Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

[jdlough]

I got the kids a 16' Wahoo skiff. I'm about to put in a bilge pump.

I'm concerned that with an automatic pump pumping out the rain water, it may drain the battery.

If it does drain the battery a bit, but the battery is good enough to start the motor, will the motor immediately begin to start recharging the battery enough that if they cut off the motor out in the bay five minutes later, they will have enough juice to restart the motor?

Should I install the pump with ONLY a manual switch?

Jim

 

[krakatoa]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

Jim
Did you boat "sleep" in trailer or keep mooring overnight?

 

[5150abf]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

I don't know that 5 minutes is enough to get any kind of charge back into the battery and bigle pumps draw some decent power.

Saw another post by you and this has a 90 Yamaha on it, they have better alternators then the old Rudes but I still don't think 5 minutes will do it, can you get a charger on it maybe once a week, if your weather has been anything like ours in northern Indiana it has rained ALOT here, we got 7'' in less than 24 hours the other day.

If this boat stays on the water definately keep the automatic switch on the bilge, if it is trailered you could make it manual but I woudln't reccomend it, I have 2 pumps on mine, one is auto only and the other smaller one is auto with a dash switch.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

Mine sits in a mooring for a week at a time. I don't know how often the pump kicks on but judging from the slime marks on the hull it's more than a few times. Haven't had a battery problem yet but I'm seriously considering adding a second battery setup and a switch.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

An "automatic" switch won't drain the battery (unless you get one that comes on every 2.5 minutes!) if the battery is in good shape and you don't leave it for a month.
If you can start, you can restart 5 minutes later. You should have jumper cables on board anyway just in case.
Nice thing about a Wahoo is it won't sink if it does get a lot of water in it.

Just make sure the boys check on it often, and start it at the dock occasionally if you're worried about it.

 

[jdlough]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

Actually, the boat is on a lift, but for now, uncovered, so it collects quite a bit of rainwater.

The bilge area is tight and awkward, and I haven't decided yet the best place to drill for the pump out hose, so no bilge yet.

So, after the boat filled up on the lift a couple of times, the new method is to leave the plug out while it's on the lift. The new rule is that when the plug is out, it is clipped to the steering wheel, so they remember to put it back.

We'll see how well this works before they have their own entry in 'Stupid Human Tricks'.

Putting the plug back in while the boat's on the lift is very awkward for them. I've been trying to find something easier than wrenching the plug, but so far no luck. Those rubber plugs that expand when you flip the lever would be good, but the only ones I've found are either too big for my plug hole, or say on the package that they're only for livewells, and not for drain plugs.

I do have a charger. After the bilge pump is installed, that's probably the best idea to let the battery top off its charge once a week or so.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

How about putting a cover on the boat and calling it even? No more boat filling up and probably a whole lot easier than drilling extra discharge ports in the hull.

 

[jdlough]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

Tahoe,

Yeah, a cover is obviously best. That and a high volume automatic bilge pump (either the float switch or every 2.5 min auto pump), (either hard wired or with a manual switch - not sure yet) just for their safety in case they take on water somehow while running.

Jim

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

I thought the Wahoo was a whaler hull design with a rubber plug inside. You must have a different model.
Pulling the plug on the lift is the best idea but don't use the small rubber plugs as you mentioned.
A cover on a lift can be a pain, it can leak, and it can blow away.
But since you are on a lift, you are not in danger of losing the boat to sinking (but you need a pump for when you are underway--a hand pump at least).
As I said, stop worrying about the battery. And you can just tie the hose to the pump over the side (next to the engine is a good spot) for while you are moored. You may decide not to drill at all, but if you do, put the hole up high.

 

[jackangel]

Re: Bilge pumps. How long til battery dies?

The new rule is that when the plug is out, it is clipped to the steering wheel, so they remember to put it back.

Just a thought, put the plug on the lift control, on the steering wheel it could still be forgotten until after you are in the water.