Bilge Pump Hose - Old Stiff Easily Broken

[Vincentc]

In the course of searching for a leak, I discovered that the discharge hose for the aft cabin bilge pump, the one under the closet and only accessible through an 8" square hatch) had become disconnected from the pump.

The pump appears to be a Rule 2000, old enought for the markings to be missing but probably not as old as 33 year old Lilly Marie. The connections do not appear OEM; however the hose downstream from the connection looks old. When I attempted to bend the hose enough to allow remove the pump and restore the connection the hose broke!

It would probably be wise to replace the pump, switch, and at least some portion of the hose. The $64k question is how far do I go? It appears that the hose is bedded into the ER aft bulkhead.

I am amazed at the limited access to something as important and impermanent as a bilge pump. Small hatch with the pump located on the other side of the shower drain sump.

I am concerned by how frail the old bilge pump now hose is. My first thought is to cut back closer to the bulkhead then use an adapter ( the OEM hose is 1.25 and std bilge pump hose is 1 1/8 ) with new hose to the pump. Has anyone dealt with an issue similar to this.

Thanks

Vincent

 

[jim rosenthal]

The hose is probably weathered and fragile from end to end. The best thing would be to replace the entire bilge pump system, although that is also the hardest way to do it. If you upsize the pump (and bilge pump ratings are frequently rather optimistic) make sure the wiring in place is adequate for the draw in amps of a larger pump.

 

[johnjen50]

Agree with Jim. In my experience the best thing to do is replace that hose and pump from beginning to end. For relatively short money, particularly if you are doing the labor, you will know it's done right, works right, and won't have to be addressed again for quite a while. You can always use the old pump for a backup shower sump as well. With these old girls I think it's imperative to make your way around the systems replacing parts as necessary. Amazing how many hoses are on these boats!

 

[Pascal]

Those old hoses have to go. They are brittle with age. Patching up a section isn't the best solution. Check the connections too, especially if your boat has un tinned wiring.

Same with the drain hoses. They used the same hoses and they can crack too

 

[SEVEN]

I found the same thing in my sump for the shower. Rather than pump over board it pumped directly into the engine room. I found it broken/split in 4 locations. It to was embedded and unaccessible. After 7 hours and a number of nicks on my hands I reran a new discharge hose. Bildge is now bone dry. Go new.

 

[rsmith]

We took a tour of the old High Point factory when my dad bought the 34 in 1965 I remember being suprized at how much stuff was installed in the open hulls before the interior went in. I've had to cut access hatches in a lot of places over the years to get to stuff. The pump can sink the boat so I wouldn't screw around. Personally I don't like the cheapo corrugated bilge pump hose. I use the wire reinforced suction discharge hose for my pumping systems. Everything made of rubber and plastic today is total crap and doset last anytime.

 

[jrbrein]

Vincent,

My 1981 43' DCFB had a leaking (not just a drip) starboard rudder shaft when I bought the boat. There was a non functioning bilge pump in the starboard ER just forward of the starboard engine bilge. Consequently, both the starboard bilge and starboard engine bilge were filling with water and I ended up pumping about 40 gallons of water out. The first thing I did was to tighten the packing on the stb. rudder post and replace the bilge pump. All has been dry in there. When I haul out this winter I plan to take apart and re-pack both rudder shaft seals.

I mention this only that I am not sure if the water coming from the leaking rudder post was bypassing that bilge that we both have under the master stateroom closet since that bilge pump was working. Does that bilge under the closet continue on into the ER bilges? Would it be correct to assume that in this boat water in both the forward bilge and aft bilges eventually finds it's way into the stbd. and port ER bilges??

My plan is to install 3700 gph rotary vane pumps in both ER bilges for a real emergency and a Whale Gusher 220 diaphragm pump for each ER bilge to pump any smaller quantities of water using a flat pick up. I now plan to replace all of the discharge hoses as well!

BTW, I have used the Whale Gusher 220 pumps in my other boats shower sumps for years and just installed them in my Hatteras. They have proven themselves to be quite reliable.

Jon

 

[Vincentc]

Thanks You All.
A bilge pump is a system no stronger than its weakest link and like any safety equipment, pretty important when you need it. I hope removing the old hose from the bulkhead turns out simpler than I expect.

Regarding bilge water communication. I have proven to myself that water can indeed travel from the aft stbd bilge to the ER. The connecting limber holes are not all that apparent but the are there. There are longitudinal stringer separating the center bilge from the side bilges. The rudders are in the side bilges. There is a single limber hole between the side bilges and the center bilge located approximately 6 ft fwd of the transom. As long as the water level is less than an inch it will remain in the stbd side bilge ( I asume the port side as well, but have not tested it) and flow fwd into the stbd ER bilges. Water that gets into the center bilge does not appear to have a path into the ER.

It is interesting (but logical) that Jon has a pump in his fwd ER side bilges. Lilly Marie does not, there is no evidence of there ever being one and the factory drawings I have shows bilge pumps only in the bow, under the aft cabin closet and at the transom. I intend to remedy that.

Thanks for the good advice.

Vincent