Replacing bilge pump question (Seabob)or anyone 225 explorer

[Circle Hooked]

I'm gonna replace my bilge pumps,still the originals so i think it's about time.

First question ,what do you recommend for size,has a 1500gal stern and 500 bow now.

Second what is the idea with the clear plastic snap connectors that just corrode,
gonna get ride of them and splice the new pumps in with heat shrink connectors.

Thanks.

[Capt. Bob]

That's the sizing on my 210 also.
I ran a 2000 on the CCP and it saved my bacon twice in very heavy Gulf seas. :o

Heat shrink the connectors by all means  and keep hem as high as possible to limit the chance of water intrusion.

Common sense is always the best approach.  

Good luck.

[Asport-Rog]

As Capt. Bob as advised, I don't think you can go wrong with a larger pump. In addition to the heat shrink, I like to solder all of my connections.

[RickK]

My 230 has a 2000 in the aft and ?? in the front - access is too small to see value but it is definitely smaller.

Might want to upgrade to electronic float switches.

[Circle Hooked]

Thanks guys,i think 2000 in the rear too,i just put a new float switch that one last summer.

The front pump on mine isn't to hard to get to,but what gets me is,the wires are

bundled up and ziptied with the plastic connector to the top of the pump.

I guess i haven't had to much water up there since the pump still works.

[Aswaff400]

not an AS but we're running a 1000 gph in the bow, 1500 and 2500 in the stern of our SR all with their own float switches... the 1000 and the 1500 can be operated by float switch or switch on the dash and the 2500 is solely emergency an emergency pump with a float switch higher up... ill be putting a 1000 in my osprey... theres no such thing as too big of a bilge pump...

[seabob4]

Circle,
Just keep in mind that the "rated" flows of all bilge pumps are with no rise and no run...wwhich means with no hoses attached!  Stupid, if you ask me.

I've always used un-insulated butt connecters with adhesive lined shrink sleeving when terminating bilge pumps.  And make sure the wiring exiting out of the top of the pumps and floats gets routed upward and secured so it stays out of bilge water.

I also highly recommend replacing the floats as well.  For some reason the wiring of the floats is very flimsy compared to the wiring of the pumps, and often floats crap out before the pumps...

[Circle Hooked]

Thanks seabob,i tested the float in the bow yesterday and no go,the one aft i replaced last summer,still works.

What do you think for gph on the new pumps.

I was gonna post i pic fwd pump but i left the camera on the back of the boat the other day,forgot about it then came the rain.

Camera shopping this week. :x  :x

[seabob4]

Aft, get the biggest that has an 1 1/8" discharge, probably a 2000.  Forward, your limited to the 3/4" discharge, unless you want to re-plumb, which is not fun!  I'm guessing 800-1000.  Anything over that and your talking 1 1/8".

[gran398]

Agree with all, good posts.

Something to consider, since we're talking pumps.

I was offshore 3 years ago in a BRAND NEW 34SF Big Name with twin Yanmar turbodiesels. Beautiful boat, Rupp riggers, Pompanette chair, teak/holly cabin sole, microwave, a/c, gen., Furuno everything, all bells and whistles, 300K on the hoof.

After a good shakedown on cruises in the waterway, we're yellowfin fishing 65 miles offshore in the NC gulfstream, maiden trip. Suddenly, both bilge alarms go off, 2pm in the afternoon. I'm the captain. Not my boat.

Immediately go to the stern, open the long fishbox hatch, which stretches across the stern in the cockpit sole. As soon as I open the hatch, the lift-out fishbox FLOATS ONTO THE DECK.

Turn off all extra pumps, close all seacocks. Water in the bilge is close to rising onto the cockpit sole. Aft pump is clogged with fiberglass matt/roving not removed from manufacture, which of course has found its way to the stern. Felt down through the seawater, cleaned off the goop from the aft pump, got her up on plane. (barely) All bilge pumps (3) ran continuously for the next 25 minutes.

Got her home, dealer finally found (reiterate, finally) that the leakage was due to a failed snap connection on a water-puppy style self-priming washdown pump. Here's the kicker; this pump was mounted underneath the deck, mounted upside-down to the bottom of the deck, out of site, out of mind, but DIRECTLY above the port Yanmar. Had to stick your head way down below the hydraulic-lift engine hatch, then look hard up and to the left,  to even SEE this pump. So when that snap-fitting failed, it poured salt water all over that Yanmar for several hours, finally flooding the bilge. Great engineering.

Moral of the story. Know your pumps, keep them in sight, keep them quickly accessible. Run and ck. all often for leakage. And for sure, those snap-fit O ring pumps warrant extra attention. Give me an old-style pump with double stainless hose clamps any day.

NEVER FORGET Murphy's Law; the boy has a nasty and dangerous way of showing himself offshore.

[Circle Hooked]

Great post gran i hope everyone here reads it.

[seabob4]

Agree with all, good posts.

Something to consider, since we're talking pumps.

I was offshore 3 years ago in a BRAND NEW 34SF Big Name with twin Yanmar turbodiesels. Beautiful boat, Rupp riggers, Pompanette chair, teak/holly cabin sole, microwave, a/c, gen., Furuno everything, all bells and whistles, 300K on the hoof.

After a good shakedown on cruises in the waterway, we're yellowfin fishing 65 miles offshore in the NC gulfstream, maiden trip. Suddenly, both bilge alarms go off, 2pm in the afternoon. I'm the captain. Not my boat.

Immediately go to the stern, open the long fishbox hatch, which stretches across the stern in the cockpit sole. As soon as I open the hatch, the lift-out fishbox FLOATS ONTO THE DECK.

Turn off all extra pumps, close all seacocks. Water in the bilge is close to rising onto the cockpit sole. Aft pump is clogged with fiberglass matt/roving not removed from manufacture, which of course has found its way to the stern. Felt down through the seawater, cleaned off the goop from the aft pump, got her up on plane. (barely) All bilge pumps (3) ran continuously for the next 25 minutes.

Got her home, dealer finally found (reiterate, finally) that the leakage was due to a failed snap connection on a water-puppy style self-priming washdown pump. Here's the kicker; this pump was mounted underneath the deck, mounted upside-down to the bottom of the deck, out of site, out of mind, but DIRECTLY above the port Yanmar. Had to stick your head way down below the hydraulic-lift engine hatch, then look hard up and to the left,  to even SEE this pump. So when that snap-fitting failed, it poured salt water all over that Yanmar for several hours, finally flooding the bilge. Great engineering.

Moral of the story. Know your pumps, keep them in sight, keep them quickly accessible. Run and ck. all often for leakage. And for sure, those snap-fit O ring pumps warrant extra attention. Give me an old-style pump with double stainless hose clamps any day.

NEVER FORGET Murphy's Law; the boy has a nasty and dangerous way of showing himself offshore.

This is one AWESOME post!

One of the things I do while boating, whether I'm the captain or a passenger, whether we're in the ICW or 50 miles off, is check the bilge every 15 minutes.  Open the hatch and take a look.  Don't trust electrical/mechanical/nuclear gizmo's to take the place of good old common sense and safety...you can't pull over and call Sam's towing out there...

[Circle Hooked]

Aft, get the biggest that has an 1 1/8" discharge, probably a 2000.  Forward, your limited to the 3/4" discharge, unless you want to re-plumb, which is not fun!  I'm guessing 800-1000.  Anything over that and your talking 1 1/8".

Thanks seabob,i didn't about hose size but that sounds right.