Fridge and Ice box Drains

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pwinterfeld	Fridge and Ice box Drains		Lead	[-]
Posts: 110 08/20/07 12:48:20	Tags : None Help Please! It has been impossible to drain the refrigerator and Ice box (next to the sink) other than manualy sucking the water with a hand pump. There is total confusion underneath the floor boards (all looks factory). But it does make sense (if you had at least two glasses of brandy) - what does NOT make sense the pump that I found that which is supposed to remove water from both the fridge and ice box was a "PAR Max 3 Auto Matic Water Pump". Since the existing pump was not working I installed an exact replacement. When I turned the pump on (from switch in rear head) all I got was a smelly stream of water coming from anti syphon valve which is mounted behind the twin galley sinks. The correct valves were open - at least according to the diagram that was in the manual. My question is - is this correct pump?? Has anyone else had this experience - if so - how did you fix it?? The admiral is getting testy - I fear for my body parts. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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kenfischer		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 177 08/20/07 13:08:40 Moderator	Oddly enough, on 906, the factory just let the fridge drain run to the bilge. Can't argue with the simplicity. Ken Fischer 2005 C42 #906 "Solaria" 3 Cabin Pullman, Fin Keel, Mast Furling Main, 155% Genoa
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pwinterfeld		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 110 08/20/07 13:40:20	Hi Ken Thats exactly what another Ca 42 owner told me - however I have this set -up as previously described - I am hoping I can use it that way too. Otherwise into the bilge.................. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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peter		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 257 08/20/07 14:12:29	hope this helps... do not drain fridge into the bilge.... it contains bacteria that leads to stink. If you use the factory pump, install a filter as any little piece of debris clogs the pump. for best results only open one valve at a time. The best thing I have for emergencies is a big shop wet/dry vac on the boat at all times.... it blows up the rib, dries the bilge, dries the fridge for that tiny bit of water that is impossible to get out, cleans dust from doing bright work, it dries the area from the knot meter impeller that water will just sit there if you pop the impeller out for cleaning, and the list goes on................ the worst case scenario is a pit, cherry or olive goes down the hole.... disconnect the hose at the valve and use a hose to push whatever the opposite way and vola! also use vinegar(white) in everything.... it cleans hoses of every type on the boat..... my head hoses are original (95 hull 466) no stink, no fuss no muss.... the boat was a live aboard for four years to boot sooooooooooooo I hope this helps
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pdrimmer		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 163 08/21/07 04:44:59	On Indulgence, two cabin hull #633, the shower, fridge and ice chest drains are connected to a manifold with individual on off valves and then out a single hose to a ball valve and thru hull. If you had water coming out of the siphon valve, sounds like a blockage between the pump and the thru hull outlet. You should open only one valve, shower, refrig or ice chest (if two valves are open you will suck air) at a time, open the thru hull and it should work.
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rbetzing		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 62 08/21/07 05:40:28	We had the same problem when we bought our boat 2 years ago. I traced the problem to a clogged pump filter. I had to remove the end of the sink cabinet to access the filter. It is just a plastic bowl that screws on with a fine mesh screen inside. The cabinet end is held in place by several screws. Once you remove the screws the end of the cabinet and part of the floor under the sink slide right out. Ron Desperado 2000 C42/2 cabin #708 San Diego, CA
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bob776		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 124 08/21/07 06:52:51	Peter: We have hull 776, so it should be the same plumbing. Is the "Y" valve in the correct position? It's located in the bilge just behind the dust bin. When you remove the bin, you might not be able to see the valve. Look aft. One position is for the shower sumps and the other is for the fridg. Bob 776
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pwinterfeld		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 110 08/21/07 07:21:39	Thanks for all the advice please keep it coming Yes I have cleaned the filter in front of the pump - it was full of ookies. All the valves were set to the correct position(s) under the bin, when the water squirted out of the siphon valve. Based on your helpful advice I am going back to the boat today and make sure that only one valve (fridge - ice box) is open at the time. I can not remember if I had one or both open at the same time. My question for Bob776 - do you have the "PAR Max 3 Auto Matic Water Pump" underneath the sink??? If you do then I must have some kind of blockage in front of the through hull valve and that should be an easy fix. What I was afraid of, is that the pump had too much pressure for the simple job it has to do. The advice I have received from all of you indicates that most of you have the same set up as I; and that the previous owner did not muck it up as some of the other bizarre changes that have been made on this boat. I have sorted out most of them. Everything has been fixed including the mess the hammerhead made that used a chain saw to open holes for the air/heating ducts. I had to replace many a panel. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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bob776		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 124 08/21/07 11:18:57	Peter: Mine has been working so I haven't had the need to look at the pump. I'll check is this weekend when I'm down on the boat. Bob 776
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pwinterfeld		#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 110 08/21/07 12:58:51	The mystery is solved!!! After receiving all your helpfull advice I went down to the boat this morning took, everything apart again, checked the filter, through hull and valves again. Set them according to the manual, filled the ice box with water and bleach, turned the switch and got soaked with bleach and water. The water bleach mixture came shooting out of the antisyphon valve. I checked the pump and it is a "Par Max 3 50PSI Pump". Way too much pressure - filled the ice box again - this time with water only - put my finger over the antisyphon valve - turned the switch and the ice box drained as it should. Solution - plugged the antisyphon valve with a gasket. Tested the refrigerator the same way and it drained as designed. Before I left the boat I shut the trough hull valve. The questions is to all of you; if you have a chance - please check the pump underneath the sink and let me know what kind of pump came with your boat - I don't think that a high pressure pump should be there - it looks like a factory installation but..............???? If the antisyphon valve were to be installed before the pump I think that may work - in my case the antisyphon valve has been installed downstream from the pump - wow - what a stream of water. (Well i always wanted to clean underneath the sink anyway. Where is your antisyphon valve relative to the pump??? That also could be part of the problem. I will try to contact the factory and try to find out what kind of pump should have been installed and where the antisyphon valve should be. Peter C'est la Vie Hull # 746
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george lyons		#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 10 08/21/07 14:53:39	I am new to the C 42 family , however I have read with interest the discussion on Frig draining pumps. I have a 2 cabin hull # 963 . My galley has a foot petal located below and to the left side of the frig under the storage drawers that I somehow came to believe activates a manual pump to empty the frig liquid accumulation . In my limited experience so far , all I do to drain the frig is remove the internal drain plug and step on the drain petal continuously until the frig is dry . So far it works well enough to remove all liquid except a spoonful or so that surrounds the drain plug recepticle . I have not yet tried to determine where the pump discharges the liquid , however so far there has not been any automatic activation of the bilge pump during or immediately after the drainage . Is my set up different than those discussed above --or am I misguided about what the foot pump is doing ? George Lion Heart Hull # 963
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pwinterfeld		#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 110 08/21/07 16:03:00	Hi George Since I solved my mystery - I will help you with yours. I had a similar footpump on my Catalina 36 and the water discharged from the fridge to the galley sink drain. I suspect that it is something that Catalina is trying on the newer 42 models because obviously the "Rube Goldberg" contraption on my boat is causing great confusion to some owners including myself. You are lucky with your simplefied system - it worked well on my Ca 36 (Hull #2152 - 2003 Model). It is obviously not draining into the bilge because as you said the bilge pump is not recycling. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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yorkrose		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 281 08/21/07 17:59:51	George, Our boat works exactly the same way as yours. The system being discussed here is an earlier version, and it is completely unrelated to the current version. The hose from the foot pump leads into the shower sump in the aft head. From there is is pumped out by the electric shower sump pump. You may be sending the refrigerator drain water to the sump without realizing it. Regards, Gene Fuller Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870
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jiminpuyallup		#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 20 08/22/07 18:25:05	This solves a bit of a mystery for me also. The aft head shower sump pump is plumbed to drain both the shower and the fridge via a through hull. Both the head and the fridge drain hoses meet at a manifold just above the bilge. This manifold has two valves, one for each line. In the past I've left both open,... but I'll end that practice now and use only one at a time. I found the filter clogs quickly, especially if anyone uses the aft head for a shower or just tracks in too much sand or dirt from shoreside activities. To empty the fridge, I need to open only the fridge valve and through hull, then turn on the aft shower sump switch in the aft head. Same for using the shower except use the other valve. This should solve the problem I had of mystery water running under the floor board of the aft shower. (it came from the fridge) Jim Lee s/v Pure Joy #508 - 3 Cabin Pullman Tacoma
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jrmostel		#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 42 08/23/07 04:37:54	On Cat's Paw (hull no. 627, 3 cabin) the fridge drain and the aft head shower drain were plumbed to a valved manifold in the bilge (access by a teak grate in the sole forward of the companionway steps). The outlet of the manifold is connected to a diaphragm pump located behind the medicine cabinet in the aft head and (I believe) connected to the same thru hull as the aft head inlet. It works fine. I have had no problem with the location of the antisyphon valve. I recently added a tee, an additional valve and a suction line into the bilge and use this pump to pump the bilge drier than the bilge pump. When I did this installation I also installed a strainer downstream of all the manifold valves. As reported by others, a lot of installation debris (e.g., dust from cutting holes in fibreglass, etc.) finds it way into the bilge over time. I've had to clean out the strainer on a yearly basis since installing and using this system to dry out the water that remains in the bilge below the bilge pump float switch level.
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sashay567		#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 201 08/23/07 11:06:39	On my 1997 2 cabin, the shower/reefer pump is a Par diaphram bilge pump. The forward shower pump is the same. The anti-syphon is after the pump. The pumps are the type that have the motor on top, and a crank and connecting rod to the diaphram portion of the pump. Rodney Kidd, C-42 #567 Sashay, 2 Cabin Fin, Marina Village, Alameda, CA
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pwinterfeld		#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 110 08/23/07 14:26:09	Pump I contacted the Catalina Factory and was informed that the '02 model and later have the footpump fridge and icebox drain sytem as some of you pointed out. This system seems to be the least complicated and most user friendly They also e-mailed me a diagram for the 2 cabin pullman model-that drain goes from the fridge and icebox directly to the galley sink via the foot pump. Previous to this model year they have several different set ups with different types of pumps. They all seem to work, some more complicated (my system) than necessary and extremely productive to bacteria growth. that is why some owners have circumvented the drain system and simply routed the hoses to the bilge - which I hesitate to do. At my next haul out I will change my set up to the footpump system. It also means that there will one less thru - hull on my boat. That is in itself is a good thing. Since the drains are not used as frequently (because they are not easy to use) they have a tendency to encourage nasty growth, which equates nasty smells and bacteria. Bacteria so close to food storage is not good. So in conclusion; from now on I will flush the drain system at least once a month - vinegar has been recommended and will be used on the C'est la Vie. Thanks again for all the input/suggestions - I really appreciate it. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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nickwigen		#17	[url]	[-]
Posts: 221 08/24/07 04:04:58	If you have refrigeration I think the best drain is no drain. When installing a new system I made the bottom the deep freeze and use a thermostatically controlled fan as a pump up for the cold air. Before the installation I added 2" of blue board foam covered with fiberglass to the bottom after glassing over the drain. It's been 2+ years and I haven't missed the drain at all. When defrosting the system I let it melt then use a big sponge to soak up the 1/2 liter of water that has accumulated. Nick Wigen Ursa Minor #178 FK, 3-Cabin Portland, Oregon
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