Pontoon Bilge Question

[Super Auditor]

Novice owner here. Bought my pontoon (16 foot Sanibel 2008) from a neighbor 5 years ago who is now moved away. No problems with the boat until about 2 weeks ago. Huge relentless rainstorm. During the storm neighbors noticed water spout being pumped through a broken plastic tube near the engine for a couple hours. Days later I find my battery is dead. I inspect and feel a small pump under water attached one of the pontoons. Black plastic hose (split open from age) was the source of water spout my neighbors noticed. Tube goes from pump to ??? (hard to tell with boat in the water). Boat is dry, not listing, never knew I had a bilge pump and never had my battery drained before. What is going on here? Why a bilge pump? Where is water being pumped to or from? Why did this kick in now and not anytime in the past 5 years?

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

bilge pumps go out of the bilge to outside the boat

on pontoons, the bilge pump is automatic (and in the center tube).

fix the $10 hose, recharge your battery and do the other maintenance you probably have not done in the past 5 years.

 

[ahicks]

Very likely that pump goes to a live well on your boat - and you somehow left the switch turned on. If you have no use for the live well, pull the fuse for the pump, or disconnect one of the wires going to it, and let life go on.....

 

[5150abf]

Yup, the only bilge pumps on pontoons are in a center storage area, in tube fuel tank or a live well pump, there are no pumps in the tubes themselves.

Does it have a livewell , center storage or in tube fuel tank?

If it is a live well pump it will be on the back of the tube and very easy to see, you will have a hose running from the pump on the tube to the underside of the boat.

If that isn't there it is in a storage area, the pump will run till the water is gone or the battery is dead..