C-27 Shower Drain

[deisher6]

Windrunner was a charter boat at one time.  I understand that to be approved as a charter the shower could not drain into the bilge.  I am not sure about charter regulations, but the boat at one time was set up to discharge the shower drain over the side.  To this end there is a through hull about a foot above the starboard  waterline in the aft part of the seat back storage space.

There was a switch in the head to control the discharge pump.

There was a through hull fitting in the corner of the head extending into the starboard settee locker.

[deisher6]

Lastly there was a piece of plywood glassed in the bottom of the locker.  The pump was missing.   The drain lines were plugged off.  A strainer was left on the drain hose.  I removed the strainer and connected the two hoses that attached to the pump together with a plug.  (This in retrospect was a lucky move.  When I removed the plug the discharge hose was full of water that had had come through the through hull.)



Installed a new Wale Gulper 220, designed to handle shower debris.  Fortunately the wiring was still in place and worked, unfortunately I have used that circuit to power the auto pilot.  I doubt that I will ever take a shower while on auto pilot.  However I could see someone inadvertently turning the pump on and running the pump unnoticed particularly with the engine running.

Filled up the shower pan with antifreeze solution and pumped it dry.  You can see some residual left in the pan.  It was easy enough to sponge up.

[deisher6]

Fabricated a gasket from a bicycle tube, doubled and glued together.

A PO had installed some type of one way valve in the through hull.  It was plugged up with wasp nest so I removed it.  If the system works will install a seacock on the fitting.

After two trial runs,  the bilge and locker are still dry.  I am going to anchor out tonight to give the system its first shower.

The total cost was about $200.  I did shop around used parts stores but could not find a satisfactory pump.  Most of the hard stuff had already been installed so it took me about two hours to hook everything together and test.

Smooth Sailing and warm showers.

regards charlie

[deisher6]

The drain worked well.
-There was about a teaspoon of back flow from the hoses overnight into the shower pan.  The pump has a choker valve on the output side that works.
-While taking a shower the pump ran the whole time.  It may be more effective if the pick up fitting had a smaller diameter.  The drain was never entirely submerged.  I was hesitant to let the water get close to the door sill.
-I wipe down the head with a sponge and then the wood again with a rag, actually at the towel that I use for the shower. ( The CEO doesn't know this, the boat's rags are her old towels.) It did not take any longer.

I will probably put a seacock on the hull fitting.

regards charlie

[redfishnc]

Nice job Charlie.  I'm trying to get away and get up to the Pamlico area.  I don't have the extra thru hull.  Is there a reason I couldn't tie into the sink drain line?

thanks
Wayne

[deisher6]

Hey Wayne:
Let me know if you make it up around the Neuse and I will catch up with you.  Will be moving the boat from The Grand Marina to Duck Creek the first of the year.

I thought about using the sink drain through hull.  The through hull that was previously installed for the shower drain is about the same height off the water as the  through hull for the  sink, just above the boot stripe. The only consideration that I could think of would be some sort of high loop or check valve to make doubly sure that the sink did not drain into the shower pan.  The pump does have a back flow, choker type valve.  Routing might be another problem.  I was happy to have the though hull all ready installed.

I have since put a sea cock and an L fitting on the through hull.

Merry Christmas

regards charlie