Electric bilge pump install

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Tom
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 10:46 am

Electric bilge pump install

Post by Tom »

What are peoples thoughts? At the moment I have an manual pump in the rear locker however as I live 100 miles from the boat I'm thinking of installing an electric pump with a float switch for some peace of mind for when I'm not there.

I've heard lots of scare stories of submersible auto pumps, either not turning on or not turning off, draining water back into the bilge continually cycling draining batteries.

I'm considering going for a waste water pump, pickup with a non return valve linking into the manual pump through hole tripped by a float switch and manual override.

What setup do you run, any pics or advice?

Tom
Yellow Ballad, Sundance 979
2wheels1keel
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prjacobs
Posts: 235
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:06 pm

Re: Electric bilge pump install

Post by prjacobs »

I use a small electric pump in the bilge and a Water Witch model 101 switch with no moving parts. The pump is fused and wires directly to one of my two batteries. Both batteries are connected to a 30 Watt solar panel.

My biggest concern was with mechanical float switches ... not a good idea. This switch relies on water rising to cover two contacts and start the pump. It works in fresh or salt water, but will not react to Diesel fuel, so if your fuel tank springs a leak and empties 30 litres of fuel into the bilge it'll stay in the boat instead of getting pumped out into the harbour.

I test run my bilge pump every time I leave the boat as part of a regular routine, checking that through hulls are closed, battery switch off, and bilge pump working.
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