shower sump?

A

Arctica

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I am doing some plumbing on my old houseboat. The boat's shower drain is plumbed directly to a pump that is either on or off, makes a loud gurgling sucking sound when the shower pan runs out of water.
My question is....is there any reason to change this set up to one that has an automatic shower sump? Or, if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
 
do you have a float switch? if not just add one and you will be fine
 
There is no float switch..where would I add it?
The pump is operated by the pull switch on the wall in the bathroom. Pull the switch, the pump sucks the shower pan dry, and keeps sucking until you push the switch in. The shower drain hose runs directly to the intake side of the pump, then on the exit side of the pump is the hose that goes directly to the outlet in the side of the hull.
 
I wouldn't add a float switch. As it stands now, it sounds like the pump gets most all of the water out of the shower sump. A float switch will leave standing water in the sump which can go bad and stink.

Like you said, if it ain't broke don't fix it.
 
We rented a 42 ft houseboat like that in Fla. this past year. We had to turn it on
to drain the shower.
Most boats have a shower sump box with a float and pump. Ours is original to the
boat and still works.
It has no switch, the hot wire goes thru a fuse then the float breaks the line
to the pump. You need to find the hot wire and install a float switch in line.
 
You could buy a rule sump box and all the components would be there. My shower sump is wired to the head breaker (factory). My original one shorted out and would pop the breaker so I had no head. I traced it down and cut the hot wire to the sump so the head worked. I replaced the sump box and placed an in line fuse the next day and everything was fine. Bill
 
regardless of a float switch or not the sump will not be completely dry.a bilge pump will still leave some water. most boats have a float switch for their shower sump.
 
Guys, a lot of old boats (houseboats in particular) had the shower drain pump connected directly to the shower drain hose, without a sump. It simply had an on-off switch to turn it on and off. Turn it on while showering; turn it off when done.

Arctica, if it works OK for you, no good reason to change it. Just remember to turn the pump off after showering, so it doesn't run on and on, and burn itself out.

To add an automatic shower sump, with pump and float switch, will cost you somewhere between $100 and $150 for the materials plus the labor involved. That'll buy you a few cases of beer or maybe even a pack or two of cigarettes after the tax increases that'll soon be going into effect...
 
I have the same on one of my boats. It goes from the pan into a hose that connects to the overboard discharge. It gets it all out. The other sumps with a built in pump and float do not empty 100%. I have both kinds and would not change a thing if I were you.
 
sometimes its easier to add this to the list of things the next boat will have..............
 
If you want to get fancy with it, you could hook up a pressure switch to the water line that tiggers the pump when water flows. But I'd just leave it as is.
 
Thanks for all of the advice. My set up is exactly as Vic describes.
I will leave it alone. It works, just a little noisy at the end of the shower, before I can get to the switch.
I wanted to know if there was any good reason to change to a shower sump box. I haven't heard one yet thats worth $150.
Thanks again.
 
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