bilge pump question

[YankeeDiver]

I just bought my first boat and I am still learning the basics. The question I have concerns the bilge pump. Its a real simple (stupid) question. Does the switch on my dash need to be turned on for the bilge pump to run? I know this sounds really dumb but I do not know. Also if the switch needs to be on does it draw any power from the batter if the pump is not running? Is there any sensors that stay on that could drain the battery? If you are leaving your boat at a slip over night and its not covered would you leave the pump switch on?

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: bilge pump question

Usually the way it is set up is that the pump has a float switch that is wired directly to the battery...regardless if a switch is on or off it will turn on if the water level gets high enough...you dont want to "forget" to flip a switch when leaving the boat and sink it while you are gone....as an added level of functionality frequently you will have a switch at the helm that will turn the pump on regardless of the position of the float switch which is nice if your float switch should fail and you see water you can flip the switch and start the pump.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: bilge pump question

Nope - not dumb at all. If you do not have an automatic bilge pump than you have to use the switch to turn the pump on to eject the water. If you have an auto bilge it may be wired so that it automatically turns on at a certain level without the switch. Put your plug in on land and fill the bilge up with your garden hose (dont overflow the bilge, just enough to submerge the pump). If the pump goes on its auto if not hit the switch and it should eject the water.

If the switch is left on it will keep running the pump and draw down the battery. If you are going to leave the boat on a slip overnight, do not leave the pump on. I would cover the boat however overnight in case of rain. Technically, leaving the boat on the water should require you to have an auto bilge pump. If you do not have an auto bilge pump and leave the boat on the water for a day, just check the bilge and make sure water is not coming in from the back of the boat (the drive area). Rain water coming in will not sink the boat, if covered overnight. Leaking bellows however will!

 

[Philster]

Re: bilge pump question

No matter what you choose, auto or manual, wire the bilge direct to the hot wire (or straight to battery).

I've known people who showed up at their boats to flip on the bilge only to realize they forgot their keys and they wired the bilge to the purple wire (traditionally the 'key on power' wire). Also, if you lose the keys on board and need to flip 'er on, you can do so, provided she's wired to the hot wire or battery directly.

 

[Philster]

Re: bilge pump question

Nope - not dumb at all. If you do not have an automatic bilge pump than you have to use the switch to turn the pump on to eject the water. If you have an auto bilge it may be wired so that it automatically turns on at a certain level without the switch. Put your plug in on land and fill the bilge up with your garden hose (dont overflow the bilge, just enough to submerge the pump). If the pump goes on its auto if not hit the switch and it should eject the water.

If the switch is left on it will keep running the pump and draw down the battery. If you are going to leave the boat on a slip overnight, do not leave the pump on. I would cover the boat however overnight in case of rain. Technically, leaving the boat on the water should require you to have an auto bilge pump. If you do not have an auto bilge pump and leave the boat on the water for a day, just check the bilge and make sure water is not coming in from the back of the boat (the drive area). Rain water coming in will not sink the boat, if covered overnight. Leaking bellows however will!

MAJOR CORRECTION: When leaving a boat wet slipped, you make sure the bilge is setup to go on automatically and that it ALWAYS has power. I don't care what you think you did to cover it. A gust of wind could flip a corner of a cover up and the bilge pimp can deal with excess water that otherwise might cause a dangerous list.

A slight leak anywhere can be dealt with by the pump and a good battery setup.

No one in their right mind would leave a boat without an auto pump while it is wet slipped.

I am pretty sure it's grounds to deny insurance coverage if it is discovered that a minor leak lead to a list that got worse and caused the boat to take on too much water. Boats are found flipped over, sunken in docks all the time.

 

[mtp9302]

Re: bilge pump question

I'm in the process of doing mine right now. My Wellcraft came with a two-way dash switch for the pump (ON and OFF). I wired my pump and float switch into the factory harness, and the switch is selecting between "off all the time" (OFF position) and "on when the float switch is activated" (ON position). The switch is labeled OFF and ON, but it really behaves as an OFF-AUTO switch. Your dash switch is likely the same way if you also wire a pump and float switch to the factory harness.

If you turn the dash switch on but the float switch is not activated, there is no power draw (float switch is electrically interrupting the circuit). There aren't any other sensors or anything else to draw power if you have a pump with a float switch (either stand-alone switch or integrated into the pump).

A possible exception may be if you have an automatic pump. These do not use a float switch at all, but turn on every few minutes by themselves and sense the resistance they face (likely via motor current) to determine if there is water present. These auto pumps may have some timing/diagnostic algorithms that draw very low power even when not pumping; maybe someone more knowledgeable can speak more to that if that is the type of pump you have.

To your last question, I am planning on trailering my boat but if I were leaving it at a slip my pump would be on AUTO 100% of the time. If my float switch killed my battery but saved my boat, I think I'd consider it a hero.

As an aside, I bought my pump and float switch from Rule, and they recommended in the instructions using a three way switch with OFF, ON, and AUTO. In this case, OFF would mean off all the time, AUTO would let the float switch turn it on, and ON would be float switch override to turn on the pump from the dash. They also recommend wiring an indicator light across the pump so that you can tell when it is running in AUTO mode. Like I said, I only have the two-way dash switch, but when I installed the pump and float switch I ran three extra wires to the dash for the indicator light and the ON position override when I get a three way switch at a later date. I only bring this up in case something like an indicator light would help give you a little more reassurance as to when you are drawing power

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: bilge pump question

If you buy a boat, even new, go through and verify the way the pump, switches, and wiring is actually set up. verify that they all work (yes you can test a float switch manually). You can find anything on a used boat.

It's way too important to assume it's set up correctly.

IMO a "full off" switch is too risky. Way too easy for the switch to get bumped to off, especially if there are children aboard.

 

[Philster]

Re: bilge pump question

My Wellcraft has an 'off/on' rocker switch labeled "Bilge Pump".

When set to OFF, it will come on via the float if water is high enough in bilge.

When set to ON, it will come on no matter what is in the bilge.

When I leave the boat, I set it to OFF, but the float 'n' pump have power from the hot wire or direct from battery, so whether the key is in, or the switch is OFF/ON/WHATEVER, she can come on whenever the float activates it.

When wet slipping a boat, you cannot imagine all the scenarios that could lead to water intrusion. Snap that sucker closed with top notch canvas and the best buttons in the world, then walk over and talk to a marine/insurance surveyor and ask him what he thinks of all that. Auto bilge pumps and a strong battery setup is where that convo will go.

.

 

[seabob4]

Re: bilge pump question

A little diagram I did today, as it seems a lot of people are a bit confused as to how a bilge pump and float switch are wired...

As you can see, one lead from the float goes either straight to the battery, or, if you have a battery switch and 2 batteries, it can terminate on either the batt 1 or batt 2 post. The other lead gets spliced to the 12V+ lead coming off the pump, then runs forward to the helm switch that allows you to turn it on manually.

ALWAYS have a 10A in-line fuse in the constant hot lead of the float. The pump will be protected at the helm by either a breaker of fuse...

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

If you buy a boat, even new, go through and verify the way the pump, switches, and wiring is actually set up. verify that they all work (yes you can test a float switch manually). You can find anything on a used boat.

It's way too important to assume it's set up correctly.

IMO a "full off" switch is too risky. Way too easy for the switch to get bumped to off, especially if there are children aboard.

I can't come up with a good reason to EVER turn OFF an auto float switch...even if the boat sits on a trailer...

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

A little diagram I did today, as it seems a lot of people are a bit confused as to how a bilge pump and float switch are wired...

As you can see, one lead from the float goes either straight to the battery, or, if you have a battery switch and 2 batteries, it can terminate on either the batt 1 or batt 2 post. The other lead gets spliced to the 12V+ lead coming off the pump, then runs forward to the helm switch that allows you to turn it on manually.

ALWAYS have a 10A in-line fuse in the constant hot lead of the float. The pump will be protected at the helm by either a breaker of fuse...

only one wire to the helm switch ???? How does the helm switch do anything in that diagram....???

 

[seabob4]

Re: bilge pump question

Jeez...
You'd think that folks know the switch is powered by a feed from from the 40A breaker in the stern that feeds the fuse block/breakers.

Here, is this better?

The drawing was meant to be simple, as to show how the float turns on the pump if sufficient water enters the bilge, and also how the switch at the helm can turn on the pump...

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

the drawing simply showed a splice from the positive side of the battery through a 10 amp fuse, then through a float switch ,into a dark , or bold wire as you showed the negative feed from the battery after it comes off of the pump... don't get mad at me....shouldn't there be two wires from the helm switch ?? If the OP splices into the wrong one...would his float switch turn on the pump ????

 

[seabob4]

Re: bilge pump question

There Stachi,
Now you and I can follow it, but the OP most likely will be lost, as these drawings are meant to be a "guide" as to what to look for when looking in one's bilge or looking at the backside of a helm.

If anyone doesn't know how their helm gets it's power from the battery, they either shouldn't be boating or they should have a mechanic on their speed dial...

 

[cribber]

Re: bilge pump question

My bilge pump is wire two ways... One is the automatic float switch is directly wired to the battery so if water accumulates in the bilge the pump will kick on when the automatic switch is activated. I have another lead directly from the pump that is wired to a switch on my dash. I use that one to test that my pump actually works when I prep for a trip out on the lakes.

Your autoswitch needs to be wired directly to the battery so it is hot all of the time otherwise we'll read about it in SHT.

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

There Stachi,
Now you and I can follow it, but the OP most likely will be lost, as these drawings are meant to be a "guide" as to what to look for when looking in one's bilge or looking at the backside of a helm.

If anyone doesn't know how their helm gets it's power from the battery, they either shouldn't be boating or they should have a mechanic on their speed dial...

if the OP splices into the hot lead coming into the switch from the battery, as opposed to the hot lead coming out of the switch to the pump , ,...his float switch will not operater the pump. Get it?...the only thing wrong with your drawing , is not showing the hot lead to the switch from the battery....

 

[seabob4]

Re: bilge pump question

Like this?

Read my post from a couple of minutes ago...better yet,...

If anyone doesn't know how their helm gets it's power from the battery, they either shouldn't be boating or they should have a mechanic on their speed dial...

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

Like this?

Read my post from a couple of minutes ago...better yet,...

now thats a good drawing ! kudos !

 

[seabob4]

Re: bilge pump question

now thats a good drawing ! kudos !

Glad you approve...

Sometimes I assume too much...

 

[Stachi]

Re: bilge pump question

Glad you approve...

Sometimes I assume too much...

can we still be friends ?... I obviously know how to wire this circuit, just thought the OP might be scratchin his head when he saw a second wire coming from his bilge switch...lolol ....plus , that is an excellent drawing now for someone to use to install a bilge system on his boat after a resto...you should make it a sticky on here.
Tight Lines bro !