WherryNice Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Evening all, I would like to pick the collective forum brain for advice on what flow rate bilge pump would be advisable to use on a Hampton Safari please? The old one was kaput and I binned it without first looking to see what it was rated for(the boat is not in the water!), I already have a float switch so I am not bothered about getting a pump with one built in. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Whale-12v-Supersub-500gph-Non-Automatic-Low-Profile-Bilge-Pump-SS5012/312095352563 My last boat(21 foot cruiser, very shallow bilge) had one of the above and I liked the way it pumped the bilge pretty much dry but I was wondering if the flow rate is up to the job for the larger Safari. I have googled this but most advice is for sea-going stuff and seems a tad overkill on the Broads. Any input gratfully recieved, ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshman Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 If you have any size hole, it won't be enough!!! But what it might do is cope with the normal flow into a bilge, such as a dripping gland ( yep we all have those - its an age thing!!! ) and also if you have a well at the back, that almost certainly will cope with that draining into the bilge!!! To be honest I would expect even a modest bilge pump to be rated at more than that but having checked Brian Ward, thats about par for the course. On balance I might opt for a bigger one - dont forget its your pride and joy! Shame to spoil it for a happorth of tar or whatever the expression is! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 A bilge pump is not so much for the odd drips from the stern gland they are more for the split hose from a sea cock so the biggest you can fit/afford is probably the best one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 or get two, and set one higher so it comes on should the first be overwhelmed or fail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 having said that I was helming a boat while a hole where a plank had sprung was being fixed and we had 5 bilge pumps pumping out at one point (the boat had just been put in the water and was still taking up, ditto a hire boat that pumped out every 10 minutes or so for 30 seconds (that too had just been relaunched) that had a fairly vigorous bilge pump if I recall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetAnne Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, grendel said: having said that I was helming a boat while a hole where a plank had sprung was being fixed and we had 5 bilge pumps pumping out at one point (the boat had just been put in the water and was still taking up, ditto a hire boat that pumped out every 10 minutes or so for 30 seconds (that too had just been relaunched) that had a fairly vigorous bilge pump if I recall. You do exaggerate, twas but a mere trickle You know it's bad when they don't lift off the trailer as you launch them 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WherryNice Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Thanks for the input folks, I think I might have a bigger automatic one in case of a large leak but also have the smaller one manually controlled to allow a nice dry bilge. Or something like that anyway, food for thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddfellow Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Size of boat is immaterial. Size of the leak is the issue. I would always advise fitting two in different points, the higher one being much larger. There is no point in having a non-automatic electric bilge pump IMHO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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