Bilge Pump Design??

[76SeaRay]

When I tore down the interior of my 1976 22ft Sea Ray overnighter and removed the floor and gas tank, I found that there was only one bilge pump located just in front of the engine. There was a plastic pipe that ran underneath the gas tank to a drain in the front of the boat (step down area to the cabin) so that water there could drain back to the engine bay pump. The pipe of course was cracked, plugged and now removed. I am trying to decide how to restore the bilge pump system before I install the new gas tank. I don't have a lot of depth between the floor in the step down area and the hull.

I still plan the pump in front of the engine but thinking about an emergency pump set higher in the engine bay. So does anybody see a reason not to use a similar approach from the front area with a drain to the back and add the second emergency pump in the transom area. Or, should I just try to find a way to put a pump in the front instead of a second emergency pump in the back? I don't like the idea of a single pump but just need to figure the best way to protect the boat.

 

[GA_Boater]

Pictures please. I'm not grasping what you mean to say.

A higher bilge pump isn't going to pump much water and will leave a lot to slosh around.

 

[76SeaRay]

I will get some pictures tonight.. By higher pump I meant to add a second emergency pump that is above the level of the primary pump... So, if the primary pump couldn't keep up with a major leak then the secondary high volume pump kicks on if the water keeps getting higher, otherwise it doesn't run during normal operations. I guess my bigger question is about using the drain from the front of the boat underneath the fuel tank like the original design or go with a second pump in the front (that would mean two sets of bilge pump switches).

 

[froggy1150]

On my cuddy i put the pipe back. The hole in one end of the pipe had been covered in glass. I used sch 40 pvc and gently warmed it until pliable to conform to the boat. Sch 40 pvc is tough unless exposed to uv light then it gets brittle. I also roughed it up with 32 grit where it wag going to get glassed so it would stick and used 3m 5200 at bulkheads just in case. And i can also air out the tank cavity when it sits.

 

[chevymaher]

My boat didn't have one and I did not use it when I rebuilt it. If you have a removable tank lid. Water will get in there from the deck, and have no way to get out. Mine drains past under the tank into the bilge.

 

[76SeaRay]

Here are a couple of pics...

 

[chevymaher]

About the same as mine. First pic is so light shows the 2 holes. Tank is in the center square. Second shows the Angles I put in so no water pocketed in skii locker or the tank area. The hole is the low spot no matter how the boat is sitting. 3rd is just you can see the neoprene runners the tank sit on so the water can run through and the 3 liters motor mount so the water can pass through. Except the angles I added it is factory.

 

[todhunter]

Ooh...I like the angles you added. I think I'm going to copy that for my ski locker.

 

[76SeaRay]

Well, I think I will go with the original design with a pipe drain front to back and maybe consider a second emergency pump located a little higher than the primary...