Whale Grey IC experiences and advice

[mncruiser]

Planning a shower drain box replacement, and I'm planning on using Whale Marine's Grey IC system. If you haven't seen these, they seem to be a slick replacement option for the smelly, always full of something shower boxes: https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/product.aspx?Category_ID=10021&Product_ID=10040&FriendlyID=Grey-IC

I'm not affiliated with them or any retailer.

The basic idea here is the shower box is gone, you use their mainfold (or they have shower drain options too) to connect the sources and it senses the water, and cycles the linked pump. Their site above has great videos that shows it all very clearly. Supposed to be more trouble-free. Personally if I never have to open up a shower sump box again, I'll be really happy!

In my case the Grey IC manifold is ALMOST perfect. It will take my shower drain and sink drain no issues. But, I have a condensate drain from the forward AC unit (well I think that's what it is):

What should I do with this condensate drain? I do have a bilge pump in the same area that needs replacement:

I'm going to be boating on Lake Superior, and while I'm sure there will be some summer days the AC will be used heavily, would it be a major issue to just have this drain into the bilge? I don't really like that idea...but any other ideas?

Also, any experiences with the Whale products? From what I can recall here on TF, most have been super happy with the Whale system.

Thanks!

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Sounds and looks to be a good idea. I rarely use my shower so I keep the box fresh with some hydrogen peroxide occasionally but still, looking inside it is GROSS.

pete

 

[Wood]

I installed the Whale IC. Replaced the messy sump. It works a charm.

 

[Woodstock]

I replaced my old shower sump with the Whale tank and Gulper pump system. https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/p...10527&FriendlyID=Shower-and-Sink-Waste-System
I run two shower drains and two AC condensate drains to it. It works great!

 

[wpc691]

Unless I misunderstand the plumbing, why can’t you just leave the T in the line so all 3 drain into the manifold? My sink drains to a thru hull, so I only plumbed the shower and AC condensate to the manifold, but I don’t see why you couldn’t just connect what you have now, as long as all the lines are above the manifold.

 

[mncruiser]

I replaced my old shower sump with the Whale tank and Gulper pump system. https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/p...10527&FriendlyID=Shower-and-Sink-Waste-System

I run two shower drains and two AC condensate drains to it. It works great!

Interesting. I didn’t look at that on their site, it appeared to be a bigger tank. Is there a clean out on it? Is it a box like the old one or something else?

 

[mncruiser]

Unless I misunderstand the plumbing, why can’t you just leave the T in the line so all 3 drain into the manifold? My sink drains to a thru hull, so I only plumbed the shower and AC condensate to the manifold, but I don’t see why you couldn’t just connect what you have now, as long as all the lines are above the manifold.

You are correct, I could leave the T. But the hoses are corrugated, I was planning on replacing them and my thought was less junctions, less problems. But I may end up
Leaving it. Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[Woodstock]

Interesting. I didn’t look at that on their site, it appeared to be a bigger tank. Is there a clean out on it? Is it a box like the old one or something else?

The tank is just slightly larger than the standard Rule shower sump box. It is made from HDPE, not hard plastic and has an inspection port top that unscrews from the tank for inspection and cleaning. The non-contact level sensor is built into that screw-in top.

 

[jimdavi]

I have the whale gulper set up with their box. Works great, no residue or odor.

 

[BruceK]

My previous(1981 build) boat had a solid plastic grey water collecting tube, running north/south suspended in the bilge, forward to a grey water tank with a large bilge pump which could suck start a Harley Davidson, actuated by a flipper switch. OEM, taking all grey water. Worked a treat unless the wretched flipper got gummed up.

 

[Pau Hana]

We've used the Whale Intelligent shower pump for the past 5 years- will never go back to a box with a float switch!

 

[mncruiser]

I have the whale gulper set up with their box. Works great, no residue or odor.

I like the idea of no box at all...but the box may be the best solution.

With any box, there must be some water sitting there. Sitting water = odors. Is their design different that it isn't an issue?

Is there a filter in the box, or does the pump suck and spew it all?

Thanks

 

[Constellation1]

I am doing the exact same upgrade that Woodstock did in the post below 'right now' literally. The wiring instructions are poor with the kit. Can anyone help me with this - current system is a typical float switch that triggers the pump in the old attwood shower sump. 4 wires with that system - 2 for the float switch and 2 for the pump. 2 grey, 1 brown and 1 black. Any wisdom on wiring the new Whale system? Thanks!

 

[Marco Flamingo]

My shower tank and pump was probably removed when a prior owner put in a holding tank for the Vacuflush. There is no tank and the circuit breaker for the shower pump has nothing connected. I've never used the head as a shower, but there is still a drain in the floor with a tube running to the bilge. I removed the original shower head, but I replaced the sink faucet with a "utility faucet" that would allow one to shower (or use as a bidet as per a recent post). Which brings me to my question.

I assume that the grossness of a shower holding tank that people are referring to in this thread is that the shower grey water contains hair, body oils, skin, soap scum, etc. That is why there is a separate tank instead of going directly into the bilge. But could the nasties be trapped in a filter with just the "cleaner" grey water (i.e., warm soapy water) going into the bilge where it would be pumped over as a matter of course? Specifically, could a simple homemade tube of polyester batting be placed over the end of the shower drain?

I have used a similar homemade filter over my dryer vent hose so that I could vent directly into my house in the winter. The polyester batting traps even the tiniest dust particles. Like the filter I am proposing on a boat shower drain, it can be thrown away periodically or at the end of the season.

For those of you with experience with shower drain tanks, do you think that a disposable filter could trap the nasty stuff?

 

[Woodstock]

I am doing the exact same upgrade that Woodstock did in the post below 'right now' literally. The wiring instructions are poor with the kit. Can anyone help me with this - current system is a typical float switch that triggers the pump in the old attwood shower sump. 4 wires with that system - 2 for the float switch and 2 for the pump. 2 grey, 1 brown and 1 black. Any wisdom on wiring the new Whale system? Thanks!

Wiring diagram.

 

[David Griffiths]

The instructions suggest an above water discharge/outlet, (and yet still require a vented loop/anti syphon device on the discharge hose)
Has anyone tried one of these pumps with the outlet below water level.
Can you see a reason why it wouldn't t work?

 

[ScottC]

I have a Whale Gulper 220 on my Whale 16 liter sump box. It discharges below the waterline. This was the setup from the factory. Fortunately, there IS a vented loop. It has worked perfectly fine for me since Day 1.