Locating shower bilge pump

[Robbadobdob]

Hi all,

my shower pump is playing up and only pumps water at a very slow rate (too slow to run the shower without it filling up). I'm looking to replace it but not actually sure  where it's located. I've looked under the carpet and it's not easy to identify where it might be and haven't replaced one before so not sure where they are typically located.

attatched is photo of what I can see without pulling up the floorboards (not an east thing to do with how they're laid out). Is the pump likely to be beneath the shower itself or where the hose goes into the wall? Can the pump be accessed via the plug?

thanks for any help you can give,

robbie

n.b i checked to see if this q had been asked before, but couldn't find an answer. Feel free to direct me to previous threads.

[Grebe]

On our 1st boat the shower pump was in the cupboard at the bottom of the vanitory unit (ie under the sink).

Can you hear your pump running? Can you trace it from the noise?

[John Hartley]

If you find it, it may be that the filter is blocked and needs cleaning. That will sort the slow running problem. 

 

[Gareth E]

Mine is in the bilge underneath the cruiser deck, water flows there by gravity. Have a look, mine is a smallish black box. The filter needs regular cleaning to prevent the problem you've encountered. It's easy, undo 4 bolts that hold the lid of the box down, remove cylindrical filter and clean off all nasties.

[ditchcrawler]

Can you take the cover off to where that blue pipe is going, I would try there. I take it your pump is not automatic?

[Murflynn]

4 hours ago, Robbadobdob said:

Hi all,

my shower pump is playing up and only pumps water at a very slow rate (too slow to run the shower without it filling up). I'm looking to replace it but not actually sure  where it's located. I've looked under the carpet and it's not easy to identify where it might be and haven't replaced one before so not sure where they are typically located.

attatched is photo of what I can see without pulling up the floorboards (not an east thing to do with how they're laid out). Is the pump likely to be beneath the shower itself or where the hose goes into the wall? Can the pump be accessed via the plug?

thanks for any help you can give,

robbie

n.b i checked to see if this q had been asked before, but couldn't find an answer. Feel free to direct me to previous threads.

if that hose is taking the shower waste then there must be a pump and filter upstream of what you have exposed, 'cos if the hose was taking raw shower waste it would block with hair within a few minutes.

I would guess that the hose is attached to the pump outlet. 

[Jon57]

Get a inspection camera from ALDI see the thread about it.

[Drayke]

7 hours ago, Robbadobdob said:

Hi all,

my shower pump is playing up and only pumps water at a very slow rate (too slow to run the shower without it filling up). I'm looking to replace it but not actually sure  where it's located. I've looked under the carpet and it's not easy to identify where it might be and haven't replaced one before so not sure where they are typically located.

attatched is photo of what I can see without pulling up the floorboards (not an east thing to do with how they're laid out). Is the pump likely to be beneath the shower itself or where the hose goes into the wall? Can the pump be accessed via the plug?

thanks for any help you can give,

robbie

n.b i checked to see if this q had been asked before, but couldn't find an answer. Feel free to direct me to previous threads.

You could try cutting out more of the floor to see where the pipe is coming from going to. Is the shower to the right of picture? The pump could be in the box one the left of picture. Should you find pump is knackered then fit a Gulper shower pump, brilliant pumps.

[Robbadobdob]

Thanks for the really helpful advice, will do a bit more exploring and see what I can find.

12 hours ago, F DRAYKE said:

You could try cutting out more of the floor to see where the pipe is coming from going to. Is the shower to the right of picture? The pump could be in the box one the left of picture. Should you find pump is knackered then fit a Gulper shower pump, brilliant pumps.

Hi, yes the shower is to the right.

[Robbadobdob]

15 hours ago, Murflynn said:

if that hose is taking the shower waste then there must be a pump and filter upstream of what you have exposed, 'cos if the hose was taking raw shower waste it would block with hair within a few minutes.

I would guess that the hose is attached to the pump outlet. 

Sorry, just to make sure I completely understand, by upstream do you mean towards the pump outlet or towards the shower?

[WotEver]

Just now, Robbadobdob said:

Sorry, just to make sure I completely understand, by upstream do you mean towards the pump outlet or towards the shower?

He means towards the shower. 

That hose is way too small to be coming from the shower to the pump so it must be plumbed shower—>pump—>hose. 

Tony

[Laurie Booth]

16 hours ago, Jon57 said:

Get a inspection camera from ALDI see the thread about it.

Excellent product.

[smileypete]

Just follow the pump wiring, at a guess it's the red\black pair on the left.

Hopefully the panelling has screws visible or it's pinned on, if the screw heads are filled in use a small magnet or thin blade in the gap to help locate them.

Edited September 25, 2017 by smileypete

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours ago, WotEver said:

He means towards the shower. 

That hose is way too small to be coming from the shower to the pump so it must be plumbed shower—>pump—>hose. 

Tony

Looking at the rest of the workmanship I wouldn't put money on that.

[Murflynn]

8 hours ago, WotEver said:

He means towards the shower. 

That hose is way too small to be coming from the shower to the pump so it must be plumbed shower—>pump—>hose. 

Tony

ferzackerly 

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, Murflynn said:

ferzackerly 

Bet your wrong 

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, smileypete said:

Just follow the pump wiring, at a guess it's the red\black pair on the left.

 

Or follow the pipework back from where the skin fitting where the shower water leaves the boat.

[Murflynn]

14 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Bet your wrong 

put you virtual money where your virtual mouth is 

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours ago, Murflynn said:

put you virtual money where your virtual mouth is 

OK another tenner in the kitty to pay Danial for the forum.

[smileypete]

23 hours ago, David Mack said:

Or follow the pipework back from where the skin fitting where the shower water leaves the boat.

Yeah but that won't tell if it's under the tray or not, OP wants to avoid removing stuff needlessly...

[Iain_S]

3 hours ago, smileypete said:

Yeah but that won't tell if it's under the tray or not, OP wants to avoid removing stuff needlessly...

If stuff has to be removed to find the pump, it's better to start with the easy stuff, even though it turns out to be needless. Failing other clues, I think I'd have the woodwork round the blue pipe apart ...

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Iain_S said:

If stuff has to be removed to find the pump, it's better to start with the easy stuff, even though it turns out to be needless. Failing other clues, I think I'd have the woodwork round the blue pipe apart ...

Same here

 

[ditchcrawler]

Has it been found yet?

[Murflynn]

it's a secret.  

[Robbadobdob]

Hi all,

follwed the advice and managed to find it behind one of the wall panels. Next step is to try clean it. 

Already been some advice given on this front, but just to make sure, I'm guessing I need to disconnect both blue hoses going into the pump first. Do I need to shut off the water pump for the whole boat first?

thanks again for your help.