Bilge pump ?

[minocqa]

hi<br />i have a 19 foot boat that is in the water all summer. <br />we have a cabin 270 miles from home. so we arent ther all the time.<br />i have a non automatic bilge pump right now and <br />everytime i go use my boat i have to pump it first... <br />what is your opinion would i be better off buying an automatic bilge pump with a mercury switch built into it? <br />Or buy one of those float swiches? <br />you know the small white ones. i think they are made by Rule.<br />thanks<br />Don

 

[Solittle]

Re: Bilge pump ?

The answer is kinda obvious unless you want to risk your boat being sunk. The ones with the automatic float switch are the way to go in my book. There are many makes and models. <br /><br />You do need to make sure that your battery is fully charged when you leave for any period of time.

 

[minocqa]

Re: Bilge pump ?

hi<br />thanks<br />for the reply<br />i though the same thing. but thought i would ask.<br />what GPH would you recomend? for a 19 foot boat

 

[minocqa]

Re: Bilge pump ?

one more thing should i get a strainer box?

 

[Belchy]

Re: Bilge pump ?

strainer box definitly wouldn't hurt, but if your boat is covered, there shouldn't be that much stuff in the bildge to get stuck anyways...<br /><br />Belchy

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Bilge pump ?

Buy a float switch for your existing bilge pump assuming it is working ok. They are not hard to install.

 

[boatgrunt]

Re: Bilge pump ?

Bilge pumps are relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a sunk boat. I would actually suggest having a primary and secondary pump, both automatic. I have an Atwood 500 automatic pump in my 19', and it works great. I installed a second pump as a backup a little higher up the water line than the first pump in the bilge. I think the Atwood 500 or similar pump will run you around 40$

 

[HeadHunt]

Re: Bilge pump ?

I agree with boatgrunt. I have seen alot of bilge pumps and float switches fail and they seem to do it at the worst time. I would have two if my boat stayed in the water unless I had a self bailing cockpit.<br /><br />HeadHunt

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Bilge pump ?

automatic pump. but also install a second battery if you don't already have one. leave switch set to one battery when you leave. that way, if your bilge pump runs several times when you are away, it doesn't ruin a boating trip when you arrive. you switch to the second battery and off you go. i learned this the hard way.

 

[trog100]

Re: Bilge pump ?

course the bigger or the more bilge pumps u have the quicker they will run your battery down.. the bilge pumps will only stop your boat from sinking as long as the battery holds up.. for a boat left unattended in the water for a long time its down to the battery and how much charge is in it not how big or how many bilge pumps u have..<br /><br />your average small boat battery will power your average bilge pump for perhaps ten to fifteen hours max.. u fit bigger or more pumps they initially shift more water but the run time goes down.. <br /><br />shore power is the only real answer to this one.. if u dont have it and your boat takes on any amount of water it will still sink if left unattended for too long..<br /><br />and if u do have two batteries and only have the one switched in when u leave your boat.. your boating day might be ruined by a sunken boat as opposed to a flat battery.. he he <br /><br />trog<br /><br />ps.. two smallish automatic pumps 600 GPH-ish in case one fails is probably the best option.. ideally with shore power and a float battery charger that will switch in if the battery goes down and keep the lot going for ever..

 

[treedancer]

Re: Bilge pump ?

how much water?where is it coming from?

 

[trebor0301]

Re: Bilge pump ?

Go to any marine acsessary store.Even K-mart and Wallmart have marine stuff.Buy an automatic float switch.It will have easy to follow directions.As for mounting .Instead of mounting the switch to the boat I mounted the switch to a small piece of plywood then glued the wood down to the boat with epoxy.The wiring is simple as well but I recommend buying some shrink tube.(the kind you kink with pliers) to connect the switch to the bilge pump wire.If you have everything you need in front of you it will take 10 minutes to do this project.

 

[minocqa]

Re: Bilge pump ?

Hi <br />its all from rain, <br />it my own fault i was going to pull it out, but we was going back in a few days<br />to make a long story short i ended up in the hospital, heart problems again, i thought i had them under control<br />to top it all off same thing happend to me last year with my heart <br />i should have learned. <br />we are going this weeknend and bail it out.<br />thats good idea about the plywood thanks<br />i have seen them switches at the store, but i heard they wasn't reliable. i'll pick one up <br />thanks again

 

[AJ168]

Re: Bilge pump ?

I have a 750 gph in my 18 footer but it doesn't hurt to use a larger pump. Mine actually has the switch built into the pump itself, so it's all sealed. This seams to be the most reliable to me.

 

[EZLoader]

Re: Bilge pump ?

Read this if you want to learn more than you'd ever thought you'd like to know about bilge pumps...<br /><br /> http://www.yachtsurvey.com/bilge_pumps.htm

 

[Perfidiajoe]

Re: Bilge pump ?

For bailing out rain & such a small auto pump wired to the battery will work fine, nothing to jam or stick. A small solar charger should keep up the battery pretty good. A larger pump with a dash switch to bail the boat quickly, usually when running is a must in a small boat where you don't have the luxury of time, & need to get the water out in a hurry. Two batteries is also a good idea. IMHO, Joe