T&T: Fw: A/C venturi

[Larry N. Brown]

> Mike M's comments on A/C condensate remind me I plan on installing a 
> venturi
> on my A/C drain. There are commercial ones available for a fair penny.
> Anyone have a drawing of how to fab one with off the shelf plumbing parts?
> This will emiminate the A/C water from the bilge altogether.
>
> Ed K


This subject has come up several times- twice I think because of me. When my 
boat was in the yard and I had time on my hands, I piddled around trying to 
figure away around the Mermaid condensators- $200 worth of engineering 
marvels. They may or may not work under pristine conditions or normal 
conditions but get some pet hair in there to block it and you can quickly be 
getting 250 gph of flotation water aboard. I was less than successful in my 
design work.

The idea is dry bilges- not elegant engineering. Without going into the 
why's, I turned up surplus one below WL shower drain pump. Plastic box with 
a bilge pump and float switch in it. My present plan, when it gets warm 
enough for AC instead of heat or when I get to the Keys, is to plumb each 
condensate tray to a generously sized pvc sewer line and plumb this to the 
shower pump, placed at a suitable level lower than all ac units. Power it 
and T into a convenient overboard drain. Voila, dry bilges. Who amongst us 
doesn't have a spare 500 gph bilge pump and float switch and pvc's cheap.

Regards,

Larry and Teri
M/V Cigano, 47' Prairie Sundeck Cruiser
Lying: 64 Cypress Road
          Covington, LA