Head sinks and shower drains

[Mike Zofchak]

Hello All,

I have worked up a plan for my head sinks and shower drains that I would like to run by you fellow CSY owners. Here it is:

1.   Glass in a partition in the forward part of the bilge well and add a lid with appropriate holes for the drain pipes and a cleanout hole as well.
2.   Add an external diaphragm pump controlled by an internal switch.
3.   The pump would be plumbed to an overboard thru hull.

Any thoughts and comments would be appreciated.

[svsurprise]

Well Mike, I guess I'll jump in with my two cents.  I think your idea is fine but I would suggest you 1) put a screen filter in-line to the box and 2) ensure an easy way to fully open and have access to the box for cleaning.  It's amazing how much soap scum, hair, etc. gets into my shower sump.  While living aboard it needs cleaning about every two months if not sooner.  I do like your idea of a diaphragm pump, my prefab sump has a float switch and impeller pump.  It's mounted on a shelf in the bilge sump and it also is plumbed for overboard discharge.

My head sink drains both are plumbed to feed unto the toilets via rubber hoses which run under the toilet seats.  Strange set up which I think was a result of the boat being on the great lakes for some of its life.  One advantage is that the heads get flushed with fresh water frequently, otherwise i don't see much advantage in coastal areas. 

Good luck with your project,
Don

[Chip]

I have a similar arrangement. I used a small trash can for the sump and have a diaphragm pump mounted on the bulkhead above the can. Where the sink/shower hose feeds in I hung a net bag to minimize debris in the sump. The part I found most difficult was getting a switch to work. I eventually installed a double float switch with a relay so that the pump turns on when the upper switch is hit and off at the lower one. The float is fed down from the top so there are no holes in the sump. I just placed a plastic sheet over the top rather than a lid. So far it has worked well.

[Jules Shockley]

My two cents.  A lot of the CSYs dumped the sink drains directly into the sump. YUCK! I ran the sink drains into the toilet intake with a Y valve. Simple and the worst thing is the potty gets soapy water or toothpaste residue. Works great and very simple.

[Peter Roach]

I am on a CSY 44 WO and have put a shower bilge in the main bilge (lots of room) I built a PVC frame to keep it off of the bottom. I ran both the showers, head sinks, and the AC condensation into it. I have the bilge pump on the shower bilge go into the main galley sink drain. I put a large T in the drain pipe above the waterline and plumbed the shower bilge (and dishwasher drain) into the top of the T.

[LittleSkipper]

Hi All,

If the head sink drain is connected to the toilet intake, when flushing the toilet does it suck air from the sink? Or when flushing do you have to operate the "Y" valve to shut off the sink drain?  OR must you run the water in the sink when flushing the toilet?  I guess I am missing something.

thanks,