Bilge Pump Upgrade

[gsbarry]

Thought i would share how i upgraded my bilge pump setup. The boat came factory with a single manual only pump that was wired after the main power switch. I decided to upgrade the setup by adding 2 Sahara 750’s wired directly to each battery. These units have an auto float valve switch. I wired each through a double pole double throw switch which gives me control of manual on, auto on, and off. I kept the factory pump installed for emergency backup and lengthen that hose so i can pull it over the side if need be. I installed a 2nd through hull fitting for the second pump. The hoses are routed with a little higher loop than factory to prevent reverse flow as the fittings are close to the waterline. Lastly, for future serviceability, instead of adhesive i screwed the pumps to a piece of PVC board, then screwed 4 aluminum strips to the board and screwed those into the stringers. It took some work, but I’m very happy with the results. The only downside to the board mount is that it’s slightly higher so a small amount of water remains in the bilge.

 

[Drivewayboater2]

Very clever setup.

 

[aidanmurphy]

How much water do you normally have in the bilge when running?

 

[gsbarry]

Normally i would have no water! My boat is about 10 years old but new to me, only had it out a few times so far. I had a close call with a leaking throttle cable bellows that only leaked when trimmed up... came back to the dock a few hours later and water was almost up to the engine. Really got me thinking about the inadequacy of the factory bilge system. I installed 2 pumps more for redundancy than anything (i.e. in case one fails). And of course, having the float valves and direct to battery wiring means you don't have to be physically watching the boat and detect a leak. Great peace of mind for me.

 

[crazy charlie]

A contributing reason for you now having some water in the bilge is the type of bilge pump you chose to use. That style of pump won't prime until there is quite a bit of water in the bilge and will shut down while there is still water in the bilge.Your boat is safe with that set up but for a dry bilge (my choice) would have been one Sahara style and one classic style similar to what you originally had. I way way way prefer a dry bilge to an inch or so of bilge water. Now if you have any slight oil leaks etc dripping in to the bilge then the slight amount of bilge water can be used as an advantage.Keep some Dawn dish soap in the bilge water and have it do some clean up work for you.Charlie

 

[Lou C]

In addition to maintaining/upgrading bilge pumps, anyone with an I/O or inboard should always check ALL cooling hoses at the start of each season, for tightness and condition. I had a cooling hose between the transom mount and the P/S cooler (tough to get at) pop off some years back, that caused an instant over heat and filled the bilge with salt water!
What that led to was:
new starter
new wiring for starter/battery cable
new clamps on hoses
and 3 seasons later
top end engine overhaul because the head gaskets finally gave out, likely damaged from that overheat, heads were also cracked in the exhaust seat area for the center cyls
So since then (2013) part of getting the boat ready is to check EVERY hose and EVERY clamp
that's why I say I'll only have outboard boats in the future.

 

[gsbarry]

A contributing reason for you now having some water in the bilge is the type of bilge pump you chose to use. That style of pump won't prime until there is quite a bit of water in the bilge and will shut down while there is still water in the bilge.Your boat is safe with that set up but for a dry bilge (my choice) would have been one Sahara style and one classic style similar to what you originally had. I way way way prefer a dry bilge to an inch or so of bilge water. Now if you have any slight oil leaks etc dripping in to the bilge then the slight amount of bilge water can be used as an advantage.Keep some Dawn dish soap in the bilge water and have it do some clean up work for you.Charlie

I expect the bilge to normally be bone dry. If not, then there's a leak somewhere that needs to be fixed (I'm not the type to ignore a known problem). If there is a leak, it doesn't bother me too much for there to temporarily be an inch of water left. I did also leave the original pump installed as well, so I can use that to expel most of that last inch if I really want to.

 

[crazy charlie]

I expect the bilge to normally be bone dry. If not, then there's a leak somewhere that needs to be fixed

Not necessarily.....Rain and wash down water can easily get into the bilge and quite often does. I would keep the original pump hooked up to keep the bilge dry as possible.I assume you have a float switch on that pump???? Not only does the Sahara style pumps you installed leave a decent amount of water in the bilge but it also requires quite a depth of bilge water to activate it.These style pumps ,which I dont like, work best in center console style boats where the pump is out in the open in a recessed are right below the outboard.Charlie

 

[gsbarry]

That’s a good point about rain. Normally my boat is trailered and garage kept, so rain would only be an occasional concern for me if the boat is docked for an extended time during a trip. The original pump does not have a float switch. I thought about adding one to it, but opted instead for adding the 2 new ones with integrated float switches.

 

[aidanmurphy]

I usually have a cup or two of water in the bilge after a day of boating and tossing anchor that runs in from the anchor locker