Clog in bilge hose

[Stuart 28-2]

I have a hard clog in the bilge hose. Clog is between intake and pump, 3-4 feet from intake. The intake has a strainer. After attacking it with a hand auger for a while I was able, with effort, to blow through the hose in direction of intake to pump. When I reconnect hose to pump it can pull water through a couple of times and then the hose clogs again. When I first blow water through the hose after using the auger there are small black pieces in the water but I can't tell what the material is. Interestingly, when I pull the auger out there is no material on it. I can get the auger through the clog with effort but the clog still seems hard when the auger hits it.
Am I hitting a clog or a check valve?
The original problem was the pump runs but doesn't remove liquid from the bilge. When I take the pump and filter with several feet of hose out it pulls water out of a bucket and shoots it just fine.

 

[footrope]

What kind of pump do you have? Is it a submersible (Rule) or diaphragm type?

 

[Stuart 28-2]

What kind of pump do you have? Is it a submersible (Rule) or diaphragm type?

It's an impeller pump. Jabsco Water Puppy.

 

[Dave G.]

Sounds like a failed check valve, although don't know why they would have one on the intake side of that pump. How long and how difficult to just replace the hose ? If it's buried, get a new section of hose butt it up to the old one and tape then together with 6" wrap of electrical tape then pull the new one through with the old one. What year and model do you have ?

 

[Christian Williams]

Mysterious intermittent nonfunctioning while running is often an air lock. "Self priming" is an ad slogan. Try adding water to bilge so it equates to th bucket test. Many/some of us just gave up on impeller bilge pumps and installed diaphragm pumps, which don;t need priming.

Check valves are not a good idea in a bilge pump hose and only there for psychiatric reasons (run-back water makes us upset).
When they inevitably clog on debris, or on the marine growth the fetid held-back water encourages, the bilge pump doesn't work while you're at home watching TV.

 

[Rocinante33]

Mysterious intermittent nonfunctioning while running is often an air lock. "Self priming" is an ad slogan. Try adding water to bilge so it equates to th bucket test. Many/some of us just gave up on impeller bilge pumps and installed diaphragm pumps, which don;t need priming.

Check valves are not a good idea in a bilge pump hose and only there for psychiatric reasons (run-back water makes us upset).
When they inevitably clog on debris, or on the marine growth the fetid held-back water encourages, the bilge pump doesn't work while you're at home watching TV.

The bilge pump knows when I'm watching TV? What if I am reading "Don Quixote," from which my boat takes her name? Would it work? Maybe the bilge pump hacked the internet. I stream TV, after all. Or maybe the bilge pump is an FBI or CIA "plant!" Oh man, I'm breaking out in a sweat!

Oh wait a minute, I have a diaphragm pump, too. I guess I am safe. Whew!

(Just kidding. I don't mean to minimize the original problem),

 

[Stuart 28-2]

Sounds like a failed check valve, although don't know why they would have one on the intake side of that pump. How long and how difficult to just replace the hose ? If it's buried, get a new section of hose butt it up to the old one and tape then together with 6" wrap of electrical tape then pull the new one through with the old one. What year and model do you have ?

It's a 1988 28-2.
Early on had the thought of pulling a new hose. The existing is run through a series of holes with a section about 4" long that I can't access. Didn't want to budge when I pulled on it.

 

[Loren Beach]

It's a 1988 28-2.
Early on had the thought of pulling a new hose. The existing is run through a series of holes with a section about 4" long that I can't access. Didn't want to budge when I pulled on it.

Yeah, the factory guys (same guys, probably) bored the holes for hose passage in our '88 boat. They should have used a slightly larger hole saw. Our boat also has a "blind" section of shallow bilge way aft under the aft cabin berth, well over a foot long. I had to tie a piece of line to the end of the old hose that I could get at, back in the stern section, route that line 180 degrees thru a lashed block, and up and out of the laz. seat hatch for a helper to pull on - with gusto.

With my crawling back and wiggling the hose and the constant pressure of the pull, it emerged. Little at a time. Before installing new hose I chamfered out all of the holes, reaching from both sides of some, with a mini sanding drum on a Dremel tool, and some 80 grit paper. And a curved rasp. And etc. The new hose pulled thru with -relative- ease.

You might need a piece of flexible material to poke thru the blind spaces, like a chunk of "romex" house wiring cable. i.e. something you can tape the end of the new hose to with duct tape.

Tedious work, but well suited to an owner wishing to save paying a yard guy $100. + per hour for a half day, or more.

 

[Dave G.]

As Loren noted could be tight fit for sure. May take 2 people wiggling, bending, and aligning at each end to move it an inch at a time but it should come out, in theory anyway...

 

[Rocinante33]

Also apply liberal quantities of very soapy water to the outside (all of it that is accessible on the old hose anyway) of both old & new hoses prior to pulling on it It gives some lubrication and might just help a bit. If there is a distinct corner to navigate, even squirt detergent directly on the hose. Use biodegradable detergent as some might get pumped out.

 

[Stuart 28-2]

Many thanks for comments and advice to all.

 

[Stuart 28-2]

Update: I think the "clogs" were just kinks. There's two near 90 degree turns in the hoses.