How do water bailers remove water?

[justy_123]

Hey guys.

I have a 2004 XPdi. It has an automatic bilge pump which works pretty well. Just wondering, it has bailer pick up screens underneath this bilge pump.

How does this bailer actually work and why is it needed if there is a bilge pump??

Thanks for your knowledge!

Justin

 

[Dr Honda]

Why are they there?.... it's always better to have a back up system than to let your ski sink. The bailers work with the engine power... and the bilge pump is electric... so it's 2 separate power sources.


The bailers work from the jet pump. The hoses are mounted in the pump nozzle, where they are in a vacuum. that suction just draws the water up the bailer pick-ups, and it goes out the pump nozzle while you are riding around.

 

[jwick86]

Why are they there?.... it's always better to have a back up system than to let your ski sink. The bailers work with the engine power... and the bilge pump is electric... so it's 2 separate power sources.


The bailers work from the jet pump. The hoses are mounted in the pump nozzle, where they are in a vacuum. that suction just draws the water up the bailer pick-ups, and it goes out the pump nozzle while you are riding around.

Correct, the bailers are vacuum. If you take the 2 tubes that are inside the venturi nozzle out, you will actually fill your hull with water. It has a reverse affect. Make sure they are in there and NOT broken your your auto bilge, will be working overtime.

If you ever did have a problem with water in your hull or something flooding in your hull, take the rear drain plugs out and ride, the force will push the water out them in the back. Most of the time I leave my drain plugs outta my xpl, it takes water on sooooo slow. I can leave em out over night with the ski in the water and not have 2 inches in the morning. I do it to help keep the inside of the hull clean, I run a bilge cleaner all the time.

 

[justy_123]

Way to test the bailers?

Thanks guys. Makes sense.

Is there a way to check to see if these balers are working or not? My bilge pump seems to run quite a lot. Could the bailers be blocked?

When I bought the ski a few months ago, the bilge bump was seized. Found out due to a lot of water in the hull. So the bailers didn't work then and are probably not now.

Thanks guys.

 

[jwick86]

You can take the tube off the bailers and blow compressed air through them.

Make sure they are not broken inside the nozzle on the pump or you will push water INTO your hull. A reverse of what is suppose to happen with them. This would cause your auto bilge pump to run a lot. My auto hardly ever runs. Whenever I check under the hood, 0 water in the hull.

 

[justy_123]

Better test em!

Cheers boys. :cheers:

Will test them out tomorrow. I bet there will be something wrong with them because there is always some water in my hull. Well up to my bilge pump height.

Will let you know what I find. Really want to get it sorted out. I hate water in the hull. It gets into everywhere! I opened up my front magneto cover last week only to find everything in there rusty and wet. I had to replace the starter bendix and clean everything off.

 

[justy_123]

I found the problem!

Investigated the problem tonight. Pressurized both bailer systems and found leaks. :ack:

The LH bailer hose has a tear in it and both LH and RH bailer tube elbows have a drilled hole in the middle of them. I dont know why the holes are there in the elbows. I'm guessing they are not suppose to be there.

This would explain why I have water in my hull I guess. All the bailers are doing is sucking air through these holes!

I am going to redo the whole bailer system with new hoses and remove those elbows.

Have a question tho, the hoses ran from the bailer pickups, up to the top of the fuel tank and back to the rear exit at the rear of the hull. Do the hoses need to run that high? I thought it would be ideal to have the hoses just above water line level thus making it easier to remove water.

Cheers guys