Oily bilges

[prob]

I've a few inches of oily water sitting in the bottom of my engine compartment, and have had since I bought the craft. I've tried several times to get shot of it, but the bilge pump I have fixed down there always leaves a couple of inches at the bottom, and getting down there with a brush, a scoop and some washing-up liquid is a thankless task.

 

I've got some bilge and hull cleaner on the way from www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk, but to go with this I wonder if anyone out there can recommend a good portable bilge pump which would serve as a hoover to get the oily grime of of there, minimising my miseraable afternoons with a bad back?

[Moley]

This sounds awfully familiar

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2884

 

Just two words for you: Cat Litter

[Bernie]

What's wrong with the good old mop and bucket, then rinse with soapy water.

[Breals]

Wet n dry vacs are great for sucking goop, ask if you can borrow your local boatyards. They may have empty antifreeze bottles for you to fill up with the oily mess.

 

And Bernie's right about mops, quite effective, just be prepared to chuck the mophead away after.

Edited October 23, 2006 by Breals

[John Orentas]

What's wrong with the good old mop and bucket, then rinse with soapy water.

 

 

I have a 12 volt wet or dry vacuum cleaner that sucks up the last of the dirty water, see if you can get hold of one of those. When you are nearly there with most water removed Gunk is good stuff.

 

I have never used these methods on my own boat. The trick is not to let it in there in the first place.

[charles123]

I got a wet and dry from Screwfix, bit powerfull at 1300w but amazingly usefull through the build and perfect for picking up water, I think it cost about £35 nor is it too big to store

 

Charles

[DHutch]

Yeah, when we're having a blitz on EA's enginerrom bilge we get out the old wet-n-dry vac.

- I doesnt make a mess of it, because its alreeady as bad as it can get. And it gets all the crap out.

-Then we just get in there with the whitespirt and rags, followed with washing up liquid and more rags.

 

 

Daniel

[charles123]

If the water is coming in from the stern gland place a one gal plastic container with a hole cut in the top but keep the handle, this will catch the water and just empty the container when its full, it also catches the grease that comes out thus dry bilge. learnt that of this board, off John I think, works for me

 

Charles

[smileypete]

I've a few inches of oily water sitting in the bottom of my engine compartment, and have had since I bought the craft. I've tried several times to get shot of it, but the bilge pump I have fixed down there always leaves a couple of inches at the bottom, and getting down there with a brush, a scoop and some washing-up liquid is a thankless task.

 

 

Something similar to this will pump down to 1/8":

 

http://shopping.lycos.co.uk/9428en570100.html

 

After that see the other thread for ideas, I've also found sawdust can be good for soaking up oil, if a little messy.

 

Wet or dry vac and pressure washer would be the best way to go IMO.

 

cheers,

Pete.

[FORTUNATA]

I noticed the same thing at the back of my engine. I think it was mostly canal mud. I tend to use a manually operated pump I bought from MachineMart and they normally use these to shift ale from one tub to another. However, it works fine for my bilge and I get the rest up with a sponge.

 

I've a few inches of oily water sitting in the bottom of my engine compartment, and have had since I bought the craft. I've tried several times to get shot of it, but the bilge pump I have fixed down there always leaves a couple of inches at the bottom, and getting down there with a brush, a scoop and some washing-up liquid is a thankless task.

 

I've got some bilge and hull cleaner on the way from www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk, but to go with this I wonder if anyone out there can recommend a good portable bilge pump which would serve as a hoover to get the oily grime of of there, minimising my miseraable afternoons with a bad back?

[valrene9600]

Putting sawdust or cat litter down below means you end up having to get a oily sticky mess out after. Try using cheap throwaway nappies. They will absorb all the water and oil and it`s easy to pull out 4/5 nappies.

[Smudge]

Ive only had to do mine once and i grovald under and around the engine and around the bilge mopping up with clothes got it all clean aventually took loads of skin off me knuckles and now am a bit more careful when changing oil and allways after greasing stern tube wipe off excess with kitchen toweling.

[NB Alnwick]

Putting sawdust or cat litter down below means you end up having to get a oily sticky mess out after. Try using cheap throwaway nappies. They will absorb all the water and oil and it`s easy to pull out 4/5 nappies.

 

We've found it easier to use old corduroy rags - usually torn up from old trousers- and ring them out into a bucket which can be emptied in the hedge away from the canal. If you clean up regularly (in a trad engine room you can do it every day) and then wash out the rags in soapy water and dry them in the engine room, they will be ready for re-use next time. It works for us . . .

[dor]

I keep a spare mop head and a pair of industrial rubber gloves for this job. I dip the mop in the bilge, then ring it out in a bucket using the gloves.

[BenR]

I use a pump that fits into the chuck of an electric drill (both Black and Decker and Draper make them). Lengths of hose pipe are fitted to the inlet and outlet, and you can vary the length dependant on from where you need it to pick up. (You need to screw the little pump on to a piece of wood and stand or kneel on it to hold the pump steady, while operating it otherwise the drill simply revolves the drill rather than operate it). Then I use a string mop to finish off the cleaning under the engine.

[ChrisPy]

a bucket which can be emptied in the hedge

I hope not !!

[NB Alnwick]

I hope not !!

 

Where do you empty your buckets?

[ChrisPy]

Where do you empty your buckets?

oily gloop? not in the hedge, that's for sure.

[bottle]

Any container that has any amount of oil however small must be disposed of in the correct manner, at the correct disposal unit, not 'under a hedge'.

 

It is the law and you could be fined for incorrect disposal. (If caught)

[NB Alnwick]

Any container that has any amount of oil however small must be disposed of in the correct manner, at the correct disposal unit, not 'under a hedge'.

 

It is the law and you could be fined for incorrect disposal. (If caught)

 

This seems to be getting out of context, we clean the bilges under the engine daily and wash out the rags in warm water and detergent so that we can use them again - the amount of oil suspended in or attached to the detergent will be minimal and probably no more than the cooking oils and fats that most people discharge into the canal from normal washing up activities. The only difference is that we wash the rags in a bucket and don't dump the waste in the cut.

[tomsk]

This seems to be getting out of context, we clean the bilges under the engine daily and wash out the rags in warm water and detergent so that we can use them again - the amount of oil suspended in or attached to the detergent will be minimal and probably no more than the cooking oils and fats that most people discharge into the canal from normal washing up activities. The only difference is that we wash the rags in a bucket and don't dump the waste in the cut.

 

Speaking as a Womble, this seems perfecty reasonable to me

[bottle]

Hi Graham

 

I

and ring them out into a bucket which can be emptied in the hedge

this may be out of context but this is why I made my remark about disposal, now, if you had mentioned washing the rags and then disposing of the water afterwards, I would not (probably) have replied.

 

We could then go onto the disposal of the chemicals used in washing powder etc. but I will not

[cugsey]

We've found it easier to use old corduroy rags - usually torn up from old trousers- and ring them out into a bucket which can be emptied in the hedge away from the canal. If you clean up regularly (in a trad engine room you can do it every day) and then wash out the rags in soapy water and dry them in the engine room, they will be ready for re-use next time. It works for us . . .

 

graham

you have now realized that this forum is populated with its fair share of coffee house commissars who weep enviromentally friendly tears on a daily basis. Some of them even have boats