Bilge Pump Question

[mark32288]

I currently have an Attwood Tsunami 500 installed but would like to put a Sahara in since it has a float switch built in. I only have a rocker switch wired up with two wires to go to the bilge and it appears that the Sahara has three. Do I have to replace my rocker switch on the console to include an on/off/auto and run third wire back for the float switch to function?

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

you can

or you run the third directly to the battery.

or you can simply add a float switch to your existing pump

 

[sam am I]

to include an on/off/auto

Personally I wouldn't use a switch that went into a "off" position on the bilge ..........To me, that's like having a switch in your car giving you the ability to turn your brakes off so they don't work......Hmmm, why?.

Auto or On (with light indicator[flashing/blinking])........If the battery goes dead because the pump was running then A) your boat was leaking and at least it ran as long as it could or B) So be it, junk got in the float switch and ran the batt down, clear the junk and re-charge the batt. C) You left it "On", stop doing that!! and see the last part of "B"

 

[poconojoe]

The way my automatic bilge is wired...constant feed directly connected to battery. The helm switch only let's me manually run the pump. There is no "off". Once in a while I'll flip the helm switch to make sure the pump is functional.

 

[sam am I]

The way my automatic bilge is wired...constant feed directly connected to battery. The helm switch only let's me manually run the pump. There is no "off". Once in a while I'll flip the helm switch to make sure the pump is functional.

Mine too and I think most are this way, just every once in a while there are the "off" position config's show up, never made much sense to me why.........And ditto, sometimes my "pre-flight" includes flipping to "on" and a quick listen, then back to auto it goes, no other position to forgot it's in.

 

[mark32288]

Thanks for the feedback. I have an 99 Starcraft Starfire 170 and all of the switches on the dash are on/off minus the livewell that has an auto rec. The comments everyone has mentioned about not liking an off position is exactly why I want to switch over to a bilge with a built in float switch. I do not like the fact that I have to manually turn the pump on if water comes in. I've debated on adding a float switch to my existing Tsunami pump but there isn't a lot of working room in my bilge area.

 

[sam am I]

Ohhhhhhh, I see, sry lil slow sometimes w/o my coffee No, use your existing "two wire" switch and wire the "three" wire pump as below....Of course there will be a fuse or two in there somewhere not shown here