Seawater and Fresh Water Pumps
There are five primary types of pumps essential for our needs on boats and for ensuring the safety of both the vessel and its occupants. These include fresh water pumps, black tank pumps, gray tank pumps, bilge pumps, and seawater pumps. Additionally, the number of pumps can be increased based on specific requirements.
Fresh water pumps are devices that pressurize water obtained from the fresh water tank to supply it to kitchen, toilet, and shower faucets. Black tank pumps are equipment used to discharge waste from the toilet tank.
Gray tank pumps are devices used to discharge water accumulated in the tank from the shower or kitchen. Bilge pumps are designed to manually or automatically discharge water that has collected in areas below the waterline, as well as any leaks or fluids flowing from the engine and boiler rooms into storage tanks. Seawater pumps, on the other hand, are pumps that draw water from the sea and pressurize it for use through faucets.
What is Bilge?
Before diving into topics like what is a bilge pump and how does a bilge pump work, let's first discuss what is a bilge, where is the bilge on a ship, and what does it mean to bilge, among other related subjects. In brief, the bilge refers to the interior section of a boat that is below the waterline. It is located beneath the floor of the engine and boiler compartments and the cargo deck. The area where water from leaks and oils from the engine and boiler rooms collect is called the bilge area. All waste water is collected in a tank from this area with the help of a pump.
The collected waste is discharged into specialized vessels that operate in ports. The bilge water, which is separated into layers using chemical and physical methods, is then treated and released back into the sea free of microbes and contaminants. Solid waste particles are generally incinerated to eliminate them. All waste collected through the bilge pump is thoroughly cleaned and discharged into the sea after undergoing chemical treatments to ensure it is completely purified. Disposing of bilge water directly into the sea is prohibited by law, and vessels that violate this rule can be detained by the port authority and fined. Only after everything is purified and cleaned is it permissible to release it into the sea.
