where does the shower water go? :)

P

Paladin

New Member
Aug 15, 2010
270
SF Bay area
Boat Info
1981 or 1982 Sea Ray SRV255 wide bodied sedan cruiser with flybridge
Engines
454 Mercruiser, Merc Trans II transmission, TR outdrive
Hi, I have a 1981 SRV255, with a porta potty. The sink drains out the starboard side drain. The head doesn't drain, of course, but where does the "floor" of the head drain, through the drain hole there? I don't shower in there, but there is water in the drain, like an inch down there. When I pour water in the drain, as if I were showering, I hear it going glug glug glug down somewhere, but can't see where it shows up anywhere.
Any schematics anywhere you know of? Thanks! Paladin
 
I'm not sure about the older vessels but 90's and newer the water flows through the drain and hose to a sump to be pumped by a small bilge pump overboard.

The shower sump looks like this:

8247140.jpg


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...chanintel_google&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=34201

MM
 
AKBASSKING said:
My shower drains into the center bilge and then overboard. Our old classics didn't use a shower sump as above, although the surveyor recommended installing one.
Click to expand...

I think it depends on the model... My classic has a shower sump box from the factory...
 
AKBASSKING said:
My shower drains into the center bilge and then overboard.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is how my old 250 Dancer is set up...what a terrible design. If the pump float sticks or fails, you step out of the "shower" onto a wet cabin floor. Sheesh!
 
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Ten Years Gone said:
Yeah, this is how the 250 Dancer is set up...what a terrible design. If the pump float sticks or fails, you step out of the "shower" onto a wet cabin floor. Thank goodness Sea Ray and others wised up in later years and installed aft gray water holding tanks! Sheesh!
Click to expand...

How much later? My 2003 has a sump for the shower as does every other Sea Ray I have seen. Do the newer ones have a gray water tank and if so when did they start I nstalling them.
 
HUMPH said:
How much later? My 2003 has a sump for the shower as does every other Sea Ray I have seen. Do the newer ones have a gray water tank and if so when did they start I nstalling them.
Click to expand...
,

Ken,
AFAIK there is no grey water tank.
Grey water from sinks and shower pump hoses routed to holding tank of head instead of draining overboard.
I had this system in my last boat, but holding tank fills up quickly.
Now I don't have gray water system and only head/septic goes to tank.
For washing the dishes and for shower we use biodegradeable shampoo/soap, as well as bilge cleaner and boat wash.
 
Indeed, I should edit for clarification. I mentioned holding tanks as a later design implementation that trumps the sump box, and I realize tanks are still not utilized on boats this small. I was thinking simultaneously about larger vessels (yacht class) and my experience with RV's, and made a general statement that does not in fact have merit across all platforms. Sorry for offering misinformation. What got me thinking about this subject of holding tanks was this. Our marina strictly forbids pumping water of any kind overboard except bilge water of course. So that means, if they catch you spewing foamy water out of a thru-hull, you can bet they know it's coming from your shower sump box. Maybe this is the reason why larger craft have holding tanks, for "legal" pump out at appropriate facilities. My understanding is, certain jurisdictions (domestic & international) are beginning to crack down on gray water as the eco-maniacs fuss and fret over damaging the waterways. My guess is, eventually, all boat manufacturers will be forced to plumb shower and galley water into tanks. Would love to hear others opinions on this matter...not to hijack the thread!
 
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Ten Years Gone said:
Our marina strictly forbids pumping water of any kind overboard except bilge water of course. So that means, if they catch you spewing foamy water out of a thru-hull, you can bet they know it's coming from your shower sump box.
Click to expand...

Under what authority do they cite this? It is not state law I'm aware of. Your marina does not control the lake. Control freaks like this bug me. :grin:


MM
 
My shower goes into a midship small tank and also the A/C drain goes there. Then pumps overboard. Sorry 89 sundancer
 
Ten Years Gone said:
Indeed, I should edit for clarification. I mentioned holding tanks as a later design implementation that trumps the sump box, and I realize tanks are still not utilized on boats this small. I was thinking simultaneously about larger vessels (yacht class) and my experience with RV's, and made a general statement that does not in fact have merit across all platforms. Sorry for offering misinformation. What got me thinking about this subject of holding tanks was this. Our marina strictly forbids pumping water of any kind overboard except bilge water of course. So that means, if they catch you spewing foamy water out of a thru-hull, you can bet they know it's coming from your shower sump box. Maybe this is the reason why larger craft have holding tanks, for "legal" pump out at appropriate facilities. My understanding is, certain jurisdictions (domestic & international) are beginning to crack down on gray water as the eco-maniacs fuss and fret over damaging the waterways. My guess is, eventually, all boat manufacturers will be forced to plumb shower and galley water into tanks. Would love to hear others opinions on this matter...not to hijack the thread!
Click to expand...


Sinks and showers go overboard on our boat. I think you might be thinking cruise ships.

Ken
 
Ten Years Gone said:
Indeed, I should edit for clarification. I mentioned holding tanks as a later design implementation that trumps the sump box, and I realize tanks are still not utilized on boats this small. I was thinking simultaneously about larger vessels (yacht class) and my experience with RV's, and made a general statement that does not in fact have merit across all platforms. Sorry for offering misinformation. What got me thinking about this subject of holding tanks was this. Our marina strictly forbids pumping water of any kind overboard except bilge water of course. So that means, if they catch you spewing foamy water out of a thru-hull, you can bet they know it's coming from your shower sump box. Maybe this is the reason why larger craft have holding tanks, for "legal" pump out at appropriate facilities. My understanding is, certain jurisdictions (domestic & international) are beginning to crack down on gray water as the eco-maniacs fuss and fret over damaging the waterways. My guess is, eventually, all boat manufacturers will be forced to plumb shower and galley water into tanks. Would love to hear others opinions on this matter...not to hijack the thread!
Click to expand...
That's unbelievable....really. The thought that someone is worried about a hand full of soap suds in the Wabash but could not care less about the millions of tons of farm fertilizer and livestock manure that makes it's way to the waterways is ludicrous.
 
Mine goes to a box that was built into the floor. in there is a pump and float switch. This year after the boat is ready for the water, I need to open up that again and do something bottom of the box. It looks like they only coated it with some kind of epoxy paint.
 
Thanks to you all! My boat (remember it's an '81 and 25feet) has separate drains out the hull from the portside galley (#1) and then on the starboard, a drain from the head sink (#2). So those two don't go into any tank.
Ok, so, the boat is on the hard, and I looked at the hull, and the drain in the head floor, where the water from a shower would go, is way down farther than where the head sink dumps out (which is about an inch or two above the water line). In other words, the drain water from the shower would have to be either pumped up from a tank, like some of you say, using a rig like MM shows here, to another drain in the hull which I haven't discovered yet (will look tomorrow) or pumped into the bilge, like Akbassking says on these old ones where it is pumped out like bilge water.
I am really curious to see what system there is there. The head floor is a curved-up-at-the-corners piece of fiberglass with a seam and screws, which is then caulked. Sure would love to pull it up and see what's down there. Anybody done that? Thx, paladin
 
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Before you go tearing up the floor I would suggest you find out exactly where the shower sump is. You could call your marina or Sea Ray and pick their brains. I have a 98 270da and the owners manual clearly shows where it is I don't know if your manual is as explicit. Mine and a lot of other DA's have the sump located under the step as you go below. The step hinges up you remove the built in trash can and there it is. I assume if yours was there you would have noticed it before now.
 
Look for a carpeted removable panel some where near where you step down into the cabin. Should be on the centerline of the boat. I found mine by accident by kicking around. If you have a trashcan area look under there too.
 
sdarc said:
Look for a carpeted removable panel some where near where you step down into the cabin. Should be on the centerline of the boat. I found mine by accident by kicking around. If you have a trashcan area look under there too.
Click to expand...

Right on. Also look for a piece that may be below the head... in other words, where you might stub your toe if you didn't step up high enough to get into the head.

I don't know the layout of your boat, but one of these places should give you access to the shower drain and allow you to see where drain hoses go. Screws will be "hidden" in the carpet - feel around at the corners.
 
Sounds like you and I have the same boat a few years apart. My bathroom/ shower drain ends up in the step down pump area under the step into the cabin. In my boat the step has a carpet flap through the middle of the step support. If you remove the step you will have access to the pump. Mine is on an auto float switch but it will also work when I flip the step down pump switch on the dash. If I let it go until the auto float switch turns on the carpet in the cabin is wet. I never use the shower drain so mine stays dry.

Post pics if you can.




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