Bilge Pump Sizing Calculator
Calculate required bilge pump capacity from hull volume, flooding risk, and ABYC guidelines.
Inputs
ft
ft
ft
in
ft
Results
Recommended Pump (GPH)
48,474 GPH
Minimum Required48,474 GPH
Emergency Pump96,948 GPH
Hull Volume4,039 gal
Max Flooding Rate6,788 GPH
Target Pump Time5 min
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the hull length, beam, and bilge depth in feet to estimate internal volume.
- Input the number of through-hull fittings, their diameter in inches, and head pressure height.
- Review the recommended pump size in GPH and the minimum required GPH per ABYC standards.
- Compare recommended and emergency pump sizes to select appropriate bilge pump equipment.
- Use the total flooding rate to verify your pump can manage worst-case water ingress.
How the result changes with Hull Beam
| Hull Beam | Recommended Pump (GPH) |
|---|---|
| 8.7 | 42,172 GPH |
| 23 | 111,490 GPH |
| 40 | 193,895 GPH |
| 54 | 261,758 GPH |
What each input means
- Hull Length
- Overall hull length.
- Hull Beam
- Maximum beam width.
- Bilge Depth
- Depth from waterline to bilge sump.
- Through-Hull Fittings
- Number of below-waterline through-hull fittings.
- Through-Hull Diameter
- Average through-hull fitting diameter.
- Head Pressure
- Distance from fitting to waterline (water pressure head).
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersHull Length = 30, Hull Beam = 10, Bilge Depth = 3, Through-Hull Fittings = 4 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Recommended PumpRecommended Pump48474 = 48474
- Calculate Minimum RequiredMinimum Required48474 = 48474
- Calculate Emergency PumpEmergency Pump96948 = 96948
Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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