Bilge Pump not pumping

timflan · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:17 pm Post subject: Bilge Pump not pumping

The Rule-Mate 1100 Automatic Bilge Pump just inside the cabin will run when there's water present, or when I turn it on. And it pumps water, which comes out the side of the boat. So far, so good.

Except that after about 30 seconds, water stops coming out the side of the boat. The pump is still pumping, but no water is moving.

Turn it off, turn it back on, and it works again. For about 30 seconds.

I was emptying/refilling the water tank today, relying on the bilge pump to carry the last water in the tank away. And since I had the hose rigged up, I hosed out the cockpit floor today. Bilge pump running constantly, of course. Except...the water level wasn't going down. That's when I discovered the pattern I described above. Had a lot of water to drain, so many chances to test it out.

It just WILL NOT pump consistently. It's as if it's got some sort of priming/vacuum seal/vapor lock sort of issue going on, even though the pump is submerged enough that water's draining out of that little sump and getting into the cabin.

Has it gone bad?

Thanks,

Tim

Alasgun · Guest

Pull the pump head (main body) out of the plastic screen which serves as a strainer as well as the pump mount. It is common to have garbage in there.
Mike

timflan · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject:

You mean all that crud that's blocking the pump intake? The crud that probably gets pushed away when the pump is turned off and the back-pressure of the water in the hose pushes back? That crud?

Yeah, OK. Smile

THANKS! I have high hopes that this will solve the problem.

Wayne McCown · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:34 am Post subject: Another possibility

You also have to have enough water to pump.

timflan · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject:

Oh, I had enough water! While I would love it if the pump were able to pump the cockpit floor completely dry, that's not the problem I was having trouble with yesterday. That's a problem for another day...

breausaw · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: cabin bilge pump on 22 07 CD?

Rob & Karen · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject:

Jay,

Your boat is new enough that it probably has the molded in cockpit liner, which includes a cockpit floor raised above the hull. With a cockpit floor like this the water runs to the back of the boat near the drain plug, where you should have a bilge pump. You most likely do not have a pump in the cabin.

Rob

breausaw · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

Cutty Sark · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:

There is also a check valve in the outlet hose, You might want to check and make sure it wasn't put on backwards. Seems that was a problem for someone? Anyway worth a shot.

Sark

Captains Cat · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

How much crud would a bilge pump pump if a bilge pump could pump crud! Or something like that! Shocked

Let us know what you find out! Thumbs Up

Charlie

colobear · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject:

For a while at least, 22's came with a bilge pump aft at the transom between the fuel tanks and a second in a fiberglass "bowl" under a step just as you enter the cabin. 2006 was, as far as I know, the last year they did that. There is not a "bilge" on my 2006 and I doubt if there is one on your 2007. I suspect the manual just hasn't been updated to reflect the current setup.

timflan · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject:

Just to followup on the original issue, cleaning the screen allowed the pump to work properly again.

And in related news, it really, really sucks when your cabin gets flooded.