Ice Box Drain directly to the Bildge

[Wobegon]

In my earlier post I inquired about installing refrigeration...many good suggestions as I anticipated. Thank you. While I am contemplating the type, placement, etc of the refrigeration sytem and electrical upgrades I will continue to use blocks of ice until I install some refrigeration.   

I am not a big fan of the foot pump for draining the ice box...has anyone disconnected the pump and simply let gravity drain the ice box to the bildge? This was the method of my previous boats. 

[Stu Jackson]

Maybe some have, but it's not a good idea.  Here's why:  the crud from the box mixes with the other nasty stuff and you HAVE to clean it, unless it's spotless now and you wanna clean it.

Ron Hill just wrote a repeat of one of his ideas.  Suggest you read up on his fridge drain pipe idea.

Or, just get a small hand pump and pump it out at the end the day into a sink.  That's what I'd do.

[Bob Kuba]

I'm not a fan of that foot pump either. I removed it, and plumbed the drain through a small electric pump with a momentary contact pushbutton switch, and ran the drain to a 1/2 gallon jug that sits in the bilge. I screwed a fitting into the cap and attached the drain line to it.

When the jug starts to fill, I unscrew the cap and either pour it overboard or down the sink drain. I guess a purist would say that it's another system that's dependent on 12v, and they would be right. But after I removed the foot pump, it opened up the area below the sink for more storage. Especially if you relocate the fresh water tank switching manifold to the bilge area, and the water pump to the space just aft of the water heater. http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Plumbing_Modification I posted a few pictures here to give you an idea of what it looks like.

Bob

[dgill]

What I have done is to add a short length (enough to reach a container set outside of the cabinet) of hose with an in-line valve.  When the ice melts in the fridge I place the hose into a container and open the valve to let the water drain.  It takes a minute or two and then it's done.  The drain hose and valve are then moved back inside the cabinet area.  My fridge drain hose used to be connected to the foot pump and this was not a satifactory set up, in my opinion.   

[ed webb]

Stu - I'm having some trouble finding the post from Ron. The problem that I have is that the drain hose doesn't do a very good job of getting all of the water out. I would like to relocate the drain hole to the lowest point in the box. Perhaps cover it with a shower drain to catch the big chunks.

Ed

[Bobg]

I too don't like the foot pump, for now when  the weekend is over, I have a wet or dry vacuum cleaner, one of those small black and Decker ones we keep on board for end of the weekend cleaning, I drop the hose during cleanup in the fridge and water is instantly gone,  I do like the idea of rearranging the plumbing for more kitchen space.

[Stu Jackson]

Ed, see Reply #8, here:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5000.0.html, fridge drain copper tubing idea.

[ed webb]

Thanks Stu. That sounds like a good idea and easier than trying to drill a hole, insert a fitting, caulk and plumb.