Hi Ted, My automatic bilge pump is connected INLINE with my manual bilge pump. 1 hose from top to bottom. Neither pump stops the other from drawing and discharging water. Give it a try with your setup and see if it works, it should be just as simple as attaching your automatic pump to the take up of the manual pump.
Hope that helps, Larry Taborek C27 Dixie Chicken > I'm looking for advice on how to install an automatic bilge pump on my 82 > Catalina 27. I'm still a new sailboater, having had mine less than 2 years > now, so please forgive me if I use the wrong terms or don't explain it > well. My bilge is very dry and clean, but I worry about a leak when I'm > not around, so would like to have the automatic bilge on "stand by" when > I'm gone. I bought a Rule-Mate 500 automated bilge pump and 3-way lighted > panel switch. I think I can figure out the electrical part ok. My first > though was that I could use the same hose from the bilge that leads to the > manual bilge pump in the compartment aft of the tiller and somehow, via a > system of Y or T fittings and check valves, use the same thru-hull on the > transom (which is above the water line). In other words, both manual and > automatic bilge pumps would be operational (sort of "in parallel"), using > largely the same hoses and thru-hull. My first choice would be to run a > second hose out the aft of my bilge, and have a totally redundant hose > system, but there doesn't seem to be much room for it. I also know > check-valves can be trouble if they fail. I've kicked it around with > other sailboaters on my dock without complete agreement on whether it > would work, or would one siphon the other, etc. Any advice, pictures, > diagrams, etc. would be appreciated. Ted Glynn Rayo de Luna 1982 > Catalina 27 standard rig Jefferson Beach Marina, St. Clair Shores, MI Dixie Chicken is FOR SALE: You can view the boat at: http://www.taborek.net/Dixie_Chicken/For_Sale/For_Sale.shtml ----------------------------------------- Join ISP.COM today - $8.95 internet , less than 1/2 the cost of AOL Try us out, http://www.isp.com/
