Bilge water suction hose?

Audrey II

Audrey II

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even though all my bilge pumps work fine they don't get the all the water out there is always a little left. I would like to install some sort of small hose with a filter tip to use as a pickup tube that I can tie into a small pump to remove whatever residue water is left in the bilge. I was thinking in my forward bilge I would just pump it into the shower sump box. I have no issue finding pumps the problem is finding a pickup tube that can pick up shallow water and won't just clog up every time I use it.
I know there is a company that sells a system for this but they won't sell their pickup hose separately I already tried to buy them from them at a boat show.
I'm looking for something like this,
http://www.aridbilge.com/Pick_up__Wand.html

All thoughts welcome!
 
It looks like you could make those wands out of copper tubing and hose. I use a small shop vac to empty my bilge spaces. If you do this take the filter off the cage.

Billy K.
 
I want to have the pickup in place so with a flick of a switch I can clean the bilge dry! I would really like to install the system in the above link and I may in the future but I just can't swing the price at the moment. I'm hoping to install something that I can use in the future if I do pick up the Arid system. I don't want to go thru the install twice it will likely be a PITA to get to each of the bilge areas.
 
Dave, you make the pick up lines out of copper tube and hose then run to a central point. From there you could put valves on each and bring into a central hose and attach to a bilge pump or vacuum. You would have to do it manually but it would save you a lot of money. You really have me thinking because I'm also anal about water in the bilge. Even though it's fresh, it makes me nuts.

Billy K.
 
I wanted to do this on my boat amd bought a diphragm pump already but have yet to wire it up.
For me the issue was not so much the pickup as the discharge because I need to tie into an existing thru hull.
I couldn't decide best place to do it and not have water back up thru the hose, could add a check valve to a scupper hose I was thinking.
For the pickup I was going to go to a fish store and get some plastic tubing and they sell splicers.
I wanted to make like a spider with like a few hoses in different directions.
They also sell aerating stones that are meant to blow air out, but i was thinking could be used in reverse!
 
Dave why not dump it into the shower sump and let it pump overboard?
In my case it would only be a little bit of water the bilge pump will do the hard part.
 
Just make copies of those tubes and plumb them to a manifold that goes to a diagram pump. Then at a later date you could change over to the Arid system.
 
Bill this is the plan but I'm not really sure how to copy them. If not made just right all they will do is suck air like the pump already in place. While it looks simple and crude it is well thought out and I'm sure the current design is not their first.
 
For me my rear bilge is in the wrong location.
So this is for the rear of boat.
I collect alot of water more in the middle of engine room from rain.
I don't think my rear and front are connected, but I could look to run into shower sump, I just don't want to overwork the shower sump or overrun it with water, then it defeats purpose.
I am sure the diaphragm pump pumps faster than shower sump!
 
quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II

Bill this is the plan but I'm not really sure how to copy them. If not made just right all they will do is suck air like the pump already in place. While it looks simple and crude it is well thought out and I'm sure the current design is not their first.

Click to expand...
I looked at the system you are talking about Dave for Wireless One. Once I installed the PSS dripless shafts I no longer had any standing water in my boat. However when I did it always ended up in the bow. That is the lowest point when my Mainship is resting.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II

Bill this is the plan but I'm not really sure how to copy them. If not made just right all they will do is suck air like the pump already in place. While it looks simple and crude it is well thought out and I'm sure the current design is not their first.

Click to expand...


The tubes appear to be just copper with a foam screen around what ever perforations are in the tubes. The trick is to get them very low in the bilge. Which based on their size should not be an issue.

I guess the real trick is if you are going to install several of the tubes and run them to one pump you need enough suction going to them to still pick up water from one while sucking air through the others. I can see how a shop vac could do it. Not sure about a diaphragm pump though.
 
The old Scott / Scott Atwater outboard engines used to have a 'Bailamatic' system using a cast aluminum rectangular pickup which connected to a hose which ran to a pump in the engine. The setup was great for bailing the bottom of the rental boats Dad used to get when we went fishing. You could make up something like that with a series of fuel tank pickup tubes and net screens. A series of remotely controlled relays would open or close valves in the different hoses. However, any water remaining in a hose between the pickup and the valve would probably flow back into the bilge area, a problem. Hy
 
quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II

Click to expand...
Dave there's a reason this system is expensive. It removes all standing water but it takes care of all the different problems discussed further down in this thread.
Bill
 
I am more curious to figure out where the water comes from. But in liue of that I would like something that keeps that water out of this area too. If left there, it starts to stink.
 
Billy last year I sourced solenoid valves and pumps to do the job. I never did order them I figured I would work out the pick tubes first. I was thinking I could set up a timer to run each zone for a few minutes a few times a day and this shoukd keep things dry but I could always adjust the times. All the parts were cheap surprising so of coarse they were all made in China.
 
Speaking of expensive options I found out the Gulfstar has an UltraSonic system with transducers to keep the bottom and props from fouling. I noticed all the transducers and the main box today when I was crawling around in the ER. I had looked at installing one in the Mainship but never did due to the costs.
I agree with John you need to find out where the water is coming from? On my Mainship I was getting water from the built in rod holders, that was easy to fix I had them all removed and glassed over. Then it was the shafts, so I installed PSS dripless on the shafts. It's now dry as a bone rain or no rain.
Bill
 
For what it is worth Bill, I have the same issue with the bilge. And the way the pump is positioned, it won't come on until there is 5 or 6 gallons of water in there. I think a couple other Trojan owners here have the problem too. So any solution Dave comes with I and others will likely do the same.
 
I am gonna give that wand thing a try, make one and hook up to my diaphragm pump and see how it goes.
My boat has 2 large engine hatches that collect alot of water. I think when it rains hard water comes in faster than it can go into scuppers and drains and it starts to backup and overflow. Not much you can do about it.
 
Dave are you planing to make the wands? If so please take notes and pictures and let us know how it works when you are done.
I have tried to buy them premade but I don't even get a response to my request and while at a boat show them told me outright that they don't sell them separately. What about customers that want to add or replace them do they track their customers and only sell to them if they bought a system first this seems ridiculous.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

Speaking of expensive options I found out the Gulfstar has an UltraSonic system with transducers to keep the bottom and props from fouling. I noticed all the transducers and the main box today when I was crawling around in the ER. I had looked at installing one in the Mainship but never did due to the costs.
I agree with John you need to find out where the water is coming from? On my Mainship I was getting water from the built in rod holders, that was easy to fix I had them all removed and glassed over. Then it was the shafts, so I installed PSS dripless on the shafts. It's now dry as a bone rain or no rain.
Bill

Click to expand...


Bill I too have drip less shafts the water is a mystery every Trojan seems to have some in the center line. My fresh water system is tight and holding but as John mentioned the bilge pumps are set up on small pads so they can't get all the water out leaving standing water which is the reason for the wand it is a simple solution.
As for the transducer system you have on the new boat I have read about this and it seems like a a cool concept however if I recall I saw pictures of your props and something tells me that it doesn't work very well?
 
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