Raw water washdown backflush plumbing
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 6:13 pm
I have been plagued with blockages on the intake of our raw water washdown pump. The strainer wasn't clogged, but the hose inlet was. Trying to take the hose off the barbed fitting to blow backwards is almost impossible without damaging the hose. I have been using a bucket and rope for over a year now to wash the anchor and chain.
Yesterday, I added a Tee fitting in the 3/4 inch hose under the strainer, with a 5/8 inch hose coming off the Tee. That 5/8 inch hose is long enough to reach up above the hatch for ease of use, and has a ball valve and quick connect fitting for a garden/water hose. To use it, I simply connect the water/garden hose, then slowly open the ball valve to allow pressurized water to enter the system. Within a few moments, I can hear the water blast out underneath the hull. At that point, I close the ball valve and run the washdown pump through its deck fitting and hose. It works as expected.
The backflush hose is secured with the shower plumbing inside the locker for the next time I need to do this. If I need to do it while not near a dock with a water hose, I plan to use the fresh water washdown for the quick backflush. Of course, now that I have gone to this trouble and (minor) expense, it may never clog again.
Yesterday, I added a Tee fitting in the 3/4 inch hose under the strainer, with a 5/8 inch hose coming off the Tee. That 5/8 inch hose is long enough to reach up above the hatch for ease of use, and has a ball valve and quick connect fitting for a garden/water hose. To use it, I simply connect the water/garden hose, then slowly open the ball valve to allow pressurized water to enter the system. Within a few moments, I can hear the water blast out underneath the hull. At that point, I close the ball valve and run the washdown pump through its deck fitting and hose. It works as expected.
The backflush hose is secured with the shower plumbing inside the locker for the next time I need to do this. If I need to do it while not near a dock with a water hose, I plan to use the fresh water washdown for the quick backflush. Of course, now that I have gone to this trouble and (minor) expense, it may never clog again.