auto bilge

rasbury · Jul 14, 2013

I am going on vacation and my boat will be in the water all week uncovered...bowrider...now, if I were going to keep this boat I would put two batteries in it and look into a bilge with a float etc....as soon as I get back from vacation, I plan on putting it up for sale....also, where I am going has no power except a generator I could use to re charge a battery...any ideas on how I can rig one up as we can really have heavy rains this time of the year....I could take along a separate battery and I guess buy a bilge and just throw the hose over the side and then during the daytime, dis connect it...I just want something that if it rains heavy at night I'm not down their cranking up the boat and running the bilge...any ideas?

JASinIL2006 · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

I'd buy an inexpensive cover. We have a similar situation, but in Ontario, and I'd be worried about taking on too much water. (And the rain up there is probably much less than you're getting in FL.)

Bt Doctur · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

Well, you need the "6 P`s" .
You could bring the extra battery and some jumper cables and use you car to charge it.
buy the float and install it there.Cant sell if if its underwater.

spdracr39 · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

Sounds like it would be a good time to take it to the marina and have them pull it out service and inspect it. You can use the report in your sale endeavor and wont have to worry about the rain.

Grub54891 · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

With a good battery it should last the night,and start the boat in the morning.mine did,with heavy rain and found I had leak to top it off. The pump ran every 20 min all night for a minute or so each time. Wondering why the heck it has no bilgepump to begin with??
Grub

Scott Danforth · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

Mooring Cover

rasbury · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

well...I forgot to mention it has a bilge so I bought a float switch.....as long as I can figure out how to wire it in....it has a diagram but they never make much since to me......did not realize I could buy the float separate......if some one wants to try to walk me through the wiring,,,,has a toggle switch now on the dash and I know I have to tie into that switch....at the switch or can I tie into the wiring in the back of the boat? It's all greek to me! I can tear a motor apart but electrical stuff....

Bt Doctur · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

pump wires should be brown + and black-. from the brown wire from the pump connect 1 wire from the float switch, the other wire from the float switch goes directly to the + battery with a inline fuse.

NYBo · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

I would recommend wiring it directly from the positive battery terminal with the other lead tapping into the positive feed for the pump. Put a self-resetting circuit breaker in-line near the battery. I use a fuse, but since you will be leaving the boat unattended it would be bad to have it sink because of a faulty fuse. Wired this way, you can't accidentally turn off the bilge pump completely at the switch; automatic mode will always function.

rasbury · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

thanks Bob on the breaker...will I find that at my local boat place? I am always paranoid leaving the boat in the water...it lives in my garage!

NYBo · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

Yes. You could also get by for a few years with one from an auto parts store. Check the current requirements for the pump to get the right breaker.

rasbury · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

and BT, wired this way the dash switch will still work?

NYBo · Jul 14, 2013

Re: auto bilge

rasbury said:
and BT, wired this way the dash switch will still work?

Yep! One caution: If the switch is internally lighted, there could be a problem. I used such a switch originally, but it created a dead short when in the off position. I went with the original non-lighted switch and a small LED pilot light that tells me when the pump is being powered by either the panel switch or the float switch.

rasbury · Jul 15, 2013

Re: auto bilge

cool, thanks...off to west marine!

bruceb58 · Jul 15, 2013

Re: auto bilge

NYBo said:
Yep! One caution: If the switch is internally lighted, there could be a problem. I used such a switch originally, but it created a dead short when in the off position.

That is very odd. Sounds like the switch wasn't wired correctly. The light that is built in is just connected between the output pole of the switch and ground.

NYBo · Jul 15, 2013

Re: auto bilge

bruceb58 said:
That is very odd. Sounds like the switch wasn't wired correctly. The light that is built in is just connected between the output pole of the switch and ground.

I thought it odd too. Yes, it was wired properly (hard to screw that up). I kept blowing fuses when testing the float switch. It was definitely the switch, which was a cheap-o from an auto parts store that I bought because it was an exact fit in the switch panel.

Chris1956 · Jul 16, 2013

Re: auto bilge

rasbury, It was hard to tell, but it sounds like you are taking the boat on vacation with you. If so, don't sweat it, as it will take a multi-day monsoon to put enough water in it to be an issue. It is rains overnight, start her up the next day and pump her out. as long as you have fuel, you are good...

Now if you were leaving it home, where multiple days of rain can get it, that is another issue.

rasbury · Jul 17, 2013

Re: auto bilge

no
chris, you don't understand....I'm so fussy with my boat, I don't like to put it in the water! Kidding(sorta)....I just don't water sitting in it for any length of time...I'm guessing the less the better! Going to do the switch...let see...it was the green wire to the red wire.....oh well..that's what fuses are for1

rasbury · Jul 17, 2013

Re: auto bilge

5 amp fuse good?

rasbury · Jul 17, 2013

Re: auto bilge

what about the spark arrester.....does it need to be cleaned out?

auto bilge

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