Timed bilge pump

[RichRab]

My oil pan on a 2002 Sea Ray Sundeck sits in water after it rains. The water is not deep enough for the float to work but water pumps out using the manual switch. The boat mechanic suggested a bilge pump that not only senses water but runs occasionally. The reviews I read on Rule brand were not good. Any ideas? Thanks. RR

 

[gm280]

Float type switches can only get so low and be able to still work. But electronic sensors would allow you to get even a 1/4" or less off the bottom and work. I build my own and can set them for what ever depth I want them to trigger the bilge on at. Search for such electronic sensor type bilge switches and see what is offered. That will certainly solve your problem. JMHO

 

[Mischief Managed]

The cheaper bilge pumps all seem to have a timer so that they do not require a float switch. However, you can use a timer-style bilge pump with a float switch, that way it only runs when the float switch activates AND the timer turns it on. Once it kicks on, the pump will run until it either stops sensing a load (the water being pumped makes it draw a lot of current, that's how it knows to keep running if used in timer-mode alone) OR the float switch shuts off (which kills all power to the pump and makes the timer moot) OR the battery is dead.

 

[Chris1956]

I have two of the bilge pumps that test for water every 3 minutes. If they sense water, they run the bilge dry. I would recommend them.

I have had mechanical floats switch driven bilge pumps and I have had junk hold the floats open, have had the floats break and other mechanical mishaps with the mechanical switches. The mechanical switches are not as good as the electronic, IMHO.

 

[bruceb58]

I have two of the bilge pumps that test for water every 3 minutes. If they sense water, they run the bilge dry. I would recommend them.

If you don't have your boat on shore power, they will eventually discharge your battery. I would never use this type.

 

[fhhuber]

Add a solar panel and you can rely on the pump running off the battery. No way to automatically recharge the battery and you can rely on your pump killing the battery and the boat eventually sinking if you don't check often enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDx5FVHg8jo

 

[Chris1956]

Bruce,

The drain of the bilge pumps running every 3 minutes is very small. Even after a month, the boat will crank normally.

 

[gm280]

Having a bilge pump come on on a random time sequence seems counter productive. And running a pump dry isn't the best thing for them. If you have issues with water standing in the hull after the pump turns off, you either need to lower the pump further so it can drain all the water (or there about) or change what triggers the pump to run. A typical float switch has to have a certain amount of water to actually raise the switch to trigger the pump to start pumping. And if that amount doesn't get reached, but other things in the hull are sitting in water, you have a problem.

Again Search for a sensor switch that can be set as close to the bottom of the hull as YOU want it. Then the pump will pump out water until the water level is below the pump's pickup. That is the best you possible can do. Sensor probes turn on the pump once they detect water. And that is a heck of a lot lower the any float switch can do. But you have to set the sensors to the same level as the pump can pump out the water level and not lower. Otherwise the sensor will sense water that the pump can't remove. And then it runs 24/7/365. Not good either. JMHO

 

[bruceb58]

Bruce,

The drain of the bilge pumps running every 3 minutes is very small. Even after a month, the boat will crank normally.

Neighbor at my marina has that Rule one that does that and it drained his battery in a month. Even if it doesn't completely drain your battery, it will eventually wipe it out because it is in a discharged state all the time.

Maybe they are better now. This was a couple years ago.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, Bruce, I have used them for a decade or so, I have never had an issue with battery discharge. They also keep the bilge much drier than a float-type switch.

 

[RichRab]

So chris--what brand do you recommend? RR

 

[mr 88]

Man,whoever designed that setup should be shot. How much room do you have under your oil pan ? A half inch ? Hard for me to comprehend a set up with a outdrive that the motor is basically sitting on the hull. Usually the out drive is a lot higher and unless you have a jackshaft it means the engine site a few inches at least off the hull bottom.

 

[tpenfield]

If you don't have your boat on shore power, they will eventually discharge your battery. I would never use this type.

What Bruce said . . . been there, done that. Those timed/automatic pumps drain the battery down. If you leave your boat for a couple of weeks, it may not start when to go to use it. There is a way to convert them to a manual or float switch operation.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Having a bilge pump come on on a random time sequence seems counter productive. And running a pump dry isn't the best thing for them.

I'm not a fan of them, but they do work and they draw a miniscule amount of current when they run with no water to pump. They should not drain the battery unless they are actually pumping water. Being a centrifugal pump, running dry does not harm them at all.

The electric current draw of a water pump is almost directly proportional to the water flow from the pump, that is why they draw almost nothing when dry. Current draw is also how the pump knows that it's pumping water and why it will stay running until the pump runs dry.

That said, if one leaves a boat unattended in the water for weeks at a time, with nothing more than a battery to run the bilge pump, bad things are likely to happen...

 

[bassmanhb]

hi, ive been using the rule auto bilge pumps for years and never had a problem with them or draining the battery..... and my boat sits in a slip.... with a good on board charger that charges then switches to maintain and you will never have an issue....

 

[JimS123]

Bruce,

The drain of the bilge pumps running every 3 minutes is very small. Even after a month, the boat will crank normally.

Yeah right.....LOL. As someone else said, BTDT.

So the weather is bad and you don't go boating for 31 days. Or the weather is bad and the pump actually has to pump water.

A float is just so simple. Why have equipment run when its not needed?

 

[bruceb58]

hi, ive been using the rule auto bilge pumps for years and never had a problem with them or draining the battery..... and my boat sits in a slip.... with a good on board charger that charges then switches to maintain and you will never have an issue....

Yes, if you have the battery charging! If you don't, the battery gets run down.

 

[bassmanhb]

even when my boat sat in the slip for 3 weeks without a charger on it and it rained hard several days during this time my 115 merc would still start easily... like i said ive never had a problem with battery drain unless your going 2 months without charging or using the boat .

 

[Maclin]

Thing is, with ones that cycle every so often, without a charger hooked up the battery will drain even if the boat stays dry, does not leak and no rain, etc.

 

[bassmanhb]

i guess my question is of the people who are saying not to use them, how many have actually used one for an extended amount of time ? sounds like a lot of hearsay and i would never buy one..... as i havent seen anyone say ive used one and have had my battery drain and die so be honest here and tell us .... the thing is you have to have a good well maintained battery to start with.