bilge pump in head cupboard

[anon]

I am still discovering my boat and trying to figure out all the systems. I am attaching two pics of the cupboard in the head. I am mystified by the presence of a bilge pump. Unless this the shower drain pump. The shower drain does not currently work.

[Noah]

Yes, that is the shower pump. Have you downloaded the owner's manual from our website yet? I will help you.

[Gregory M]

I had the same problem , as it turned out, that was corroded switch on side wall.

[anon]

Thank you Noah. I have downloaded the manual. It is not totally clear to me. I am attaching a snag of the plumbing diagrammatic.

[Jon W]

In the upper left corner of the diagram you can see "shower drain diaphragm bilge pump". That represents the pump and motor you see in your first photo.

In the bottom left of the diagram below where it says "shower drain", you can see "engine cooling inlet with strainer". That represents the connection with the small clear rectangular plastic housing in the lower left of your second photo. Yours doesn't look clear in the photo, might be time to wash it out. Make sure the sea cock it's attached to is closed before removing it.

[anon]

Thank you so much. I get it now. Duh.
Does that look like the original pump that Catalina fitted.
I will try to trouble shoot when I go to see Sophie tomorrow.
One thing I want to do in that cupboard is start adding double jubilee clips per Maine Sail recommendations. What else might I consider doing while in that cupboard?
Is there a procedure for servicing all the stuff in there?
I have an (irrational?) fear of thru hull fittings failing. I was thinking of replacing them or at least reinforcing (again per Maine Sail's detailed instructions) when Sophie is hauled next Spring.

[Dave Spencer]

That looks like the original shower sump pump to me.  As Gregory suggested, you may want to start at the switch that is below and to the right of the sink to see if it's receiving or delivering power to the pump and then go from there.
I'm sure you'll get many comments on through hulls. Do they open and close easily?
One item you may wish to check is the "hump hose" that runs from your exhaust elbow to the muffler. If it is stiff black exhaust hose as it appears in the picture, you will likely want to change it to a softer hose to reduce vibration and eventually failure of the exhaust elbow. There are lots of comments and suggestions on this topic. Here's how I did mine:
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6878.msg45884.html#msg45884

[Jon W]

No worries, we've all been in your shoes.

By "jubilee clips" do you mean hose clamps?

Things to consider doing in there-
The raw water strainer doesn't look very clear in your second photo. It should be. Make sure the sea cock/valve it's attached to is off, then unscrew it and wash with mild soap water.

Add a small in-line strainer before the pump.

If the hoses feel sticky replace them. Don't touch the hose from the shower pan without research. I say that because you can't access the hose end attached to the shower pan without cutting a hole in the subfloor outside the door to the head.

I replaced all my thru hulls with proper flanged sea cocks and backing plates. Some folks may think that's overkill but to each their own.

Unscrew the little cap on top of the anti siphon valve and make sure the little rubber valve is in there and in good condition.

Start reading the "101 topics" if you haven't already.

I'm sure I've missed something but others will chime in. The members and their willingness to help is what is so great about this forum.

[anon]

I love this forum.
I guess I am in the situation where it is difficult to know where to start with preventative maintenance, re-furbishment and repair.
I thought I would start in the head cupboard mainly because the only thing obviously non-functional is the shower sump.
My aim is to have every system checked out during the next 10 months in readiness for a summer of cruising.
And yes, I mean hose clamps.  (Showing my Britishness there)
@Jon W - small in line strainer? West Marine?

[Jon W]

I don't remember where I got mine, but WM, Defender Discount Marine, Catalina Direct should have it.

I faced the same "where to start" dilemma. I thought about what type of sailing I planned to do, then prioritized from there. I have a list of projects completed that I'm updating. I can post if you think it would help you.

[anon]

Thank you Jon. I would be interested to see your list. I am going to make sure that the critical upgrades have been done before I leave port. I plan to do what I can myself.

[Jon W]

The attached is my running list and want to emphasize it is not a must do list for anyone other than me. I do 90% of the work myself so is far less expensive than it would be to hire professionals to do the work. It takes me longer than them (or most I think) but saves me tens of thousands of dollars while I get a safe up to date 1987 boat. Some sasy I'm crazy, I say I'm retired and enjoy this.

[Roland Gendreau]

Does the shower pump make any noise when you turn the local switch on?  The reason I ask is that in the photo, the middle thru hull is closed and that is the discharge for the shower pump.  When you turn the pump on with the thru hull valve closed, it will make a humming noise.

If the pump makes no noise, then either the local switch is bad, or the switch on the panel for the water pressure pump is also off.  or the shower pump motor has STB.  ( aka #### the bed).

[anon]

@Jon W - awesome list. Thank you
@Roland - trouble shooting this weekend. Thank you