Shower Sump Pump Not Working

[tonyhays]

Hi Stu -

I have lots of photos, but I don't think any of them would be of much use.  On the Mk II (or at least on our boat), the shower sump pump is located under the galley sink, and doubles as the refrigerator drain pump.  Each drain line has its own shutoff valve so it's important that only one valve be opened at a time, otherwise the pump will simply be sucking air from the line that doesn't have any water in it.  Page 37 of the Catalina 34 Mk II Owner's Manual that can be found online (I guess I downloaded it from the Catalina website) has a scrap view titled DETAIL "A" BATTERY WIRING UNDER GALLEY AREA and shows a pump under the sink labelled item 19, which the PARTS LIST on page 36 shows as PUMP, SHOWER SUMP/ICE BOX.  However, the diagram of the electrical panel on page 37 doesn't show the circuit breaker for the shower sump pump/ice box drain pump at all, and therefore doesn't show the wiring or switches that might be downstream of it. 

But you raise a very important point.  Is there a shower sump drain switch in the head?  If there is, I had forgotten clean about it.  It would explain my problem entirely if it had been by chance been in the ON position when I tested the pump about six months ago and is now in the OFF position.  I think you have just saved my life, or at least if not my life, my sanity. 

[Stu Jackson]

Tony, reason I asked is your comment: "...but I can't figure out how to pull the chart plotter out to look behind it,..."

Many folks choose not to use their boats to shower and go ashore.  I've always used ours on the boat.

There is (should be) a "Pump" or "Shower Pump" toggle switch just below the rim of the head sink.

[tonywright]

Tony

To answer your last question: YES! The on/off switch for that pump is in the head (on the wall behind the toilet bowl). You need both the circuit breaker on and that switch to be on to run that pump.

From another Tony

[tonyhays]

Stu - It makes sense to have a switch in the head so that the level of water in the shower sump can be controlled from that location.  Of course you have to make sure that the circuit breaker is ON on the panel, and that the two valves under the galley sink are set appropriately. You also have to remember, as I obviously didn't, to turn the switch ON in the head when draining the refrigerator. I'll go up to the boat tomorrow and hope to get everything working.  

[tonyhays]

Tony Wright - Thanks for the confirmation.  I'm sure that you and Stu have solved the problem.

[Jack Hutteball]

One other comment I would make is to make sure that your thru hull for the shower/refer drain is open when you turn the pump on.  If it is closed you will overheat the pump and the breaker will shut off.  Been there and done that, makes one feel rather silly when the pump stops and the water level flows over the door sill onto the galley floor!

Jack

[tonyhays]

  Here is a picture of the extra loop of wire that had been stuffed into the pump motor and had been touching the rotor.  This presumably had occurred during initial pump assembly, because attachment of the end cover of the motor prevents movement of the wires.  In retrospect, I think that the motor was still working (just) and the abraded section of wire was working as a brush, although maybe supplying current at the wrong phase.  It probably would not have worked for long before the wire itself abraded through.  The immediate cause of the pump not running was my own stupidity in forgetting about the switch just above the toilet bowl in the head.  I reinstalled the pump and everything is working fine.  Thanks to Stu Jackson for reminding of the existence of the switch, and to all others for their advice.