New take on wash-down pump

[Bob MacWright]

After reading a Mainsheet article about installing a washdown pump, I decided to install one. But there were a few things in the article I didn't like. The T into the head intake was down below the waterline near the seacock, the intake filter was too hard to reach down near the seacock, the pump was unaccessible under the V-berth, and the author had to use sanitation hose between the seacock and the pump, which must have been very stiff for fishing along the forward water tank.

So, I did it differently. I bought a Jabsco washdown kit, and mounted the 4GPM pump at a 45-degree angle on the rear wall of the head holding tank cabinet, right under the holding tank, with the intake filter pointing up to the right; I put my T into the head intake on the in side of the head's in-line filter, looping the new intake hose around under the washdown pump and into the filter; and the reinforced clear tubing of the outflow line from the washdown pump went around and down along the hose for the head, past the thru-hull for the head, and all the way up to a Jabsco hose quick-connect fitting in the windlass access compartment. I put the quick-connect fitting as close to the windlass mount and as low as I could, so that the hose in the anchor locker attaches above the secondary anchor locker (on the right). That way, the hose won't be fowled by my primary anchor and 200' of chain. (If I want to use my secondary anchor, no big deal, I can just disconnect the hose at the quick-connect and set it aside). For power, I ran a piece of 12/2 wire from the head tank compartment to the unused "macerator(s)" breaker on the main panel.

I am VERY happy with the result! The pump is EASY to reach, just open the panel door behind the head! The intake filter element can be cleaned easy-as-you-please, and there are NO new hose clamps below the waterline to worry about. And oh, it is SO nice not to have Cheaspeake Bay mud all over the anchor locker!