manual bilge line near the thru-hull. This looks like it is actually how Catalina did the original install of these hoses for some reason. So, something to keep in mind and add to the long list of eventual upgrades...
Josh McElwee
Sailing from East Greenwich, RI
2000 C36 MKII, M35B, "Chinook", Hull#1900
I'm looking around for info on installing a new separate through-hull for the bilge pump. Has anyone done this?
Thanks
Peter Lundquist
s/v Rafael
1998 Catalina 36
Hull #1669
Salem, MA
See [url]http://www.c36ia.com/node/944[/url].
We copied Tom's installation on [I]Que Chévere[/I]. Routed the added hose essentially alongside the existing ones. The trickiest part was fishing the hose under the floor between the galley sink cabinet and the transmission, which required the intervention of a few choice 4-letter words..
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
That helps, thanks.
Peter Lundquist
s/v Rafael
1998 Catalina 36
Hull #1669
Salem, MA