Anyone have a bilge pump installed that completely dries the bilge with a flip of a switch?

J3ff

I seem to have some kind of problem with water in the bilge.  It's a 270 2004 FV.. I've read a ton of threads about it... seems like a common problem with rainwater from the blower vent (I mean cmon, we haven't fixed this yet in 2016?) could be a fresh water leak problem, could be 10 other things.. The main problem is this water gathers in my bilge and it STINKS!! Like nasty eggs!  It's so bad that when the engine room heats up the smell goes up in the area that is under the garbage can and then comes out of where the door slides open/closed...and you can smell it when underway!! (but thankfully it doesn't go downstairs) I go down with a wet dry vac, pull it out and it's fine again for the weekend...

I will investigate this over the winter and search for where the water is coming from (haven't used the AC in a month), but at the same time I would like to find out if there's also a solution to get the bilge completely dry (or at least no puddles) with the flick of a switch. Don't care how much work it's going to take, does anyone have a solution they came up with that works great?

LaRea

Not with conventional bilge pumps.  The pump is never mounted at the absolute lowest point.  Also, as soon as the pump shuts off, the water in the outlet hose discharges back into the bilge.  I don't think I'd trust a 1-way valve in the hose -- too much risk of it clogging.  So you're stuck with the backflow. 

The only possibility I can think of is a shop-vac with a hose to the lowest part of the bilge.  But the shop-vac would have to be mounted outside the engine room.  It quickly turns into a Rube Goldberg machine.  

J3ff

Interesting, I've read a few threads where there is a slight suggestion (but no pictures, videos or detailed talk) about how this might be paired with a nice flat pickup and it would work... https://www.amazon.com/Jabsco-18660-0121-Flexible-Impeller-380-GPH/dp/B000O8FBDE

anyone?  

frenchship

Have a look at 

Enough of vacuming water in the bige  in the search box of the forum

Liberty44140

Have you scrubbed/bleached the bilge? I get rainwater from blower intakes but the water doesn't have much of a smell to it. The previous owner told me that he would scrub out the bilge a few times a year and I kept up with that. Maybe there is just a lot of scum on the floor and walls of the bilge that stinks when it gets wet and would not stink with a good cleaning? More than just removing the water I mean cleaning the fiberglass. 

reneechris14

The back wash of the Blige helps to keep the pickup clean too.I mean any little crumbs will mess with impeller.

J3ff

Liberty44140 said:

Have you scrubbed/bleached the bilge? I get rainwater from blower intakes but the water doesn't have much of a smell to it. The previous owner told me that he would scrub out the bilge a few times a year and I kept up with that. Maybe there is just a lot of scum on the floor and walls of the bilge that stinks when it gets wet and would not stink with a good cleaning? More than just removing the water I mean cleaning the fiberglass. 

1st thing I'm doing over the winter.

I wanted to do this while the motor was being replaced, but the owner of the shop wouldn't let me in the boat while things were underway.  I then paid them a couple hundred bucks to "clean the bilge" which I was hoping would mean exactly what you said, scrubbing with soap/hotwater/chemicals and completely getting the bilge spotless.  They charged me but whatever they did didn't alleviate this problem.  I don't really have any way to prove one way or another if they did a good job or not. At the time it was most important to get the thing running again. 

J3ff

frenchship said:

Have a look at 

Enough of vacuming water in the bige  in the search box of the forum

That's what I'm looking for. What kind of pump is that? Where'd you get the screening? 

reneechris14

I think I'll make something like Frenchship did,maybe a toggle in the engine bay.

frenchship

The pump was bought on Amazon.ca but should be available on Amazon.com
the SS screen you can buy from Home Depot.com but I bought mine at Dollar King in Canada (1.00$)and cut the bottom out to make it fit the hose.
Here is the link
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00OLKTD0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

(12) | Model # 88822

4-1/2 in. Mesh Kitchen Sink Strainer in Stainless-S

hope this help

J3ff

Nice, that's perfect. I actually have one of those tiny pumps that I was planning to do this with on my old boat but never actually needed to do it.. Funny how that boat also had water in the bottom of it at all times, but the water never smelled like this stinker of a bilge does.. so you've got a 1 way check valve in there too? thanks!

J3ff

This is actually the pump I've got right here.. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00INSTFD4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

J3ff

Where did you place the pump intake? 

randy56

Smells like you have a water leak in the hot water heater or poo tank

frenchship

The none return valve is in the discharged hose, it comes from a priming pump for a outboard gas tank. The intake hose is where the drain plug is wich is the lowest point in the engines bay

Dream_Inn

I used my raw water wash out pump that was factory installed and intended to use the raw water (bay water) to wash out the cockpit (not going to happen).  So, I removed the hose from the seacock and put a new one on that went to the drain plug area.  Now, with a flip of the switch, I completely drain the bilge.  Works really well and fortunately everything was already there. 

I am very particular about the bilge and clean it often with purple power.  But yet, if you leave the water in there, it will really stink as you mentioned.  Has nothing to do with leaks, it's just rain water getting in and then heating up as you mentioned and getting nasty.  The simple pump you are looking at should work fine. Please take pics of the install so others may learn.

rasbury

I have the same exact problem....keep in mind also the A/C discharges into the bilge as well which I was shocked how much water that can be. Obviously more as issue here in Fl I suppose with our humidity in the summer...in the winter months I don't recall it being such an issue. Right now, with my camper enclosure up you for sure crab your nose! I have tried the cleaner, others on here said not to bleach so I'm a little lost as to how to solve as well and will see this install!

J3ff

Yeah, I seem to be pulling 5 or so gallons of water out each week... I've also put two gallons of cleaner through it and even some bleach, no effect, same nasty smell after a few days of water down there. 

Yesterday I left the bilge completely dry, 5 gallons out... can't go down to the boat today, it's going to rain tomorrow, will check it out on Friday. 

I think for now I'm going to leave it as is and just use the shop vac since the boat comes out of the water on the 27th, but over the winter I will def be trying to replicate what we've got here. Will take pictures and document it. 

J3ff

Anyone have any pictures of their 270 with the engine out? Or a diagram of what the floor looks like in there? 

Cableguy Greg

The air conditioner is also a source of water in the bilge. I know that mine drains there and was the source of most of the water.

J3ff

yeah, haven't had that thing running in a month !

jmichels

you see any swirls in the water J3ff?

gtyee

My 310 (2013) had water in the front bilge from no hose clamp on A/C pump hose, put 2 clamps on and dry as a bone. 310 has an aft  bilge pump that will turn on at 3 inches of water.

Michael T

@gtyee, it had clamps on it when that guy from port credit bought it!.....rookies!

reneechris14

My 2002 a/c drained in to the shower bilge box.and I tied a sting to the float so I could drain fully after the weekend,and then close seacocks.

J3ff

Took a look down there today after sucking it dry the other day... we did have a bunch of rain and it looks like it's back at the 6 or so gallons mark.  

Here's the thing... every boat I've owned has always had water in the bilge, all season... why does the rinker water in the bilge stink so much?!? None of the other boats (3 or 4) have ever smelled like this. 

Black_Diamond

Can't be a 'Rinker' thing. If it smells then something is growing in it: bacteria, mold or it is not 'just' water. Time for a scrubbing with a disenfectant like lysol, pinesol, etc. 

Liberty44140

Yea it's something in the bilge, not the brand of boat. Stinky bacteria. 

Cableguy Greg

Put some powdered or liquid soap in there to help clean the bilge while underway. You could even throw a bag of ice to help "scrub" the bilge.

jmichels

remeber what I said J3FF. Make sure you dont have a fuel leak. My was very similar to that prior to the tank replacement. Check for swirls in the water. 

J3ff

Def no swirls in the water...  had some water down there today but it didn't smell. Weird.