Bilge Pump Back Flow

[Stewartn]

C 1472 Mk II, 2000. The bilge pump outlet is high on the port quarter. I understand the why of the location. But, when you pump the bilge - electrically of manually- all the water in the hose come back downhill into the bilge. Anyone ever had an innovative idea? I understand that check valves are not good in bilge applications. Thx.

[Peggie Hall]

The solution:  As part of your closing up the boat routine (or every couple of days if you live aboard), use a wet vac or a bucket, a dinghy bailer and a BIG sponge to remove the water the bilge pump leaves behind.

Oh ye gods...that's MANUAL LABOR!!!

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there's no way to maintain a boat without doing at least little manual labor.   

[Ralph Masters]

A wet vac works wonders.  Use the extension wand and it gets into the nooks way in the back too.  Give the shower drain a good suck too.  And if you get in under the aft berth and reach all the way back you'll find a nook just forward of the rudder post too that can collect a bit of water that leads to an oder. 
But I'd stop short of calling it manual labor.  Call it a labor of love instead................

Ralph

[Bill Asbury]

Duh, people who live in Greenwich CT don't do manual labor...:-)

[Roc]

The other option is to fit the shaft with a dripless seal. Either the PYI dripless seal or packing the stuffing box with Gore-tex flax

[Kevin Henderson]

I went with the Gor packing material and my bilge is still bone dry.  When I have had water in the bilge I resort to the manual labor "bucket and sponge" detail.  Gives me a chance to wipe things down and clean the bilge now and then.   

[Stewartn]

Thx to all! 1. Boat is on a mooring - long long extension cord for the wet vac and the dockmaster gets all worked up about electrocution .2. You're not right about "manual labor" in Greenwich. A few people have worked on my boat and I'm sure their name was "Manual". 3. I have a drippless, at least the boat does, and the it's dry. You have all been very helpful. Maybe a small weep hole in the bottom of the bilge thru the hull and the water will leak out. No??? Off to buy big bigger sponges.

[Craig Illman]

WetVacs don't take that many amps. I've run mine off the inverter out on a mooring.

Craig

[Bill Asbury]

Our boat has a deck-stepped mast and we get very little water in the bilge compared to our previous C34 with keel-stepped mast, so If you have a deck-stepped mast you shouldn't be getting much water in the bilge unless you have a leak in the plumbing, so the plumbing connections and hoses should be checked for leaks.  You could also have a fast drip from the stuffing box, in which case it needs adjustment down to a few drips per minute.  Is the bilgewater salty or fresh?

[Ralph Masters]

Here we go with the "taste the bilge water" again   

Ralph

[Albreen]

"I understand that check valves are not good in bilge applications."

Our boat has a check valve in line for the Rule bilge pump. The bilge pump hose travels to the transom and exits after a loop high up under the stern coaming. The check valve prevents a lot of water returning to the bilge. Is there a good reason to remove this check valve? I wasn't aware it may be an issue. 

[Ted Pounds]

Any constriction (like a check-valve) will reduce the flow rate of the pump.  Depending on the circumstances it could make the difference between sinking and floating...  Also you need to make sure the hose is empty prior to winter layup.