Factory original bilge pumps in 32-3

[Jerry VB]

How would you access your pumps to inspect the diaphragm?

That would be a tough challenge. The pumps are below the trash receptacle in the starboard lazerette. I can get fully into the lazerette (not bad), but I cannot move much once in there and I definitely cannot reach under the trash bin when down in the hole. They are too far back to reach from the access under the sink (where I was taking the picture).

If the trash bin was not there, they would be pretty easy to access... if one of the pumps ever quits on me, I would seriously consider making the trash bin removable (sawzall time!).

 

[Kenneth K]

My main bilge hose runs on the port side, unseen until it emerges in the lazarette, and the shower sump hose runs on the starboard side, but is not seen in the below-sink locker.

Pretty interesting how the plumbing changed from '85 to '87 to '89. In the 85 32-3, the conduit that carries both 3/4" bilge hoses makes a sharp bend to port ahead of the engine stringers. I believe the 3/4" hoses run below the port engine stringer and the larger whale-gulper hose under the stbd stringer.



As you said, neither reappears above the TAFG again until the lazarette.

 

[Kenneth K]

BTW, if anyone is a fan (or just wants to pick up some extras) of the old round (or square) style Rule centrifugal pumps, you better pick them up soon. Rule/Xylem's website shows them as discontinued. I can't find a round 500 gph pump anywhere. I just picked up a round, 800 gph pump (20R) from Amazon, but it says they only have 1 left; Rule 20R. Both Defender and Fisheries Supply have the 800 gph square pumps in stock.

Amazon shows a listing for the round 360gph (Old 360) but this listing sent me the new, oval pump with check valve instead, so I am returning it. If you want a new model 360gph pump, get it here instead ($10 less): New 360, but there is no reason to buy a 360 vs a 500gph pump--the 360 gph model uses more power, pumps less, and is the same physical size as the 500.

 

[Filkee]

Since we’re on a bilge binge here, I’ve been contemplating my setup. The PO installed two Rule’s of the sniffer variety. They cycle every two minutes or so and if they catch anything, they run a little longer. Not terribly soothing on the hook at night so I would often switch them off. Here’s the other rub. Their brown wires are joined together so the shower sump sets the pace and if there’s more in the main, it still cuts off and eventually you have to run them both with the forward one going longer than it really should. I’m considering adding a second three way switch and starting from scratch with the wiring so that I can isolate them and then maybe I won’t run into that anymore but since it was -20 yesterday, I didn’t go to the boat. I may not go to the boat for a while if this keeps up.

 

[william.haas]

Since we’re on a bilge binge here, I’ve been contemplating my setup. The PO installed two Rule’s of the sniffer variety. They cycle every two minutes or so and if they catch anything, they run a little longer. Not terribly soothing on the hook at night so I would often switch them off. Here’s the other rub. Their brown wires are joined together so the shower sump sets the pace and if there’s more in the main, it still cuts off and eventually you have to run them both with the forward one going longer than it really should. I’m considering adding a second three way switch and starting from scratch with the wiring so that I can isolate them and then maybe I won’t run into that anymore but since it was -20 yesterday, I didn’t go to the boat. I may not go to the boat for a while if this keeps up.

I think this is the perfect opportunity to start fresh, separate the two circuits, and move to a water witch sensor. On Danu’s setup, I like that the shower bilge and float switch is tied into the fresh water pressure pump - if the shower is not running why would I need to empty the shower bilge? The main bilge pump is tied to a float switch (which I will replace with a water witch when it dies) and has a direct run to the battery with an Off, Auto, and Manual switch. Also of note is that the main bilge has a cycle counter. That was extremely useful last summer - I had arrived at the boat one day and saw 12 cycles when maybe I normally see 1… turns out the main freshwater line had ruptured and the bilge pump was pumping out the entirety of my freshwater storage. It helped to identify and troubleshoot that leak (or what could have been a more serious issue).

 

[Kenneth K]

On Danu’s setup, I like that the shower bilge and float switch is tied into the fresh water pressure pump - if the shower is not running why would I need to empty the shower bilge?

On a 32-3, the shower bilge is what catches rainwater from the mast. On mine, it's the only bilge pump that cycles regularly throughout the winter. I tried a Water Witch float switch in the mast/shower bilge a few years ago and it didn't always reliably trigger in rain water. I hear they work better in salt water.

 

[peaman]

it didn't always reliably trigger in rain water.

Timely information. I have been looking at their switches for the same duty and I wondered if that would really be an issue for us, as I had seen on their data sheet a note about rain water. It seems crazy that a USCG approved bilge pump switch might not activate to keep a boat from sinking from rain water. Until I install a new remote pump, I have very little room in my shower bilge for any switch, but I need to find one that will fit.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Timely information. I have been looking at their switches for the same duty and I wondered if that would really be an issue for us, as I had seen on their data sheet a note about rain water. It seems crazy that a USCG approved bilge pump switch might not activate to keep a boat from sinking from rain water. Until I install a new remote pump, I have very little room in my shower bilge for any switch, but I need to find one that will fit.

This is from the Water Witch manual:

NOTE:
If large amounts of rain water can enter the bilge, it may dilute the normal, fresh or salt, water
outside our sensitivity window. Corrective action can be to switch pump on manually to remove
diluted water or to add minerals such as salt, baking soda, bilge cleaners, etc… NORMAL FRESH
WATER HAS AMPLE MINERAL CONTENT FOR PROPER OPERATION.

 

[Kenneth K]

Until I install a new remote pump, I have very little room in my shower bilge for any switch, but I need to find one that will fit.

That's one of the things I like about Aqualarm's smart switch. It's tall and cylindrical so the footprint is only a 1.75" circle.

20038 Smart Bilge Pump Switch - $99.95 : AQUALARM, Warning Systems For Land And Sea

AQUALARM 20038 Smart Bilge Pump Switch - Smart Bilge Pump Switch Smart Bilge Pump Switch, 20 amp rating Includes Smart Switch, Red Light Warning Panel (1/2" x 2-1/2"), Piezo Buzzer The Smart Switch switches the pump on when water is present. The Red Light on the warning panel is lit; showing...

aqualarm.net

You can mount it in the corner of the bilge with a single screw-in zip tie, then adjust the body higher and lower (sliding it through the zip tie) to adjust the pump trigger height. The wires come out of the top of the switch body, so they stay dry until water nearly reaches the sole.

 

[william.haas]

On a 32-3, the shower bilge is what catches rainwater from the mast. On mine, it's the only bilge pump that cycles regularly throughout the winter. I tried a Water Witch float switch in the mast/shower bilge a few years ago and it didn't always reliably trigger in rain water. I hear they work better in salt water.

This is interesting - are the two bilges (shower and main) on separate float switches and circuits or run in parallel?

 

[Kenneth K]

From the factory, they were wired independently:
-the shower bilge from an on-off-auto switch in the head (only powered when the pressurized water pump switch is turned on)
- the "main" bilge from the "bilge pump" switch on the DC panel.

In a practical sense, this left you with no automatic bilge pump capability most of the time.

 

[peaman]

- the "main" bilge from the "bilge pump" switch on the DC panel.

In a practical sense, this left you with no automatic bilge pump capability most of the time.

This helps me a lot in figuring out what I have. My main bilge pump has wires coming from both sides, but I knew that the ones from stbd are not original. Instead, they run from the helm battery bank through engine compartment and then forward to the bilge and to a float witch. Meanwhile, the panel switch runs the pump manually. This is all about to get re-done.

The part about wiring the shower sump through the pressure pump does not appeal to me, not with the amount of rain water I get from the mast.

 

[Bolo]

The part about wiring the shower sump through the pressure pump does not appeal to me, not with the amount of rain water I get from the mast.

It's quite a surprise to find out about the "from the factory" wiring on the E32-3's. By the time I bought my boat one of the two previous owners had already changed all the bilge wiring to accommodate the "real world". Float switch and manual switch at the nav station for the main bilge. Float switch and "Auto/Manual" switch panel with fuse and indicator light in the head. I ended up changing all the Rule pumps to Jabsco diaphragm pumps mounted in the stern of the boat very close to the above the water line through hulls. Water down the mast is just on of the facts of life for a E32-3. My mast is down right now being upgraded and I instructed the yard to plug up as many holes as possible to reduce the amount of water intrusion. It will never be a "dry mast" but I'm hoping to cut down on the water getting into the shower/mast bilge.

 

[Loren Beach]

Water down the mast is just on of the facts of life for a E32-3. My mast is down right now being upgraded and I instructed the yard to plug up as many holes as possible to reduce the amount of water intrusion. It will never be a "dry mast" but I'm hoping to cut down on the water getting into the shower/mast bilge.

Similar for our double spreader rig. FWIW more rain water appears after a hard wind accompanies a rain. I ascribe that to water being blown thru the side openings at spreader roots and all of the halyard exits. On the 'plus' side we always have some fresh clear (clean!) water in the bottom of the bilge, which justifies owning an old turkey baster... !

 

[Kenneth K]

The part about wiring the shower sump through the pressure pump does not appeal to me, not with the amount of rain water I get from the mast.

Yeah, that seems to be one of the first things many people change.

The other thing to consider about the shower sump is whether to have it connected to the other bilges (via limber holes), or isolated.

My shower sump originally had a limber hole at the very bottom, so an inch of water in this sump meant an inch of water across the whole boat, including in the inaccessible areas below the TAGF. I sealed off that lower limber hole and added a limber hole higher, at the same height as a PVC conduits. Now I can trap and pump water from the shower sump without getting ANY water in the rest of the boats--a huge improvement.

If you isolate this bilge, it becomes pretty small--I think mine holds about 96 oz (before overflowing to the limber hole). This can cause a problem with the centrifugal type pumps that backflow when they stop. The back flowing water refills the bilge about 1/2 way, and can cause the old, mechanical float switches to cycle repeatedly. I avoided this by installing an electric float switch which keeps pumping for 15 seconds after the float bottoms out. This would also be a good application for a diaphragm pump, which doesn't have the backflow issue.

 

[Bolo]

On the 'plus' side we always have some fresh clear (clean!) water in the bottom of the bilge, which justifies owning an old turkey baster... !

I use to use a turkey baster too but after I installed the diaphragm pumps in the stern near the through hulls and had a hose in the mast bilge go to the bottom with a slight angle cut to it, I can pump the bilge almost dry. At least as much as I did with the baster.

 

[Jerry VB]

A turkey baster is good but I switched to a 150ml Syringe with a rubber tube. I use about a 6" section of tube so I can aim the suckage.

3 Pack 150ml Syringes with 27.6-Inch Tubes $14 on amazon.

 

[peaman]

I ascribe that to water being blown thru the side openings at spreader roots and all of the halyard exits.

I wasn't aware that there are opening in the mast, other than screw holes, at the spreaders. If this is a big source of water in the bilge, what would you think of a leather or Sunbrella boot arranged to block most water?

 

[bsangs]

A turkey baster is good but I switched to a 150ml Syringe with a rubber tube. I use about a 6" section of tube so I can aim the suckage.

3 Pack 150ml Syringes with 27.6-Inch Tubes $14 on amazon.

This works well too. And not just for the bilge. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HYGKS4M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[jtsai]