Bilge pump for 27...

[stmbtwle]

Can't speak for other model albins but as many of us have found out, finding a bilge pump that will go down past the prop shaft isn't easy. I guess the standard setup is a remote diaphragm pump but they're hard to come by, noisy, slow, and relatively expensive. I'm still looking at the centrifugal pumps.
Anyway I remembered a "deep well" pump from my working days, where the pump is located at the bottom of the cargo tank and driven by shaft to a motor on deck. They worked quite well, but finding a small one for a pleasure boat has been impossible. So I decided to try and make my own.

Basically what I did was to carefully cut a regular centrifugal pump in two between the pump casing and the motor and extended it by about a foot with PVC pipe. (a "cartridge" type pump would be easier). The impeller is still at the bottom where it can get a suction but the motor (and the discharge) are at the top.

Tests on the prototype were favorable (it pumped quite well) but when I went to install it turned out to be too short and the 1-1/2" pvc extension was still too fat to clear the prop shaft. So I need a taller, skinnier pump. This is in the works, but I have to wait for drive shaft material to arrive before starting on the "mod 1" version. Anyway, here are some photos for those of you who want to try to build your own. I will post more when I start on the modification.

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Comments/ideas are welcome.

[hetek]

Very interesting.

My A27FC had a bronze strainer dropped down into the keel void with a hose leading to an inline strainer and a diaphragm pump mounted under the berth in the aft cabin. Or was it the rudder compartment? It's been a while.

Can't remember if there was a float switch or not.

I'll have to entertain the same thoughts with my A25. For now, I only have a single low profile pump mounted just forward of the engine pan... the second lowest spot.

A single bilge pump is not really where I want to be on my maiden/shake down cruise!

[WillieC]

There are pencil pumps still available that fit down in the Krakatoa East of Java bilge slot.
DA has the right set up, I don’t. Saving that job for another winter project. I DO however have all the parts easily at hand to use the engine raw water pump in a pinch. The manual whale pump also is functional. Prolly should put together a ditch bag but I try not to think about that possibility.

[DCatSea]

Please explain "pencil pumps" - I googled them and got lots of references to Ladies Dancing Shoes.

My deep aft bilge pump (and I'm touching wood as I write) is just "in the bilge where it's been for years" and works well, but having one that is where I can see it would be wonderful. It's currently manually switched but auto would require a bit of a re-wire.

I like Stmbtwle's (?) idea for extending the plumbing, but wonder if priming would be necessary to get suction. A great winter project (Another One!!)

[hetek]

In addition to the keel diaphragm pump, I had a 1500 Rule in the bilge, a manual Whale Gusher in the starboard cockpit pocket and a portable manual pump.

You can never have too many pumps.

[hetek]

"I like Stmbtwle's (?) idea for extending the plumbing, but wonder if priming would be necessary to get suction."

Looks to me like he separated the motor top from the pump bottom and filled in the in-between with PVC. Shouldn't be any different priming with the pump part still down in the keel.

My question is how did he extend the motor shaft. Unless of course I'm misunderstanding all of this.

[DCatSea]

Hetek - Agreed and seconded; three is never enough when you need them. One of my outstanding projects is a 110v pump mounted on a wooden plate, with hanging rope and suction/discharge hoses for use in dockside emergencies.

[Randall]

I have a 1986 model FC. I found the driveshaft tunnel widens enough to accept a standard Rule pump. The widening is about a foot forward of the aft cabin access hatch. Cheers.

Randall, 1986 Albin FC “Meridian”
North Fort Myers,Fl.

[hetek]

For my A27FC...

My options:

1. Pump 1 (diaphragm keel)
2. Pump 2 (Rule bilge)
3. Pump 3 (Whale Guzzler)
4. Pump 4 (hand held manual)
5. Abandon ship (Zodiac)
6. Insurance (Boat US)

Hey, can't say I didn't try.

And here my A25 has ONE pump. What was I thinking?!

[stmbtwle]

HETEC has it right, I separated the impeller part from the motor part. The impeller is down where the water is and it does NOT need priming. It picks the water up instantly and pumps it up the PVC pipe to cool the motor and then out the discharge.

The drive shaft so far is problematic, finding stainless shafting that size is not easy, and a long shaft MIGHT require a mid bearing. For the moment I have a brass tube from the hardware store. It works but I worry about how long it would last and how to fasten it to the motor and the impeller.
I have found a source for carbon fiber tubes for model airplanes and the ID is just right (3mm). I figure I will epoxy it to a short piece of stainless shaft at each end. The carbon fiber won't corrode and is stiff enough it shouldn't need a middle bearing. I figure I'll fasten it to the motor shaft with a brass shaft coupling (also from a hobby shop). Stainless would be better I think if I can find it.

I wish I had and knew how to use a 3D printer, I could build a much better pump than I can with PVC pump.

On the second pump... If you don't have one you need one! My boat nearly sank over the weekend because the electronic switch (Attwood) failed and burned out the pump. Weather was nasty and I had neglected to check it for several days. While I do have a second pump up by the engine it wasn't on a float, but at least it worked when I turned it on. Now I have a new aft pump, new sealed switches (Whale) and an LOUD bilge alarm!

"Nothing pumps better than a scared sailor with a bucket"

[motthediesel]

That's a great idea -- I love it!

Having read stmbtwle's first post, I was thinking about drive shaft material, and I thought about carbon fiber as well. Though I was thinking about using a broken fishing rod or arrow shaft, we have plenty of both hereabouts.

I recently had our driveshaft out for straightening, and to add a mid-bearing, so I put a 1500 gpm down there. The problem is (of course) that it can't be removed for service without pulling the shaft again. I might have to make one of those "extended" models as a backup.

You can't have too many bilge pumps, at least, not on the day that you really need them.

Tom

[stmbtwle]

I think an old fishing rod as mentioned above might make a good drive shaft, but I don't have any I'm willing to cut up at the present.

Another option might be a 12v "barrel pump", made for pumping out drums. They're a bit long for our purpose though, and finding one that could tolerate salt water might be a problem.

[motthediesel]

I think an old fishing rod as mentioned above might make a good drive shaft, but I don't have any I'm willing to cut up at the present.

Ha! I run a small Summer resort, and people are throwing out broken rods all the time — I’ve got piles of them.

PM me — I’ll send you one

[stmbtwle]

Just found a "submersible inline pump" on Grainger, Amazon has them too. (several models) Seems like I'm trying to reinvent the wheel. Pump shown is the Rule IL500 (500gpm), there is also an IL200, (200gpm), I haven't found anything bigger. They're both 1-1/2" in diameter, so could access nearly any bilge.

[stmbtwle]

Well, it's done, and it works.

As you can see from the photo I reduced the diameter of the middle section to clear the prop shaft, and while I did carve out the throat, it still appears to reduce the flow somewhat. Then there's the question of durability. So while it was an interesting exercise, as a practical matter I doubt it's worth the effort. I think there are better, proven pumps out there.

I can provide more photos /details if anyone wants to improve on it.