Fishbox Macerator Pump on the fritz

[who4ever]

Hi again.  I told you you'd be hearing from me a lot!
Here's today's excellent adventure.  The fishboxes on my 2000 Osprey Sport 215 Dual Console are not emptying.  I hear the pump running when I flip the switch, but when I first bought the boat this spring the boxes emptied of water pretty quickly.  I see a trickle of water coming out of the side of the boat, but they are not emptying.  Friend said it might be the impeller in the pump, which would be cheaper to repair than a new pump.
Anyway, the pump is in a rediculously difficult place in the bilge area.  Back to the left.  How would I get it out to inspect it?  Also, I don't quite understand how the pump drains both boxes.  The port one seems to have a hose from the water exit hole in the box that leads to the pump, but the starboard exit hold faces aft, and I can't see a hose that comes around the back into the pump.
Anyone help me with all of these questions I have tried to ask in a logical manner, but obviously failed miserably?
Thanks, Dave

[pete]

would be easier to help if you post some pics,there is a strainer that could be clogged.

[seabob4]

The fishboxes are emptied with a macerator, thus no strainer needed.  There is a Tee, somewhere, that connects the 2 drain hoses and feeds them to the 1 1/2" intake of the pump.  Now, when I have had issues with fishbox macerator drain pumps, it's usually been because of fishing line jammed around the impeller shaft.  But, because of this condition, the pump usually binds up and trips the breaker...

So, just where IS the pump located, pictorially?

[plugger]

Same problem for me,late last season mine quit.  The location is next to impossible to reach
either thru a 8' pie plate on the rear deck or the access door left rear. Im thinking they installed all of this hardware then put the upper deck over it (terrible design) for the owners .......and im told to expect to replace ,service semi annualy. I now hand pump the two boxes to remove rain/deck water the finds its way in.      
The replacement pump is aprox $150, i was quoted 3hrs@$100 to do the labor.

[seabob4]

Same problem for me,late last season mine quit.  The location is next to impossible to reach
either thru a 8' pie plate on the rear deck or the access door left rear. Im thinking they installed all of this hardware then put the upper deck over it (terrible design) for the owners .......and im told to expect to replace ,service semi annualy. I now hand pump the two boxes to remove rain/deck water the finds its way in.      
The replacement pump is aprox $150, i was quoted 3hrs@$100 to do the labor.

That, unfortunately, is the norm at many builders.  The mindset amongst the head production people is such that a few years down the road, when a pump or whatever craps out, it's the owner or the dealer that has to deal with it...

[who4ever]

Here are the pictures of my (non) access to the macerator pump and the pump itself.  Please excuse the dirtyness of the bilge area.  My boat (215 23 foot dual console Osprey) has access to the bilge area either through the rectangular trap door on the deck floor or the round access hole in the transom area.  My only hope to get to the pump is the rectangular door, but the circular hole may allow me access to the hoses.

Now, I want to disconnect the pump electrically and hose-wise and try and acertain the problem.  How do you think I should proceed?  I am pretty sure the pump is screwed down to the floor of the bilge with 4 screws, one on each corner of the black mounting plate.  I should have easy access to the port ones, probable access to the fore/starboard one and no access at all to the aft/starboard, unless when I unscrew the first 3, I can rotate the pump to get to the aft/starboard screw.  And how do I disconnect the 2 wires without damaging them?

Do you think I should start with the hoses and see if they are clogged?  I do hear the pump running but nothing comes through and the fish boxes do have water in them.  Or should I unscrew the pump first, pull it forward, and then disconnect the hoses?

And where is the impeller blade?  How do I gain access to it to inspect it?

Thanks for you patience.

[Circle Hooked]

I see you got the photo thing figured out just like anything else once you do it a few times it get easy

[pete]

I wonder why they put a macerater pump on a DC but in an Osprey they use a little bait well pump for the same thing?

[seabob4]

I wonder why they put a macerater pump on a DC but in an Osprey they use a little bait well pump for the same thing?

Pete,
A very good question, think I have the answer.  You have 1 fishbox, the DC has 2.  Now, even though your drain may be lower than the t/hull discharge, it's not that great of an uphill run, the little bait pump can handle it.  Now, we take a DC, which has it's drains way lower than yours, and it would need 2 pumps if you didn't tee the drains together.  So between the very low drains (and the greater uphill run) and the fact that there are 2 fishboxes, the macerator was the only way to go...

At least WC/AS could have located it in an area where it could be serviced! :x  :x

[pete]

makes sense,sorta

[seabob4]

makes sense,sorta

A lotta chit in the boat building world "makes sense...sorta"...  

[who4ever]

Can either of you guys tell me how to go about diagnosing my problem, or at least, how to take the pump off to inspect it, or should I leave the pump in place and try and disconnect the hoses first to see if they are clogged, or is it easier to disconnect the hoses if I take the pump off first?  And how do I disconnect the wiring?
Thanks, Dave

[plugger]

Just throwing this one out for consideration, in looking at my fishbox drain hoses i see where i
could just cut the hose and then using a "slip tee" tap into the scupper hose as they are less than 12" apart and are at that point on the same level above the pump location
.....thoughts/ comments

[pete]

have you tried back flushing it?put a hose at the outlet and force water thru it to see if there is a clog?If that doesnt work and you decide to remove pump,take off the hatch it will give you a little more room to get in there [advice from seabob],check the wiring for a quick disconnect further up,good luck bro

[who4ever]

Hi.  In case anyone is still awake :)
OK, I replaced my impeller blade.  The old one had lost 3 of the 6 arms.  I reinstalled the pump, reconnected the hoses, the pump runs, but no discharge from the side of the boat.  So I disconnected the discharge hose from the pump and turned it on and water is flowing nicely out of the pump (into the bilge at the moment.)  I put a garden hose in the discharge hose and turned it on and water flowed nicely from the side of the boat.  I am pretty confused at this point.  The pump is working and the hose is not clogged.  So I reconnect the hose to the pump and...............nothing again!!!!  So this time, I disconnect the hose, run the pump and while water is flowing out of the pump into the bilge, I shove the discharge hose back on and everything is working perfectly.  Water is pouring out of the side of the boat.   Am I great, or what?   No, not yet.  So I empty the fish boxes, shut the pump and refill the boxes with water, just to make sure.  Put on the pump, and nothing again.  I'm thinking since I know the pump is working, it has to be something about the hose.  It runs from the pump in the bilge, through the battery compartment under the aft port seat and connects to the thingamajig on the side of the boat.  The hose is somewhat long, assumedly to make connecting the hose to the pump a little easier.  It makes a loop in the bilge area before entering the battery area.  But there are no kinks.  The last bit of info I have to give you is one of the times that the water was not discharging from the side of the boat, I opened the battery compartment and pushed the hose down just a bit and everything started working well.    Is hose length and position critical to the proper working of this pump?   Thanks, Dave