Installing Bilge Pump

C

chowder_bythesea

New member
Just bought my first C-Dory (and first boat)! Been ogling over C-Dorys for years and happy to be a part of the following :) But with that there is much to learn!! I have a 1988 22' Angler and while it's an oldie there has never been a bilge pump installed. So I have an automatic pump ready to install but where would you typically put the outflow? All I've seen online is people installing them up in the cabin but I assume that was an auxiliary one? Just wondering where to drill a hole for the outtake. (Hope I phrased everything accurately-going off of what the boyfriend is explaining to me) :)
 
Welcome aboard--and congratulations--the boats basically have not changed since 1987!

Most of that era boats had a bilge pump all of the way aft. I have two bilge pumps. One is located all of the way aft, where there is a depression in the floor, right in front of the drain plug. Not sure if your boat has that. This depression is a "sump" for water to collect in. The discharge is 10" below the gunnel. My second bilge pump is just inside the cabin door, under a small step (2006, cruiser). There is also a sump there. This discharge is 12" below the gunnel.

One thing to remember if you put a screw into the bottom of the boat--the boat is cored with balsa wood. You don't want to get water in that core; especially in Alaska, where you have freeze thaw cycles. Water in the core can cause delamination and core rot. To prevent getting water into the core, the safest procedure is to over drill the size of the hole for the screw. Remove a small amount of the core, with a Dremel tool (a bent coat hanger, or small Allen wrench can also be used). Coat the expose core with non thickened epoxy resin. Then thicken the resin with cabosil and medium density thickener, after this hardens, drill the pilot hole for any screw you want. The hull bottom, the deck the cabin top (partly) and aft bulkhead are cored, The rest of the boat, including hull sides are not cored, and you can drill or put screws into the structure as you wish.

The boats when in the water, tend to correct water on the bottom about amidships--and this is why some have the bilge pump there. On a plane, the water will collect by the transom--and this is a reason to have the pump there.

Are you keeping the boat in the water, or on a trailer, with the bow up--the plug out?
 
Welcome to C-BRATS and Congratulations on the "New to You" C-Dory

How To Do A Search on C-BRATS Site (on a Windows PC)

Go up to the "Search" button, click on it and under the blue wide line that says "Search Query" type in “C-Dory AND bilge AND pump AND placement” (or any other word that you are looking for specifically).

Use "AND" (yes in Caps) to put two words together.

You may find variations of spelling (C-Dory, CDory) bring up more and different threads.

Type your search words into the top query box, and then

click on the button infront of the "Search for all terms" line.

You will have enough reading for a week or two once you get the hang of the search function.

That may help for other information you are looking for too.

As to where, When you are in the boat and running you want the pump in the lowest position. That will be aft near the transom, close to center. If you are concerned about it being moored at anchor or a dock, the low spot will be forward and close to the cabin wall, under the door. In the earlier models, they were often placed just to the starboard side of the door.

There should be high point in the discharge hose between the pump and the discharge opening on the side of the boat, and you will want that opening to be somewhere between 6-8 inches or more, maybe a foot to 18 inches above the water line.

Many applications call for having the pump wired directly to the battery so that if the battery is off the pump will still run. To me that depends on where you store the boat, whether it is left unattended on a mooring, in the weather, or stored covered so that rain accumulation is not an issue unless you are actually on the boat.

Good on you for adding that device first off.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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For the installation, I would pass on putting any screw into the bottom of the boat. You can use lots of possibilities, marine epoxy glue, 4200, #M double stick tape, are some that work and don't make holes in the bottom of your boat.

If you do drill and screw, do as Bob says for a good result.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Previously I liked to fasten my bilge pumps to a thin piece of aluminum which I would secure to the hull with 4200 for a hole-free install.

Since I added a sump to the area just behind my bulkhead (where many pumps are located) and have a second pump in my transom sump, I now put them on a much thicker piece of aluminum (1/2") and just let them sit there. Works great!
 
You will want a pump (and through hull fitting) that fit's 1 1/8" pump hose. Don't bother with the inexpensive corrugated (sometimes called "smurf") hose. Yes, it is less expensive, but the corrugation cuts down the discharge amount by about 1/2, even in a short run like you'll be using. And it crushes if stepped on and never springs back to normal. The good stuff will cost you $10 more.

Make sure that the hose clamps have stainless screws as well as a stainless band. Many "stainless" hose clamps aren't (especially automotive).

Bilge pumps are rated based on testing in some unrealistic parallel universe. The rating is basically "no load," meaning that what it says it can pump is the amount before you put on the hose and lift water 2' high to get it through a slightly restrictive fitting. Hose length and number of bends also reduces the efficiency stated on the pump. You will never get what the pump says it will do, so size accordingly. Like a fire extinguisher, when you find out that it's too small, you have a huge problem.

Make sure that your wire is of sufficient gauge. I've seen pumps wired without a manual override. Don't do this. You need to be able to turn it on manually to check to see if it is working. It's not that much more wiring. You should already have a panel switch at the helm, right?

I've had great luck with my "float" switch that doesn't float. It simply senses the water without any little teeter-totter switch to get jammed. Google "bilge float switch" and you'll see the number of people who have problems with the old float switches.

Mark
 
Excellent post by Mark. How much current does the sensing switch you use draw? Which switch are you using?

One of the issues I have heard about with this type of sensor, is that it can drain batteries unless there is a good reliable battery charger. Not sure if this applies to the switch you advocate, since there are several different types of sealed non float switch.

I have used both epoxy, and 5200 to stick the base to the floor of the sump--instead of using screws. I have occasionally had to change out the upper part of a pump--but very rarely.

In the deep bilges (sailboats0, I have used the trick of use on a weighted base, and worked fine.

A lot of the setup depends on if the boat is left in the water or not, and if left in the water if a good power supply is available. Nothing worse to have a storm, which knocks out the electricity, and dumps 10" of rain--draining the bilge pump battery...and ....
 
Thank you all for the advice and support! (I apologize upfront for my not exact lingo) We did end up deciding to drill a hole in the hull out the port side instead of into the wet well. I was a bit nervous about the hole but the marine glue as seemed to do the trick as we went out the following day and the bilge pump worked perfectly. I think we drilled it 10-12" above the water line, can't quite remember but I insisted for higher up because I was nervous! (I personally couldn't watch!) :) Thanks for the tip about attaching the pump to an aluminum piece attached to the deck-we don't want any more holes than we need! But that'll be a project for the boyfriend next week. Installing the bilge pump and depth sounder was enough :) (was able to pay for his time/labor with beer so I really think I came out ahead)
 
To answer a couple of those questions, we intend on keeping in on the trailer. Possibly leaving it in the harbor during the summer months but not sure yet. We park it on a slightly inclined hill and pull the plug so the water build up while on the trailer is non-existent.
 
Mine is a Water Witch. It does have a constant draw of .004 amps. It will draw my Group 24 battery down a little if the boat isn't used or charged for a few months (which doesn't happen). It also isn't recommended for use in clean fresh water, as it requires sensing current between to pieces of stainless steel. Even after two weeks on Lake Powell, mine still functioned because of residual salt, dirt, or both in the cockpit.

Both of these supposed "problems" would only be an issue if the boat was left moored for a long time. My pump did stay on too long when a big piece of kelp stuck to the sensor and kept it wet. I can hear the pump running from the helm, so it wasn't a problem, just something to watch for.

Mark
 
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