I promised Paul, "Cool Change" that I would post some photos of the intake hose end of my manual bilge pump. Fitting came with the boat done by a PO. Elbow into hose and stainer threads on.
Noah, thanks for the pics. Any manufacturer name or # ?
Appreciate the pics and will search the web for strainers. A nice setup.
Paul
Sorry, couldn't locate any branding/writing on the fittings.
Noah
The PO did a very neat job sourcing/fabricating that setup. Impressive.
BUT, (MBMC) I would have ripped that off as soon as I saw it.
WHY would s/he install a 1" hose and then cut the intake down to what from the pic looks to be significantly less than half that? And with it turned flat to the bilge have it reduce the flow even more? With a potential (granted the bilges isn't glass-smooth) for it suctioning to the bottom?? One small pc of cellophane can block it 100%. Three strikes is cray-cray.
Typically a strum box (about 40 bucks) is used that maintains the same (or better - more,) flow-thru area than the hose.
If it's a vertical rather than horizontal strum box, it has feet to prevent suctioning.
IIWMB I'd keep a homemade gizmo, using a 1" pvc cross-tee, with some kind of strainer cap (or true long strainers extending) on the three inlets (or pvc foot valves or foot strainers.) Being for an emergency and that the manual pump is double-action, I wouldn't use valves. I'd lay the assembly horizontally. That way, one little pc of cellophane doesn't block the only inlet (also possible to occur w/a larger pc on the one inlet face of a strum box.)
When Murphy is aboard and things go very far south I'm more concerned with getting max flow out of below, not getting the bilge emptied to the bottom.
Just sayin'
Ken- are you saying you don't keep a cellophane-free bilge. 8) I do believe that the diameter of the hole field is nearly 1 in. as the fitting flares/steps-out to be much wider than the hose diameter-so no significant capacity loss there. Also, the hose end lives raised a good 3/4 in.(+/-) above the bilge floor so no loss of suction there. But will rexamine situation and weigh your comments.
Guys : The strainer fitting on the end of the elbow is great and looks nice, but a piece of nylon window screen held in place by a wire tie around the elbow also does the job!!
A thought :thumb:
As someone on this board says "your boat, your choice" those fittings look really tidy, but for me if I need that pump I want a full unobstructed flow or maximum GPH, anything you put over that opening weather it be a strainer or a screen will reduce that flow.
QuoteI need that pump I want a full unobstructed flow or maximum GPH, anything you put over that opening weather it be a strainer or a screen will reduce that flow.
My thinking is, that would work till something gets sucked in and fouls the pump. As you know "your boat your choice"
Jim
Guys, you both can be correct. That's the purpose of a strum box - see reply #4. Either boughten or DIY from pipe fittings to provide more intake/storage area per each handle pump volume.
Jim,
That's a pretty healthy sized hose, if you've got stuff in your bilge big enough to foul that line you may have bigger problems.
Quote from: scgunner on March 21, 2019, 09:23:57 AM
Jim,
That's a pretty healthy sized hose, if you've got stuff in your bilge big enough to foul that line you may have bigger problems.
Kevin, just an observation about that pump. It's fairly (but not 100%) foolproof. Its simple design is a testament that it can take some abuse and still come up shining. BUT, it doesn't take a 1" diameter steel ball (or whatever diameter hose it is) to foul it. During an emergency, a thin sliver of plastic or a wad of Twinkie cellophane sucked up can foul the valve. Additionally, since any restriction (i.e., holes in a strainer) restricts the intake, it is belt & suspenders to have the type of "reservoir" (that self fills between strokes) that a strum box provides. I won't detail it here, but I found the same phenomenon with my head intake. The pump wouldn't work without a length of hose that fills and acts as a reservoir between strokes.
Well that does it for me, no twinkies on the boat. :thumb:
just curious, how often do you use your manual bilge pump, I check mine once in a while, but I have to put water in the bilge to do it, and if anything like a piece of cellophane got on your screen couldn't you just take it off? I get it.. being ready for that big emergency, all that being said, I don't have anything on my hose, just figured that what small piece of debris that could get into my bilge could be pumped through
Quote from: Jon W on March 23, 2019, 05:37:15 AM
Well that does it for me, no twinkies on the boat. :thumb:
The one I found was whole, dated from when the PO purchased the boat. tasty. it's true they are indestructible.
personally very occasionally.
But you're right, we're planning on a Murphy stowaway and an oh sh*t moment when you don't want to jump down and clear an intake. Same as I tell peeps to remove/deep six the cir-clip on the Ob sea water pump -- you don't need to be searching for a snap ring pliers when you're heading for a shoal and realize the thru hull was shut and the impeller burned up.
I hear ya Ken, ya never know, like Capt Ron says, "if it's gonna happen, it'l happen out there", when I put my impeller back in the engine, I'm gonna leave the circa clip off too.as that will only fail coming into traffic. Probably a ton of other fire drill items some of us are not aware of on our boats until its too late in a emergency
Bob
Additionally put some lanocote or SuperLube gel on the shaft to help keep the impeller from seizing to it. As Randy about that!
Hey folks- for those that are interested: I was poking around West Marine and found what seems to be the same "strainer" my PO used on my manual bilge pump hose intake. See pics below.
For what its worth, I rebuilt my manual whale pump the second season on my boat after not having used it but, saw it was time based on the rubber exterior condition. I was quite surprised when I found one of those soft-sided juice sippy containers in the pump. I was impressed to learn that it could suck that bad boy right on up.
Since shortly after buying the boat, I started checking my electric bilge pump and level switch for operation & debris etc. when arriving and departing for weekend. Reason? A few weeks after buying her, I learned it only worked with the switch on manual. Seeing the container and discovering it wasn't operating as expected reinforced my commitment to continuing that practice.
Bill,
Yes, but will it suck up an intact Twinkie? :shock::rolling
I'm still hung up on the bone dry bilge. Is that normal? If it is, I have another puzzle to solve. I'd guess I always have an inch or so. I rarely hear the pump cycle but I don't have a counter so I can't say how often it really runs.
If 1990, then it's a keep stepped mast, right? I blame water in mine on that since my shaft seal is dripless.
I have a 90 and mine is always wet when it rains. If I get it all dry and it does not rain it stays dry. It comes down the mast.
To clarify:
Bone dry is AFTER I sponge out the little remaining bit of water from electric pump backwash, and occasional So. CA rain down the mast, and any small splash I create ins/outings of triducer. My stuffing box is traditional ,however it is so "dialed in" with GTU and lucky adjustment, that it does not let any measurable. water into the boat, while still keeping running gear cool underway. The boat sits with bone dry bilge otherwise.
Ah... I didn't consider that bit... average rainfall in San Diego is 12 inches a year. In Washington, NC, where my boat lives, it's 51 inches. I'll bet that is the driving factor. :D
It might also be the type of electric bilge pump you are running and how much water it leaves behind, but I'm guessing that's dwarfed by the 5x rainfall.
Thanks Noah,
Appreciate the work to put into finding the strainer.
Paul
Quote from: rmbrown on April 01, 2019, 02:09:31 PM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If 1990, then it's a keep stepped mast, right? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Stepping was a choice back then until the Mark IIs:
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,1406.0.html