bilge pump question

[Kracker Jack]

my mind is constantly thinking of ways to consolidate on knick knacks on the boat. So I have a bilge pump question. Can I put a T fitting from 2 bilges to 1 thru -hull? or will the one bilge pump thats running pump some water reverse into the other bilge that is not working? Im trying to get away with only having 1 thru-hull fitting for 2 pumps. I realize that this is a pretty stupid question but Im just curious.

[reelapeelin]

my mind is constantly thinking of ways to consolidate on knick knacks on the boat. So I have a bilge pump question. Can I put a T fitting from 2 bilges to 1 thru -hull? or will the one bilge pump thats running pump some water reverse into the other bilge that is not working? Im trying to get away with only having 1 thru-hull fitting for 2 pumps. I realize that this is a pretty stupid question but Im just curious.

Sounds like a good question to me...I would imagine if you got two 1" hoses flowing into one 2" hose it would flow properly...and keep in mind a hose runnin out of each side will work also...instead of having two fittings on one side...

[Kracker Jack]

Another question related to bilge pumps. Are Johnson bilge pumps worth a crap? they are selling 2200gph johnson pumps on Ebay for 80.00 dollars. Thats alot of pump for 80 bucks.

Thanks for the help REEL.

[macojoe]

I just got my 2 new pumps in today, no hose as of yet, but was thinking about same thing? But my thought would be that the water being pumped out would come back thur the pump thats not pumping at that time?? Which means ihave to put two new thur hulls in and my boat has 3 already for two old pumps that i am leaving in, one small 500 in front and one small 700 in rear. The two new ones are 1100 auto's, i will use the 2 smaller ones for manual when needed, auto's for when on the mooring.
But after getting these 2 Rule pumps and installing them they kept coming on every few min? Instructions say they come on every 2 min for like 2 seconds looking for water, if no water they shut off if there get water they stay on till its gone? Thats ok i guess but i don't want the battery going dead looking for water? This is so there isno float switch to get stuck, they say??

[phatdaddy]

i have seem some that work of off amperage. a pump pumping water will pull more amps than one that is dry. if the amps are low it will shut back down, if they are high, it will pump umtil the amp load drops.

i think you would be better off giving each pump its own outlet. if you are in a situation where you are having to use multiple bilge pumps, you probably want to get as much water out of the hull as possible. i think combining outlets would cut down on the capabilities of both pumps.

[macojoe]

I have decided to put switches on my pumps to be able to shut them off while not in water, then leave on when on the mooring, seeing that i am only going to use the mooring 3 days a week during Bass season.

[cfelton]

Seems like if both pumps are not running at the same time you could install inline check valves to keep the water from flowing back through the other pump, as long as they're large enough not to restrict the outboard flow. Just a thought!

[tartuffe]

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<LI class=last>AMERICAN VALVE 2" PVC Check Valve Socket

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AMERICAN VALVE 2" PVC Check Valve Socket

Item #: 154372 | Model #: P32S 2

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$11.83

[tartuffe]

Finally an advantage to having every part not part of my hull in my upstairs bonus room. Just poured water down the discharge hose on one of my bilges and it ran right through the pump (rule).

You could go with oversized check valves like I posted above or go the route of 1.5" brass for $23. Just figure the larger valve will help make up for the loss in GPM as noted above.

I will be tying 2 bilges into a 2" through hull and using the PVC valves. Figured that would save me an additional $45 stainless thru hull.

[tartuffe]

A 1" thru hull has an area of .78 square inches. Two 1" thru hulls will be 1.56 square inches. A 2" through hull is 3.14 square inches or the equivalent of (4) 1" thru hulls..

[spareparts]

those sensing pumps suck, the johnson pumps are pretty good, their float switches suck. I like having a separate outlet for each pump, that way I can tell if they work, My emergency pump outlet is mounted directly over the main pump outlet, if I look back and see two streams of water coming out at the same time, I know I've got something going on in the bilge(alarms fail). I've seen bilge hoses break(especially that white corrugated hose), if one hose breaks, you will have both pumps pumping back into the bilge

[smokeonthewater]

absolutely run each pump to it's own thru hull...... once you get over the "I skeered to drill a hole" issue you will realize that it is actually simpler and that with two thru hulls you will actually have redundancy... IE a busted thru hull taking out both bilge pumps would be BAD and adding two check valves that reduce gph (and could fail) and SEVEN more hose clamped connections to possibly fail is anything but simplicity.

just drill the hole... you will be FAR better off in the long run

[macojoe]

I am adding the thur hulls and i also added switches to the 2 new auto pumps today, this way they can be off when boat is in the yard, just leave on when in the boat or on the mooring