Bilge pump question

[WDC]

Background

Boat- Glastron 16 footer, 85hp johnson

I am modifying my bilge pump with a manual, off, auto controller(rule model no43 12v) and a new bilge pump since the old is manual.

My current set up is an on off toggle with a manual rule360 gallons per hour pump, no float.

Question?

My question is should I stay with a 360 bilge pump, rule with float or go to a 500 gallons per hour with float or higher

WDC

 

[hamburgerman]

Re: Bilge pump question

How fast do you wnt to pump water? , and, my god how much water does that boat take on. (sorry)

 

[WDC]

Re: Bilge pump question

How fast do you wnt to pump water? , and, my god how much water does that boat take on. (sorry)

 

[WDC]

Re: Bilge pump question

How fast do you wnt to pump water? , and, my god how much water does that boat take on. (sorry)

 

[WDC]

Re: Bilge pump question

Just want to make sure I am buying the correct pump.

What size bige pump should this type of boat ahve.

 

[akwalker]

Re: Bilge pump question

Just want to make sure I am buying the correct pump.

What size bige pump should this type of boat ahve.

Depends on how many leaks it has, lol. Do you keep the boat docked or on a trailer? Is it covered? Lots of variables go into selection of the pump. If it helps, by boat is a 16' Bonito trihull, and it has a manual 360 GPH pump, that seems to be just fine for incidental water and such,,,,,, but the hull is more or less tight on my boat.

 

[randy_252]

Re: Bilge pump question

When you really need it you never have enough. Think along the lines of your homes A/C. Would you want just enough to get by or a little extra for a hot summer day?

 

[xtraham]

Re: Bilge pump question

for normal rain water ect. a small pump is fine. If you are concerned about taking on water at some point and want something to help prevent a vessel from sinking the smaller the boat the bigger the pump you need....

 

[jtexas]

Re: Bilge pump question

If you're buying a new pump anyway, get 900 GPH or 500 - check the discharge outlet sizes - get one that matches your thru-hull fitting. My boat don't leak, but it does take on water in rough seas, or when swimmers climb aboard, or when I'm throwing the cast net...

 

[limacina]

Re: Bilge pump question

West marine Advisor made a good point I've paid attention to. If you have a small boat and take a wave over the transom, the next wave gets in easier and so on until your swimming with your cooler above a shipwreck. A large boat can handle a few waves and take it's time pumping them out with a small pump; but a small boat will sink waiting for the small pump to catch up. Go with with the biggest pump you can afford. I play on Buzzards bay, Cape Cod. We have big waves with a short period between them. there aren't to many outboard boats not taking a wave or two over the stern on a rough day.
In my boat, I run dual batteries isolated on a switch. I have two pumps, one fore and one aft. The aft pump is a 1000 with a float switch on battery one as low as possible on the hull. The forward pump is a 500 on battery two with the float switch 2" off the hull. The idea is that if I spring a leak on the mooring, the aft pump will completley kill battery one before the fwd pump kicks in on the second battery. Hopefully I catch the boat soon enough and I can still start the boat to recharge battery one.

 

[dsinger]

Re: Bilge pump question

In one of my boats the batteries are in the rear where I will catch more water than anyother part. My pump is also there so it is the first to go under, NO juice no pump.