RE: [Paddlewise] Electrodynamic hydropurgation devices

I have a Rule 1100 installed in my Storm.  I use it with a 7 amp-hour (AH)
battery.  I have not used a stopwatch to time the draining of the boat, but
it is safe to say the drain time after a wet exit and reentry is on the
order of 2-3 minutes.

In addition to using the 7 AH battery I have also tried using a 2 AH and a
1.2 AH battery, both are gel cells.  Both worked with the 1100 pump.  Sizing
a battery is not just a question of does it have the voltage and enough
amp-hour capacity to empty the boat.  I'm not an electrical engineer but I
have read that high discharge rates will reduce the actual AH capacity of a
battery below the laboratory rating.  This should not be a surprise to
anyone, the laws of physics and the laws of advertising apply to batteries
just like they do elsewhere.  Perhaps one of our double E members can
explain the issues for us.

I do have some strident opinons on switches and their location.  I had
numerous failures with allegedly waterproof but unsealed switches.  The
switch that worked for me in the end was a single pole, double throw sealed
switch.  I mounted it on the rear deck with a 10 oz. plastic food container
as a secondary containment to help keep the switch guts dry.  The switch
handle is protected with a wood block.  I like the double throw switch
because I set it up so hitting the switch off center turns on the pump.

Other features of my electric pump system are the battery is located in the
rear compartment, the pump discharge has a tethered rubber stopper not a
check valve, and I installed a fuse in the circuit.

Dana

 > -----Original Message-----
 
 > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 12:24:35 +1100
 > From: "Peter Treby" <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>
 > Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Electrodynamic hydropurgation devices
 > 
 > Bob Volin writes:
 > "The eleven-minute emptying time is certainly excessive, and a real
 > surprise.  Our Rule 500 pumps (same rating) empty our Romany 
 > cockpits in
 > about 4  minutes. And that's with modified home 
 > plumbing-type check valves
 > installed.  Anybody have the same/different experience?"
 >  Just this last weekend I timed pumpouts as follows:
 > 1. Cockpit full, off water, no paddler in cockpit, using 
 > Rule 500 electric
 > pump only, 3.5 min, emptied to the point at which the pump 
 > stopped sucking.
 > 2. Cockpit full of water and paddler, after a re-entry on 
 > the water, using
 > Rule 500 electric pump and foot pump, emptied to the same 
 > point when the
 > electric pump stopped sucking, about 2 minutes.
 > I don't have any check valves installed, just a stopper in 
 > the outlet to
 > stop water coming back into the cockpit through the outlet. 
 > The stopper is
 > not a tight fit, and gets pushed out onto its short tether 
 > string when
 > pumping starts. A check valve would be an improvement.
 > Does anyone have experience of higher capacity electric 
 > pumps? I have heard
 > ideas that the Rule 500 is more reliable than the Rule 1100. 
 > I wonder if two
 > Rule 500 pumps connected to two separate batteries and 
 > switches would be a
 > solid system, despite the weight?
 > When using the electric pump, as the water is pumped out a 
 > vacuum is created
 > in the cockpit space causing the spray deck to suck down. I 
 > open a gap in
 > the body tube of the spray skirt to relieve this and keep 
 > the pump going at
 > full capacity. This wouldn't be possible if both hands are 
 > on the paddle
 > working hard. Has anyone tried a small hole in the deck to 
 > get over this?
 > The hole would be small enough to only let in a few drips, 
 > perhaps like the
 > bulkhead holes described in other posts which relieve 
 > pressure variation in
 > bulkhead compartments and stop rubber VCP hatches bulging.
 > Regards,PT
 > 
 
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