Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

detroit_fan

Seaman Apprentice
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Apr 28, 2014
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Hi everyone, great forum here, lots of helpful advice and reading material. I just purchased my first boat, a 1982 16' Starcraft SS. I live near lake erie and the boat will be docked, the previous owner never docked it, so it does not have an automatic bilge pump, only one you can activate from the instrument panel.

I have been reading for hours about the water witch bilge switch and the johnson ultima switches, but instead of trying guess if the reviews i'm reading are real, I thought maybe you guys could provide me with a little real world feedback. Are either of these 2 switches better than the other? Is there something else better than them?

Also, once i decide on which switch, what brand bilge pump would you guys recommend? Rule, Johnson, another?

Thanks for any help, it is greatly appreciated:)
 

Home Cookin'

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May 26, 2009
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

for a 16' boat I think they will all be about the same. get a pump that's separate from the float switch, wire it to the battery so that it works when the battery switch is off, and install a battery switch so you can cut off all power except the pump.

With that you will not need shore power, trickle chargers, solar panels, wind farms or water-driven turbine power plants.

the float switch should be the kind in a self-contained box so that something can't fall on it and keep it from working.

The worrisome part is how often you, or someone reliable, can check on it in case of malfunction. The weak spot obviously is the battery, but a good one can run the pump for a couple weeks--intermittently of course. They only run for a couple of minutes and thus would only kick on a couple of times in a typical rain storm. And your boat can hold a lot of water if it fails--enough that someone would notice it sitting low and you could come take care of it.

Be sure, however, to moor it so that the stern is not exposed to any wave action. that's the achilles heel--wind-blown waves lapping over the transom when the stern is low from a major down-pour.

My family had 2 16' starcrafts (one at a time) we kept moored at the house. One didn't have a bilge pump and we simply ran the water out after it rained--proving that you can handle a storm or two unprotected. The other had a pump but being summer in the 70's, the heat got the battery on occasion. The boat did swamp once after a white squall blew in at 40 MPH against the stern--we (my dad) didn't know the preferred mooring that we learned the hard way and I now pass along to you. We also put the boats on the traiiler if we were going to be gone for a week or more.
 

Mischief Managed

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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

If you are really concerned, install two automatic bilge pumps. They are really cheap.
 

sublauxation

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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

I'm with Mischief, they're cheap, add 2. Wire 1 so you can also use a manual switch. It's easy to be complacent and not check the boat right away after a quick storm because of the perceived safety of the auto switch, it's also unreal how much water a quick storm can dump in your boat. $20 is money well spent when one of them fails, and by my experience one of them will fail.
 

Home Cookin'

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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

problem with two on that boat is that the bilge hole is too small for two. And if you have two, you have to cut another hole for the second hose. I understand redunancy but in my judgment for that boat it's overkill. The fail point is the wiring first and battery second in my experience.
 

detroit_fan

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Apr 28, 2014
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

Thanks for the replies everyone. As Home Cookin' suggested, I only have the 1 output hole. I know the pumps aren't expensive, I was just hoping to buy a quality one that would last at least a few years. Seems like the new pumps are quite inferior to the ones you used to buy 10-20 years ago, if reviews can be believed.
 

detroit_fan

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Apr 28, 2014
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

thinking about trying the ultra safety systems float switch. not a ton of reviews out there, but looks like a nice unit, just a little more expensive.
 

UncleWillie

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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

The Key to reliability is maintenance.
The bilge pump is just like everything else on the boat; It is going to need regular maintenance.
Before every outing you will need to look at, and test the Pump Switch. They all have a manual activation method.
If you collect leaves or any dirt in the bilge, it needs to be cleaned immediately. One leaf can sink the boat.
If you just moor the boat and never look for problems and correct them early;
Problems will come looking for you.

Where are you boating on Erie in a 16 Footer?
 

detroit_fan

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Apr 28, 2014
Messages
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

The Key to reliability is maintenance.
The bilge pump is just like everything else on the boat; It is going to need regular maintenance.
Before every outing you will need to look at, and test the Pump Switch. They all have a manual activation method.
If you collect leaves or any dirt in the bilge, it needs to be cleaned immediately. One leaf can sink the boat.
If you just moor the boat and never look for problems and correct them early;
Problems will come looking for you.

Where are you boating on Erie in a 16 Footer?

The boat will be docked about 10-15 mins away, so going to check on it will not be a big deal, and i will be sure to test the switch weekly. I just ordered a mayfair pump with ultima switch, going to give it a try. I try to make sure bilge is always clean.

I'm located in monroe mi, about halfway between toledeo and detroit. i'll be entering erie on south otter creek. the 16'-18' aluminums are really popular here, and one if the reasons i went small is so i can head down the rivers and creeks if the lake is rocking that day.
 

sublauxation

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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

Maybe I'm a little paranoid but once almost bitten twice shy. I was only 150 feet from mine when a virtually brand new float switch failure and an early morning rainstorm almost put mine on the bottom. The storm woke me up and I even thought about running out to have a look but figured everything would be fine because I had a switch and how much rain can really fall in a couple hours. This may never happen to me again but a couple minutes with a drill makes quick work of adding that 2nd hole.
 
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detroit_fan

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Apr 28, 2014
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

2 would probably be best, i agree
 

gm280

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Jun 26, 2011
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Re: Could use a little advice on most reliable bilge switch and pump

I can honestly understand your situation and feel the same about it as well. And I equally understand everybody has their own ways to do things, I mean that IS what makes this world go around. I like a sensor type bilge switch for all my boats. Any mechanical switch has its issue with sticking or corroding and not moving at the worst possible time it seems (at least to me). So I build my own sensor switches that works all the time without any moving parts. However, you still need to keep the screened in area clean and verify proper operation along the way too. But I have made and used my own sensor switches for decade without one problem. They do sell them and are really nothing more then two probes in a screened in holder that when water touches then, it turns on your bilge pump. Just a thought...
 
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