Bilge Pump Wiring

[GaBoy]

I just replaced float and bilge pump and now bilge pump dash switch does not workbut when float is activated pump works. Checked fuse, hooked switch wire to hot wire going to bilge pump no luck. Unhooked from hot wire and placed on float wire and no luck. Any ideas?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

do you have a 2 wire or 3 wire pump?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

"hooked switch wire to hot wire going to bilge pump...Unhooked from hot wire and placed on float wire"

unclear what you mean by "hot wire going to bilge pump", and what "switch wire" you hooked to it. Also unclear on what the "float wire" is, and exactly what you "placed" on it.

 

[burroak]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

The float switch should be connected directly to the + terminal of the battery with a 2 amp fuse in between, then to the bilge pump. A + wire should connect to the bilge pump and run to the console, through a SPST switch to a 2 amp fuse in the accessory distribution block. Of course, the bilge pump should be grounded to the - battery terminal. Verify that all the components are functioning. If all of this is correct, the fault lies in poorly made connections. Redo the connections and coat with liquid electrical coating. You should be good to go.

 

[GaBoy]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

Thanks for the info. I had 2 wires to float and 2 wires to bilge pump. There is one hot wire to battery and one negative wire and one brown wire in back of engine compartment. I had the hot wire connected to hot wire on pump and the negative wire on pump connected to one wire on float and the other float wire was connected to ground wire. The brown wire from dashboard bilge switch was hooked to the hot wire and switch did not work and then I connected brown switch wire to the ground wire and switch did not work. I also checked the fuse and it is not blown. I will check all connections and double check. If I raise the float the pump works. ?????????

 

[jtexas]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

what is the "hot wire on the pump"?

On pumps, brown wire is 12V, black is ground.

The brown wire leading out of the pump should be split and connected to both switches (float and dashboard).

The 2nd wire from both switches should be connected to 12V (battery +). If your boat does not have a fuse panel (many don't), get two "inline fuse holders" and 2-amp fuses, put one on each of the 12V wires from battery to switch.

The black wire from the pump should be connected to ground (battery -).

Here's a general rule, whatever device you're hooking up (pump, light, horn, pretty much anything): the switch gets 12V (thru a fuse) on one wire and the device on the other. The device gets the switch on one wire and ground (battery -) on the other. If you got a switch with more than two connections or a device with more than two wires, just ask!

I see now how redundant that is, with what burroak wrote - but I've already typed it, so here goes......

p.s. Don't just "blow off" the fuses......say some debris gets in your bilge and stops the pump from turning......it will start to draw more current. With no fuse it will heat up and either stop working altogether (leaving you with water in the boat and no pump), or the wires will get hot enough to melt the insulation and start a fire in the boat. The fuse will blow before either of those two things happen - you clear the pump, pop in a new fuse, and go back to fishing!

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

You have got it wired all wrong!!! You have put the float switch in the ground circuit (Never switch the ground only the plus) Take the hot wire off the pump and put it to one wire of the float switch, the other wire from the float switch goes to the plus wire on the pump. Wire the ground straight to the neg side of the battery or to a negative buss. The hot wire from the dash switch should also go the plus wire on the pump, that way either the float switch or the dash switch will operate it.

 

[GaBoy]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

Ya'll have cleared up somethings for me now, and I will go back and setup the correct way. I am dealing with the way the previous owner had everything wired and wow. You folks are great and I am so happy to be a part of this forum. I learn something new everyday. Thanks.

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

Float switches stink. They always end up getting clogged with something and stuck open or closed. Automatic bilge pumps are the way to go. Three simple wires. Brown, Black and Brown/white. Brown goes to the switch to manually override pump and turn it on. Black goes to a ground, brown/white goes to positive terminal on battery. Put a 5A fuse inline between brown/white and + source. A lot of pumps may draw more than 2 amps. Five amp fuses are fine and won't damage anything.

I just installed a Rule automatic bilge pump, 1000 gph. It cost me about $25.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

but note that the automatic pumps cycle on every ??? minutes to detect water - and so need a disconnect to save the battery during storage.

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

If you are talking about winter storage, that would be removing the batteries from the boat. If you're talking about storage during the season like on a trailer, simply remove the 5A fuse and you disconnect the automatic part. The draw is so minimal though that I would think it will take a long time to drain a battery like that. I know quite a few people who have automatic bilge pumps that cycle every minute or so and none have ever had a battery issue because of it.

My friend's boat sits in his driveway all weeklong with the auto pump hooked up. Sometimes two weeks straight never starting with the pump cycling every 2 minutes. He hasn't had a problem in three seasons since he installed it.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Bilge Pump Wiring

I wouldn't recommend pulling the fuse out, that's one more thing to try and remember when launching along with the drain plug and we've all heard those stories