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Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:18 am
by Quetzalsailor
So, how come are bilge pumps made with 1 1/8" od un-barbed connections and 1 1/8" id hose sold, but no other fittings are available??? I need a couple ells and a union for my 'quick-easy' bilge pump removal scheme. Clearly, I can go from 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 for the union, but I still want to do it 'elegantly', simply, with few fittings.

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:12 pm
by Hirilondë
I can't imagine you would have any issues with the connections. I bilge pump line is not under any significant pressure.

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:03 pm
by Case
Its a way for the bilge pump makers to make money off you. Many bilge pump companies make their own crappy overpriced corrugated hoses... they happen to be the only ones to make 1-1/8" hoses so they specced their own pumps to take that hose...

1-1/4" should be fine or 1" that's heated before installing should be fine. Go for smooth, not one of those spiral or corrugated hoses.

- Case

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:59 pm
by Quetzalsailor
Apparently you can get some, in bronze, from McMaster Carr.

You're quite right, these things need merely to be there without fretting about corrosion or fatigue; there's essentially no pressure. I had imagined, silly me, that if they sold equipment with a certain size connection, that the fittings would be available without much issue. I expect that I can heat the hose up and form it onto a 1 1/4" barb.

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:25 pm
by Zach
If the hose is tight on the 1 1/8 you can use a 3/4 pipe nipple, and a street L to make the connection to a more normal size hose. Hose barbs are beautiful things, but a pipe nipple long enough to have a smooth land and the threads provides room for two hose clamps. A lot of commercial boats have cooling systems done with nipples, as barbs shrink the hose size down 1 size... which can be a bad thing depending on the size of the system.

My hunch is that the coast guard requires (required?) hard run pipe run for bilge pump manifolds on commercial boats. Just so happens that a 1 inch copper pipes outside diameter is 1 1/8 inch.
I would have no problem with a soldered T connection, given the coast guard inspector required my run of bilge lines in Noel to be soldered copper lines... I would use Type K, as the wall is a lot thicker than the household stuff.
Outside diameter stays the same...

Cheers,

Zach

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:28 am
by Quetzalsailor
I've bought 1" copper fittings. Unfortunately, the union is partially cast brass. Since I would inspect these, and can readily, I guess I'll get away with it. Photos will follow; I've got a nifty neat installation for the pump partially made.

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:47 pm
by Skipper599
Hi Quetzel ... whatever happened to the pictures you promised of your bilge pump lines?

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 11:15 am
by Quetzalsailor
Bob,

I recall posting these a couple years ago, but here they are again.
The base and the 1" square tube is McMaster-Carr's fiberglass, epoxied together.
The Rule's strainer is bolted to the fiberglass base. The copper ell slips loosely over the pump discharge and is held in with the wire tie. Not shown in these pics is that, when the pump is dropped into the deep bilge, the upper end of the tube is tied to a sole beam and there's a union between the horizontal and the vertical discharge hoses. Easy to separate the hoses, untie the tube, and lift the whole thing out for service.
IMG_2753-r.JPG
IMG_2754-r.JPG

Re: Bilge pump fittings

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:48 pm
by Skipper599
Hello Quetzal; thanks for this, maybe you posted them in another spot on the forum. I'm very interested in how you did this because I'm not happy with my current set-up and I can see yours definitely has an advantage eg: the ability to lift the pump out for servicing. I like the look and idea of the device you mounted the pump on ... looks pretty slick. I'll need to make up something similar myself. Thanks again.