shower sump pump

another escapade

New Member
Oct 11, 2009
43
long island , new york
Boat Info
330 Sundancer 1999
Engines
twin 7.4 mpi's v-drives
well its not exactly the pump, does anybody know why I get water in the compartment surrounding the shower sump pump? Where is the water coming from?
 
I get the same thing. Mine seems to get so full before the automatic pump turns on, It then leaks out to the outside. I'm kinda tired of having the outside wet myself. I wish they would make one that actually seals. I've had 3 Sea Rays with the same system and the same problem.
 
Seems to me that if the shower sump/AC condensate collection box is overfilling, there's a problem with the float switch. Maybe just a good cleaning with bilge cleaner would take care of it.
 
well its not exactly the pump, does anybody know why I get water in the compartment surrounding the shower sump pump? Where is the water coming from?

I know we have different boats, and I don't know where your FW tank is, so this may not help.

I was getting water in that compartment and it turned out to be from my fresh water tank, which is under the aft bunk in the '05 340. I found a crack in the pvc elbow on the outlet pipe. My MM mechanic said it was common.

I left my tank dry for a week and when there was no water in the center bilge, I confirmed the problem. Took the bunk apart and found the FW leak.
 
Groucho- my sump box was occasionally overflowing as well. No real rhym or reason even after a thorough cleaning so I bit the bullet and paid $65 on eBay for an whole new one. Since then it's worked perfectly and we shower every weekend. I do a better of job of keeping it clean now though. Unplug the pump and wash it once a month. Plus, I let scalding hot water rinse it at the end of the weekend. Stays dry as a bone down there as it should.
 
I think my float may be sticking for lack of use. The only water we use is for the bathroom sink for teeth brushing and the AC condensate. I should pour some hot water down there every weekend. We use the shower in the main house so it isn't used much, but if I pull the cover open and if I tap on the plastic...the pump goes on. I noticed if it gets full there is a nipple that excess water flows out.
 
My sump has never overflowed but has been stopped up w/scum from the shower drain. First time it happened we thought "bad pump" but we cleaned the box and it worked fine. We learned that it never completely pumps all of the water (shower & condensate) out and what is left in the sump box turns scummy and clogs the float switch & pump. I can tell when it needs a manual cleaning as the shower drain backs up. We wash our hair over the sink as it drains thru-hull but the shower water is pumped overboard via the sump pump. We are careful to rinse the shower floor/drain w/hot water after every shower and listen for the pump to work several times to help prevent this build-up. Seems to help alot. Could be a cause for your overflow.
 
Does any one know where the sump pump is located on a 1989 268 is?

Its under the mid-cabin berth. Lift up your two cushions in the back berth. You will see a little step/box at the very aft point. Lift it open (Hinged), there you will find your step down/Shower sump pump.
 
We had a small leak that I traced to a cracket outlet PVC pipe fitting like Carter and Sue mentioned, except ours was straight not an elbow. MM replaced the entire sump box and no leaks have returned.
 
I have an 05 300 Dancer which came with the grey water package since the boat was kept on a lake where nothing was allowed to go over the side. All my sinks, shower, and AC go into the sump box under the floor, and that then gets pumped over the side via a through-hull I had added back on the port side stern near the holding tank. (previously it pumped into the holding tank in its gray water configuration).

After using some water, my pump kicks on and off for some time time trying to pump out the small residual left in the box after the float switch pumps the box out. It almost sounds like the float switch has a "water witch" function that kicks it on occasionally wheter there is enough for the float switch or not. I cant tell if that is because there may be water left in the line but not enough to get pumped all the way over the side, and backflows into the drain box, or if there is actually non-float activated pump feature in that pump.

I've also had the float switch get stuck with the pump on twice while under way, only to find out when i get back to the pier and shut off the motors and can hear it. Have to unscrew the box and jiggle the swtich and then it stops. Maybe some hot water on a regular basis will keep the swtich clean/cleared out.

Ahh things to contemplate until the shrink wrap comes off in March.
 
Its under the mid-cabin berth. Lift up your two cushions in the back berth. You will see a little step/box at the very aft point. Lift it open (Hinged), there you will find your step down/Shower sump pump.

Thanks:smt038
I had to use a crowbar to get it open the wood was so damp that it was jammed tight. It's full of water but the pump does not run. I see where the wiring and drain hose exit the box. Where does the drain hose go? I am getting water in the bilge and thinking that this might be the cause. Any suggestions?
 
well its not exactly the pump, does anybody know why I get water in the compartment surrounding the shower sump pump? Where is the water coming from?

I have the same problem when showers are taken and both a/c are running. The switch keep going out for some reason and when you let dry it works. I guess the dampness takes them out. To resolve that problem I install an electronic switch..........problem solved!
I was thinking of fabricating a fiberglass box to fit over the the existing sump pump to give it additional height. That is another project on the horizon.
 
I got rid of this problem by getting rid of the switch and put in a self-priming pump or some call them automatic pumps
 
Very important step in cleaning a SeaRay sump box. The Float switch muct be removed (two bolts) and cleaned out INSIDE the float switch housing "box". It will gunk up and make the switch not travel freely. You go to all the trouble of shop vacuming out and cleaning the scum from the box - go the extra step and clean out the float - I would like to meet the guy who came up with these SeaRay Sump boxes-there has to be a better way!
 
Very important step in cleaning a SeaRay sump box. The Float switch muct be removed (two bolts) and cleaned out INSIDE the float switch housing "box". It will gunk up and make the switch not travel freely. You go to all the trouble of shop vacuming out and cleaning the scum from the box - go the extra step and clean out the float - I would like to meet the guy who came up with these SeaRay Sump boxes-there has to be a better way!


+1 ...:smt038
 
I've had to replace mine once before and now again the new one is not working... I keep the boat docked behind my house but have been so busy with work that I've not had a chance to use it often. Went down a few weekends ago and heard a noise and wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from... Sure enough, the water was full in the box, the pump was pumping (the water was extremely hot from the heat of the pump), but it wasn't getting the water out of the box? I removed the float switch and the pump, cleaned out the gunk and when I put them both back, now the pump doesn't work at all.. Even the extra hight water pump right past it doesn't get the water out.. Thinking something is stuck in the line, or the check valve is stuck closed...

Hate that sump pump!!! What a PITA!
 
Thanks:smt038
I had to use a crowbar to get it open the wood was so damp that it was jammed tight. It's full of water but the pump does not run. I see where the wiring and drain hose exit the box. Where does the drain hose go? I am getting water in the bilge and thinking that this might be the cause. Any suggestions?

Mine goes through the port stringer and pops up on the port side of the engine compartment, both wires and discharge hose. Mine exits out the 3/4" through hull on the Port side all the way aft side of the vessel. Right above the 1 1/2" Through hull for the deck drains. If the pump ain't working, replace it, it is necessary! You may also want to fish a new hose through the passage going to the through Hull.
 
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I have a 2010 Sea Ray 370DA; shower sump is located in a bilge under the salon floor (Attwood model with a 500 GPH pump). This season I’ve noted water accumulating in the aft section of bilge behind the shower sump, with condensate coming from one of two drain holes (left side drain — see photo). Does anyone know where these drains lead too? Perhaps under the fresh water tank??
 

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