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Bilge Pump Set Up?


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Hi can anyone please explain my bilge pump set up. Currently there are 2 pumps a strange looking jabsco pump at top and another pump next to it which is teed into the same pipes. Currently neither pumps work , the  jabsco turns but nothing sucks up, the bottom one isn't powered up so I attached it to the jabsco 12v feed and nothing seems to happen. If they both worked should they both be powered or has the bottom one conked out and the previous owner bypassed it with the jabsco. Plus if I need a replacement am I just looking for a standard water pump or something special. Thx20201021_185326.thumb.jpg.cb8f3ee42eb92940c2426945d15466c7.jpg

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Hi a pump needs a switch there is normally a two position switch auto and override the auto side is wire from fuze then switch then to a float switch that is activated by rising water you can test it by lifting the float lever up then to pump,  pump will then run it will only pump water if your bilges have enough water to cover the suction pipe end suggest you remove both remove impellers end and check impeller isn't seized then connect to battery power and sea if it works then check pipe not blocked then switch is working in both positions replace with new impeller if suspect,   greased with water pump grease or silicone equivalent. John

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Hi So these aren't bilge pumps the top one looks to be a diaphragm pump normally used for showers where it can run dry the other one is impeller type where do the hoses come from and go too might give a clue if you have a bilge pump just ditch these remove wiring back to switch and plug hull fitting, you don't want gash fittings in bilge or unused holes in hull. John

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The green pipe seems to be a wander hose which is sitting in the bilge bottom, then the clear hose exits the hull. The top diaphragm pump is wired to a switch on dash saying bilge pump. If the pump was working is there any reason why I can't use this set up as a wander hose bilge pump?

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Hi Your bilge looks clean and dry why would you want a wander bilge pump you have a bilge pump you say at the end of the day have what you want BUT why clutter up the bilge with an opening in the hull which could!! let water in and sink if you beach it at a angle, your choice, if you want to use them mount on a board and use for washing the boat. John

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1 hour ago, fishfoxey said:

The wires are now all connected and 12v is present, there is no float switch as it is on a manual switch on dash.

If 12v is getting to the motors and they're not working I would expect a fuse to blow. If it that's not happening it could because there is a wiring fault somewhere within the motors, or they have burned out. Very strange if both motors on the same circuit have the same fault.

I inherited a similar fault from the previous owner, turned out that crud had blocked the pump, burned out the motor so no current got through. Covered their tracks by installing another bilge pump in a different place! Working out what previous owners have done is all part of the fun, I think.:default_rolleyes:

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The strange looking one looks like a water pump, if you have two pumps discharging out of the same hose they need a non return valve fitted.  My advice would be to remove both and fit one new pump with either a float switch or with one built in that way you can be assured that should you spring a leak it will do its job without relying on you to flick a switch. 

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Are you sure this is a bilge pump arrangement?

A diaphragm pump is not normally used as a bilge pump, as the slightest bit of dirt in the valves will stop them working.  The old rubber impeller pump would normally be used as a small fresh water pump or a shower tray pump.  Both of them use too many amps to be useful as a bilge pump, without running down the starter battery.

One of them only has one pipe connected (!) and neither of them seem to be wired up to a circuit.  I think you will find that the diaphragm pump has a built in pressure switch, not suitable for a bilge pump.

I would be inclined to chuck that lot out and go for a good old PAR submersible pump with a float switch, either built in or separate.  Much cheaper than trying to replace either of those two!

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Just a word on submersible bilge pumps.

They do not physically pump water or lift it, in the way that the engine raw water pump does. They are centrifugal pumps, which stir up the water inside them and then throw it up a pipe by centrifugal force. This means they will not lift the water much more than a couple of feet.

So if you think your pump is not very powerful, have a look at where the outlet pipe comes out of the hull. If it is too high up, bring it closer to the waterline of the boat.

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If your shower water is going in the bilge, you will very soon smell it!  One of the most awful pongs you can get on a boat.

It is a good idea to fit a shower water filter between the tray and the pump and take the cap off to clean it regularly. Hair is the worst thing for shower pumps.

Other than that, the tray may have been removed because it was leaking?

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50 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

If your shower water is going in the bilge, you will very soon smell it!  One of the most awful pongs you can get on a boat.

It is a good idea to fit a shower water filter between the tray and the pump and take the cap off to clean it regularly. Hair is the worst thing for shower pumps.

Other than that, the tray may have been removed because it was leaking?

I've never used the shower on the boat as it was part of the diabolical plumbing system I inherited. It looked like the shower sump started life as a stainless steel frame inside a plastic sump, the pump being fixed to the s/s. At some point the plastic sump had been removed leaving the pipes dangling in the bilge and the shower pump acting as the bilge pump.

If shower sumps tend to smell and get blocked with hair it may well be that people could get rid them just before a sale to avoid replacement.:default_eusa_naughty:

I remember a piece of advice I was given when we bought our first caravan: due to the plastic pipes being ridged, it's a good idea to use liquid soap rather than bar soap as there's less likelyhood of blockages.

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