No-hole washdown pump installation

[bmacpiper]

Hey everyone,
I'm in spring project mode, can you tell?

I installed a Jabsco 6gpm washdown pump, using lots of the tips I gleaned from others on the site. Here is a writeup of what I did and a number of photos at the end. In short, I wanted to do a non-permanent installation as a starting point, and live with it for a year. Then decide what changes to make, if any, and whether I want to do through-hull, etc.

The basic installation uses a direct connection to the house battery, and the pump is mounted in the same hatch as the house battery. To mount the pump there would have required some serious aerobics and two guys to through-bolt, and so I decided to mount the pump on a small board and then use industrial velcro to hold it in place. Added bonus there is that I can easily remove the pump if/when I need to pull the house battery, and/or if I need to replace the pump, etc.

My intake and outlet hose is 3/4" reinforced vinyl--I chose this because it can handle the 70psi generated by the pump. Normal vinyl is only rated to 35psi. Also, the clear tubing will make it easy to find any clogs and deal with them. I could only find a bronze check valve locally, so I mounted that on the end of the intake hose so the pump doesn't have to keep priming every time it's turned off. I also put a basic washing machine strainer on the check valve to help with eel grass, etc. The outlet side uses 3/4" tubing just for a couple of inches and then there is a barb-to-garden hose fitting, and the sprayer hose is attached to that.

I did put a 20A fuse inline (pump rated at 16 or 18, I forget) and a 20A on/off marine switch. This was wrapped in electrical tape and then strapped to the motor for easy access.

The whole thing stows in the battery compartment when not in use; to use it, I throw the intake over the side, and deploy the sprayer hose. The compartment lid just sits slightly ajar. The pump turns on and off as it loses or gains pressure, or can be shut off altogether with the inline switch.

And before you ask/comment, I do in fact realize that electrical tape doesn't help keep a water line watertight. It is there to hold down the loose end of the hose clamps--which I cut myself on about once per minute when they are exposed. I am certain this is a job title at the hose clamp maker: "Chief Hose Clamp End Sharpener".

Happy washing, looking forward to hosing some blood and guts overboard the easy way this year!

Best,
Ben

Underside of pump with white plate and velcro. Tip: when placing velcro on the boat, attach it to the part it will hold first, remove the adhesive cover, and then place the boat side of the velcro with the part being placed. Alignment will be perfect this way.



Pump velcroed in place, with easy access to hose disconnects. Switch is on top front; hard to see in the picture.



Intake and sprayer hoses deployed.



Stowed.



Lint screen installed on intake check valve (these are for the drain hose of a washing machine, about $3 for two of them at Home Depot).



The good stuff.



My sweet new Miller Marine rigging table. Just because.

[Jack in Alaska]

I will be interested in how your test set up works and if it survives the summer in a salt water environment.

My CD came with a Jabsco wash down pump that did not work. THe pressure switch was the culprit. Replaced the switch and away it went for one trip out. I bit the bullet and purchased a new Jabsco pump. It lasted about a month then quit. Took it apart, cleaned up the pressure switch, it worked seversl times then back to the bucket method. Purchased a 3rd Jabsco (slow learner) and it also had the switch fail. So.................I took the newest pump, removed the pressure switch, spliced on wires to a manual switch up under the gunnel on the transom. It has worked for several summers w/o fail and it idiot proof.
I now have a box of spare Jabsco pumps, switches, pump heads and other miscl. pieces just for "in case".

Next is to get my Rule 1100 gph bilge pump working 100% of the time. I do believe it has a mind of it's own.

[bmacpiper]

Well, Jack, that stinks. I hope I have better luck, but I guess it's all the more reason not to put holes in the boat until I have proven the pump to work or not.

I got their hotshot series; wondering what line of pump you have had from Jabsco?

best,
bmc

[Jake B]

I have used Jabsco pumps for a while now. My first one I got 4 seasons out of it before it sat in my garage for 2 years (pulled off old boat waiting to put on new boat). When I did put it on the c-dory it did not work, I figured that it had sat so long corrosion had taken over. Reading online about the pressure switch I bypassed it and it did work. However from what I read 5 years is what some expect from these pumps and the cost of a new pressure switch I went ahead with the same pump you put in. the hotshot series pumps have by far a better sealed system around the pressure switch. Time will tell if the pressure switch will prove to be the weak link on the current pump. That said once you have a wash-down it will be hard not to have one...

[Jake B]

BTW I like your table mount to the tie bar. May have to give that set up a shot. Went with the bbq mounts this year and it still will pivot around the bar if someone leans up on it. Do you get any movement with that set up?

[bmacpiper]

Hey there Jake!
Good to know re: your pump experience. I use the boat and pump quite a bit; maybe 200 hours a year, so if it's going to fail it should do so pretty quickly. The pump carries a 3-year warranty in any case.

The table is new, but so far it is quite sturdy and seems it will not pivot. The rod holders were added last year and caught a bunch of salmon, so they've been pretty well tested, but of course a 200# man pushing hard will probably strip just about anything. This particular model is fitted to the bar size, and also has two set screws on the backside that you can't see. I use my clutch drill on all six screws at max clutch setting (sort of a poor-man's impact) and they are pretty darn solid then. They do of course leave a small cut circle in the bar if you remove them, from where the set screws bit into the bar. If you really wanted to make these bullet-proof, you could remove the set screws and drill the same size hole into the bar, then replace the set screws--i.e. so they are going into the hole you just made. But so far I haven't needed to do that.

I have them spaced now so that the table can go to either side, and then a cup holder in the other one or a rod holder. I will soon move the button mount for the cup holder to the back of the rigging table, so that I can always have a center rod if desired when using two downriggers. We usually fish that center rod at/near the surface, and the riggers deeper.

Anyway, take care and talk soon.
ben