Is Biodegradable Boat Wash Safe for Bilge Pump

[viper1216]

I'm looking for something to be able to wash down my boat with aside from just spraying it down with water and giving it a good scrub now and then. The boat is in my slip, so pulling the drain plug will make things very wet...so obviously all rinsed water is going to come out of the bilge. Just want to make sure that won't cause any damage to the bilge pump itself pumping out soapy water.

Thanks!

 

[garbageguy]

it's never bothered mine

 

[H20Rat]

If anything, it is helping it... A little oil/grime is inevitable in the bilge, and it will accumulate on any part that touches it, including your bilge pump impeller. I'd intentionally run the pump to get some of the soapy water through it.

 

[viper1216]

Nice!!! I will give it a whirl then. And since it's the only way I can get the water out after rinsing, it will get a lot of soapy water run through it.

 

[JimS123]

I would be more worried about the visibility of the suds floating in the Marina. How can you tell the difference between Bio and ****-n-Span?

 

[H20Rat]

I would be more worried about the visibility of the suds floating in the Marina. How can you tell the difference between Bio and ****-n-Span?

Easy, just don't hit the bilge pump switch until you are underway, well clear of the marina! (disregard if you have an auto-bilge pump that you can't disconnect temporarily)

(also, apparently the bad word filter doesn't like a particular cleaner)

 

[viper1216]

Lol, apparently not. I do have an auto bilge and the only way to disable would be to disco the battery. I can check with Marina, but is that usually a no-no to use soap (biodegradable) to clean boats? We have a lot of people I see washing all the time. They are I'm sure using something.

 

[JimS123]

I only mentioned it because some years ago I got yelled at for less than that.

Our private camp included a marina and a beach for the kids. The wife and I got hit with a massive (and I mean massive) T-storm and we barely made it back. The old tinny didn't have a bilge pump and by the time we got back the gas tank was starting to float.

I beached her and used a can to bail out the water. Boy the camp owner lit into me for discharging all that "bilge water".

Some things aren't necessarily illegal. Its all in the perception of others.

 

[Bob_VT]

Can you pull the bilge fuse? A cup of Dawn or any dishwashing liquid diluted in the bilge with a gallon or so of water........ go boating for the day let it swish around then reconnect the bilge pump fuse. That was the "old" way we used to clean things.

 

[Scott Danforth]

just use dawn dish soap.

 

[Grub54891]

just use dawn dish soap.

Dawn in the bilge only. Use a biodegradable on the rest of the boat. Dawn will cut any wax of the exterior.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Dawn dish soap is biodegradable. It is the biodegradable soap of choice for cleaning wild life that is effected by oil spills

 

[Grub54891]

You may be right, but I did read someplace that dawn encapsulates the oil and it sinks to the bottom. Don't they clean the wildlife in a more controlled environment?

 

[Lightwin 3]

You may be right, but I did read someplace that dawn encapsulates the oil and it sinks to the bottom. Don't they clean the wildlife in a more controlled environment?

It does. Look at the bottom of your sink after washing a nasty-greasy pan. Works good though.

I have used it to clean bilges, works wonders there too.