3207 shower sump

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kthoennes

Member
Joined
May 7, 2011
RO Number
32590
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84
Well, the next item on the refit/fix-it list is the shower. I replaced some of the supply fittings and faucets and shower head and hose, everything is squared away on the supply side. Now the drain side. I turn on the breaker for the shower sump pump, then hit the shower pump switch in the head, and the breaker trips. I assume the shower pump is frozen solid, probably hasn't been run in years. I've googled and bing'd, no luck. Checked the owner's manual, but -- of course -- I seem to be missing some of the pages from Section G - Water Systems, the pages that deal with the shower and shower maintenance. Has anybody worked on the shower on an 80's 3207, any information or advice on how it's configured? I don't have to rip up the shower floor or the head's parquet floor to reach the sump pump, do I? I don't think it has a sump box like some boats, I think it just drains the shower pan directly, but I'm not sure. I tried chasing the pump switch wires in the bathroom cabinet as a way to find the shower pump but the wires just run under bottom of the cabinet and then I lose them (inaccessible I mean). Thanks.

(For now it's a good thing we have shower facilities at the marina.)
 
Carver (as well as other boat mfg's) do a good job of hiding things. I used to have a 3807 and it had 2 sump boxes. One under a floor opening in the galley and the other was well hidden in a compartment underneath the aft berth. I'm guessing you have one and you just need to open up every opening you can find and look.
 
On my 3297, the shower drained to a shower sump pump in the galley floor. When the sump pump went south, I plumbed a Rule shower sump pump box and plumbed my a/c drain to it as well-knocking out two birds with one stone-your results may vary.
 
Thank you -- although when I pull the bilge panel in my galley floor the only thing in that space is the bilge pump itself. If I shine a flashlight toward the engine bay the space dead ends to a baffle with a tube at the bottom to let bilge water drain forward from the engine compartment. If I shine the flashlight forward it dead ends to another baffle located just about under the V-berth door. Nothing else in that space. I suppose I could try prying up the shower pan, or prying up the bottom of the cabinet in the forward head -- but it doesn't look like it's meant to come out. I know boat manufacturers design atrocious access in lots of ways but I'm thinking for a shower pump there must be some reasonable access because everybody on earth knows that shower sumps and shower pumps require regular maintenance.
 
On my 3807, I had a floor panel underneath the steps going from the salon down into the galley. I also had a floor panel inside a pantry type cabinet mounted on a bulkhead. neither were easy to see. My point...there may be other bilge openings you haven't even seen yet. You may find some underneath berths or inside cabinets. As I mentioned, boat builders are very creative in finding places to put bilge access panels.
 
On my 86' 3207 the pump is located forward of the starboard engine. Between the hot water tank and genny.
Basically just below the lower helm acess through the engine compartment. No sump in that it is a par pump.
 
Yes! You're right, there it is. I had no idea it would be so far away from the shower itself. I suppose I could have traced the thru hulls and lines backwards too but even then I'm not sure I would have been able to tell that's the shower. Thanks so much for taking the time for that reply. This forum has been so helpful. Thanks again. Mystery solved!

(You know it's funny how one little unrelated side conversation can throw you off. There's a small strainer on the line to the shower pump but the pump and strainer was all disconnected, ends of the hose just lying unattached in the bilge. When the marina launched the boat this spring there were some water leaks around the hot water heater. I had a talk with the marina service guy. He said they just forgot to close the valve on the hot water heater bypass, so they closed the valve and no more leaking -- but then I asked him "Well then what's the disconnected strainer and pump lying in the bilge around the hot water heater?" "Oh, that must be an old washdown pump or something." Washdown pump indeed, that's the shower pump!)
 
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