251 WA cabin floor drain....

[Pro251WA]

I'm looking for an answer to where the drains in the cabin lead to. For my present needs, the one in the cabin floor is most important.

I'm away from the boat 27 out of 31 days per month usually, so I bought a small dehumidifier with the continous draining feature. I'd like to have the water drain into the cabin floor drain. In southwest Florida that can mean a lot of water draining somewhere. If the cabin floor drains overboard or to the aft bilge great. If it drains to the forward bilge that's not great.

Help, please.

[Aussie 251]

Hi Pro251, hate to be the bearer of bad news but the floor drain in the cabin drains directly to the underfloor forward bilge area, where there is often a bit of moisture (shape of hull etc, and I have a couple of windows that leak) and I'm 99.9% sure this area does not drain to the rear bilge. If you really require to drain water from your dehumidifier from the cabin, I would look at teeing into the cabin sink drain, access behind fridge, you could run hose into this area at rear of port bunk/shelf, Access to the drain hose is easy with fridge removed.
Good Luck
Mark

[Pro251WA]

Hey thanks Mark! Your answer helps a lot. I had asked on another website how water gets into the front bilge. Your answer helps me there too. I really appreciate it.

So Mark you're saying the cabin sink drains directly overboard? I'm guessing then the head sink does too since it's at the same level.

I saw another thread here or on THT about the shower sump pump. I didn't know our boats had one. Mine is a 2000 leftover 251 badged 25Walk. I've never showered in the boat. I have cleaned the head and let the water go down drain in te sole. I don't think I've ever heard a pump come on. I wonder where that water goes.

Thanks again for your help Mark. Merry Christmas!

[a7ewizard]

Hey thanks Mark! Your answer helps a lot. I had asked on another website how water gets into the front bilge. Your answer helps me there too. I really appreciate it.

So Mark you're saying the cabin sink drains directly overboard? I'm guessing then the head sink does too since it's at the same level.

I saw another thread here or on THT about the shower sump pump. I didn't know our boats had one. Mine is a 2000 leftover 251 badged 25Walk. I've never showered in the boat. I have cleaned the head and let the water go down drain in te sole. I don't think I've ever heard a pump come on. I wonder where that water goes.

Thanks again for your help Mark. Merry Christmas!

On my 251.........

The forward bilge is separate from the aft. There is an access plate in the floor of the cuddy that reveals a forward bilge pump with a built in float switch. Remove the panel below the steering wheel to find some buss bars. One of the fuse holders runs power to that forward bilge.

Lift up one of the stairs leading down into the cuddy. You will see the shower pump contained in a plastic box.  If you have a macerating head, the thru-hull is also accessed here. This shower pump is also fed by one of the fuses found coming off the helm buss bars. The head macerating pump also runs from a fuse holder here.

Unfortunately, these fuses/wiring are not labeled...I can't recall if the wiring is color coded either. A Brother P-touch labeler is great for tagging these.

Warren

[Pro251WA]

Thanks Warren! Coincidently I started to send you an email asking about this but decided not to bug you and hoped you would read the thread. As always, you're a great help.

I know the floor plate you're talking about, and I'd have to say that my fwd bilge float must be stuck since I pumped out quite a bit of water when I manually turned on the pump from the helm. If I can repair the float or replace the pump the floor drain would be the way to go. I could drain the dehumidifier directly and trust that the fwd bilge pump will do its job when needed.

Thanks again.

[Aussie 251]

Hi Pro215WA,
From your initial post I gather you are trying to reduce humidity/moisture therefore, reduce chance of mould/mildew etc inside cabin area. In my opinion you would be better off then draining your dehumidifier overboard via cabin sink or head sink. Keep in mind the forward bilge area still breaths to the cabin area via the floor drain, and due to the position of the bilge pump, quite a bit of water will have to present before this operates. I think when you are away from your boat if you leave the front floor hatch open and your dehumidifier draining overboard this area will all be dry in no time.
Good luck
Mark
BTW awesome results on your prop change, was that a 4 blade inertia?

[a7ewizard]

I know the floor plate you're talking about, and I'd have to say that my fwd bilge float must be stuck since I pumped out quite a bit of water when I manually turned on the pump from the helm. If I can repair the float or replace the pump the floor drain would be the way to go. I could drain the dehumidifier directly and trust that the fwd bilge pump will do its job when needed.

Thanks again.

Are you sure the helm switch operates the forward bilge pump?? Mine simply operates from a fuse wired directly to the buss bar below the steering. I recall having to repair a corroded splice leading to this forward pump.

I would drain the humidifier directly into the sink drain.

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