Bilge pump concerns

[rfcc150]

I noticed yesterday after putting the boat on the trailer that the bilge pump kicked in and dumped some water - perfect. But as I was tying down the tarp I could hear the pump running, but nothing was coming out. It would stop, then start right back up again. There is no off switch - it is either manual or automatic - so I can't stop it. There is a bit of water (all foamy, which is odd) in the bilge - just enough to trip the switch, but not enough to pump. I pulled it up on a steep incline to ensure all the water got into the bilge but still nothing came ou.

This is not a good situation since it will ultimately kill the battery - at least that's what I assume since I don't know if/when it would ever stop cycling. I disconnected one of the circuit breaker leads to shut it down for the time being.

Has anyone come across this before? Do you think it would eventually give up? I think if it were a stuck float it wouldn't cycle but just stay on.

Thanks guys

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

Are you certain the Manual/Auto switch doesn't have a center OFF position? If not, then add a simple on/off switch the +12V power feed to the MAN/AUTO switch.

 

[rfcc150]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

There is definitely no center off, which I thought was odd. But putting an in-line switch before the man/auto switch is a pretty good idea.

 

[flargin]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

check your bilge with water. Sometimes if they are not setup correctly, the water will drain back down the tube and that will turn back on the automatic switch.

If you have this problem you will kill your bilge pretty quick.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

sounds like your float switch is bad.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

There is definitely no center off, which I thought was odd. But putting an in-line switch before the man/auto switch is a pretty good idea.

Maybe its late and I'm not thinking right, but wouldn't adding a switch to the switch do nothing? You want to add a switch to the feed that sends power to the bilge pump not the auto/manual switch. Thereby disconnecting the power feed to the pump and float switch. Just remember to turn it back on when operating the boat. Or, do what bruce said, replace the float switch which is probably the culprit and cause of the problem.

 

[rfcc150]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

OK, next dumb question.... Are float switches universal? Can I simply go into the dealership and say I need a new float switch for my bilge pump? Or should I just replace the whole pump?

As far as a secondary switch goes, putting it in line either before or after the "real" auto/man switch would have the eame effect - no power/power to the pump. But I would much prefer fixing the problem, not band-aiding it.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bilge pump concerns

For the bilge pump to work in manual or automatic mode, the switch must have power applied to it. In the manual mode the switch sends power around the float switch so the pump runs whether there is water in the bilge or not. In the AUTO mode, power goes to the float switch. The pump then will not run until or unless there is water in the bilge. If you don't want the pump to run under any condition, you disrupt the power feed to the manual/auto switch on the console. Depending on the bilge pump and the float switch being used, there is an installation in which you would need to do a different wiring scheme. That installation would be if the float switch side of the combo unit or the separate float switch were wired directly to the battery. Then yes -- adding a switch ahead of any other switch on the console would not be appropriate. It all depends on how the current system is set up.