Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

I've been scouring the foum for a solution here but am having a hard time figuring this out:

Is it possible to directly connect a Bilge pump to the battery and avoid going through the boats electric system?

I read I need a fuse close to the battery? What type of fuse? Is this available on iboats.com?

There are 3 wires- Brown/white, Brown and black. Do I simple peel pack some of the plastic and insert the wires below the wingnuts on the battery and tighten it down? Which wires go to positive and negative?

I know nothing of electrical work and when I look at the pump, the boats electrical system and wiring diagrams I feel clueless.

I bought a Rule 500 automatic pump and simply need it to hook up to the battery to keep rain water out of my small 14 foot aerocraft. I don't need any alarm, float switch or on/off switch on my dash. Just want it to be able to pump rain out when I don't get down to the boat for a day or two.

Any thoughts for a complete novice on electrical? =)

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

Assuming it's the computerized automatic, the brown wire (with proper sized fuse) would hook to the battery Positive terminal, the black to the negative battery terminal.
The brown/white wire could then be hooked to your bilge pump switch at the helm or not connected at all.

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

Thanks Don!

The pump doesn't say it is "computerized" but does say "fully automatic", is there a difference?

What type of fuse do I connect to the Brown wire?

This is the pump I bought:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=Zqe7T5-fC4LI6gG9o5jFCg&ved=0COgBEPMCMAI

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

That pump turns on occasionally to see if there is water present. Be aware that that pump will eventually drain your battery down. Personally, I would buy a pump that used a seperate float switch.

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

bruceb58 said:

That pump turns on occasionally to see if there is water present. Be aware that that pump will eventually drain your battery down. Personally, I would buy a pump that used a seperate float switch.

Click to expand...

Yes I saw that. It claims to use very little power when it turns on ( which is only for 1 second). This battery gets charged while the boat is in use and will be dedicated just to the pump.

I wonder how long it will last if it's going for days on end...

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

Can anyone else out there tell me what kind of fuse I need to attach to my bilge pump wire so I can connect it to my battery directly? I look on the iboats inventory and am not sure what it is I'm looking for.

Do I just stick the 2 wires from the pump under the wingnuts of the battery or do I need clips or attachments of some sort?

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

You need to put ring connectors on the end of the wires.

Also, ditch the wingnuts and put on stainless steel locknuts.

You can use a 5A fuse for your pump. Use a waterproof fuse holder.

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

I have my pump wired direct to the battery and also a manual over ride switch in case my float switch goes bad while on the water.

Re: Bilge Pump directly to Battery?

My pump has two hot leads, one that goes to the float switch and one that goes to the switch panel at the helm. The float switch is then wired hot directly to the battery, while I can manually operate it from the helm using the switch panel if I so desire. This is the most common setup.