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I know this was covered in a thread a few weeks ago but wanted to ask again myself. What is the general opinion of running a small auxiliary 500 gph bilge pump for shallow pickup into the discharge hose of one of two 2000 gph pumps with the use of a "T" and 2 check valves? since i have 2 2000 gph pumps in the stern bilge this would still leave one main pump without any check valves. the 2000 gph discharge that i would use for the 500 gph has a little higher pickup than the other so it rarely comes on.

Thanks - Bill

Hi Bill, I don't want to disrupt the direction of your thread, but you refer to two stern pumps. I'm sure you know that the low point of the 31 bilge is at the entrance to the v-berth area. If I were to place a puppy pump, I would place it at the low point. I hope to see you at next years NC Rendezvous.

Tommy

I mean this in a nice way. A 500 gph pump is not for anything but rainwater or a livewell. My 2 cents.

I am lookin at a small, low pickup pump between my engine boxes. The cabin bilge is isolated and stays dry. It has it's own 2000 gph. Water runs from the stern and congregates between the engines where I have 2 house batteries. If I step on the stern the water runs back and activates the lower stern 2000gph. I would like to seal off the bulkhead in front of the gas tank and behind the engines and just use the 500 for rain water and wash down water. Tired of all that salt water sloshing around the house batteries. My main concern is that there seems to be conflicting opinions of check valves with bilge pumps and using an existing discharge is the only way that I would do this.

Looked at your boat from a distance, Tommy, looks to be in great shape. Can't wait To see it up close. BB

Bill, your description, and Brewster's comment both make sense now. Isolating the bilge areas seem to be the way to go as long as you serve them with adequate pumps as you are doing. Thanks for the comment on the new Buddy Boy.

If you isolate the compartments, make sure in an emergency you can open them up so all the pumps will kick in to keep the boat afloat.

If you seal off the area under the fuel tank and depending on if you have crash pumps, where they are located. That area is big and if something goes wrong in that area and you can not get the water to the crash pumps or get the extra bilge pumps working on the water level you are in big trouble.

I run a hose to the bow and stern from my crash pumps. They are long so I can move them to clear water from all spaces if I need to.

no crash valves. i am mainly concerned about sharing the discharge of my 2nd 2000 gph pump and the necessity to use 2 check valves (one on the 500 discharge and one on the 2000 discharge) to be able to do this. i would still have the main aft 2000 gph pump that would remain a straight discharge. the forward bilge is closed with its own 2000 gph pump

Bill, see the previous discussion on bilge pumps, specifically http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.php?p=74272#74272...