Electronic bilge pump switch

[oldslowandugly]

Anyone use these? I want a bilge pump on my 15' Whaler and there is precious little room in the sump for a pump let alone a float switch. Thus I figured one of the new small electronic switches would fit easily and be reliable. I can't find the size dimensions of the Johnson Ultima anywhere, and Amazon's reviews are mixed at best. The Water Witch looks good, is small, and has a 7 year warranty. I was leaning towards the WW, has anyone tried it? I will also have a manual over ride at the console, as well as a 2000gph Rule emergency pump w/Rule float switch "just in case". The small sump pump is for nuisance water and so I have a dry stern.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Those keep a steady draw on your battery, and will run it down and why a float switch is preferred.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

My step son has been running the rule automatic bilge pump without issue for 4 years now.
At first I was skeptical. It comes on every couple minutes, for a second or two. No water found it shuts off. Water found it keeps running.
I thought for sure he'd be dealing with dead batteries all the time.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

According to the site, the WW uses .006 amps at rest, and it is not the kind that cycles on/off all the time. It needs to sense water to turn the pump on. I've used float switches for 30 years and never a problem until this year so I know they are good. In this case, space is the issue. I'm looking for the smallest switch available.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

I'm looking for the same thing you are. Mine's a 1970 16' Whaler.
Are looking to install this in the little tunnel hole in the deck?
I'm also looking to use this as my main bilge pump too.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

I have a Johnson pump with the Ultima switch on second battery and it works fine. No noticeable drain on the battery when the pump is not working. (I'd know, because the battery is not yet connected to the engine's charging system. The switch and pump are connected to my spare battery that has to be manually charged/topped off. During boating season, it rarely needs to be charged. I don't see a lot of difference between the amount of charge it takes when I occasionally top off the batteries over winter.

I liked the Ultima switch because it has no moving parts and because it is NOT one of those switches that turns on the pump for a few seconds every so often. The Ultima senses water across two electrodes and turns on the pump if it senses water.

I'm satisfied.

 

[sam am I]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

20uA standby current

LevelGuard SensaLevel High-Water Bilge Alarm with Field-Effect sensing

With 100 amp hour battery

100AH/.000020A = 5000000H/24H/D = 208333 Days/365D/Y = 570 Years!!

FET's are wonderful things, just ask your Flash drives.

Think the batt shall last a season or two uncharged. Heck, put(OR) a dozen in parallel for super redundancy.

Hook'er up to a relay that turns on a dredge if you like.


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12505661&clickid=prod_cs

This 10 amp relay says it needs about 20mA to switch on. The sensor w/o buzzer should be perfectly happy to drive it directly. The sensor appears to be able to source around 60mA, this should work just fine.

If not and you want to run a 100 amp contactor, it needs a very simple current buffer, just ask!!.........

 

[gm280]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

I like the sensor switch better then any type float device. I've heard float switches can stick and cause a lot of issues. But a sensor type switch has no moving parts and can sit there forever not using even one milliamp of current until it senses water, then it does its job. I make my own and have used them for literally decades without even one issue ever. They can't wear out or stick because there is nothing to get stuck or wear out...

 

[sam am I]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

I like the sensor switch better then any type float device. I've heard float switches can stick and cause a lot of issues. But a sensor type switch has no moving parts and can sit there forever not using even one milliamp of current until it senses water, then it does its job. I make my own and have used them for literally decades without even one issue ever. They can't wear out or stick because there is nothing to get stuck or wear out...

Yup........got a few I made with FET input about 15 yrs or so ago in bilges

 

[gm280]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Yup........got a few I made with FET input about 15 yrs or so ago in bilges

I haven't used FETs in my latest designs but standard 2N2222a's or even 2N3904's to switch the pump. I like using NPN bipolar transistors but if I do need to build any others, I'll certain give FETs a go. They do have extremely high input impedances that's for sure.

 

[sam am I]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Yes, your flash drive charges a cap(it's own channel/gate region) and uses this ultra high input impedance to keep the charge(data) for perhaps a hundred yrs(in theory, depending on read/writes) too....cool eh?

I found that due to water being sometimes clean/not so conductive in a bilge(yes it happens), FET's were ideal due to needing very little bias current. That's what these folks are doing as well...yesterdays news to this old dog.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Lots of info-thanks! Revenge- mine has a square sump at the rear, no tunnel. Very small, a 500 gph pump just fits, no room for a float switch and still keep the drain plug. JASinIL2006- good to hear that, do you know the dimensions of that Ultima? Sam am I/gm280- do these currant commercial switches use the FET technology? I am an electronics retard, but I can do electrical systems, so I won't be building my own any time soon. I just want to wire in the smallest I can find and be done with it. The Water Witch advertises it's dimensions and is roughly 2"x1.5"x1". My only caution with WW is that it runs for an extra 15 seconds to clear the discharge pipe, yet in my experience, an over-the-transom discharge is going to drain back anyway. (No thru hull holes for this Whaler) The Ultima shuts right off, and that I like, I just need to know how big it is.

 

[sam am I]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

O.S.U.,

It would depend on the actual mechanism that senses the water intrusion I suppose mainly. Typically, the non-moving, no float probe looking types, yes.

A side thought, is it possible to install a type bilge pump that doesn't sit in the bilge? You know, the remote type that are designed to sit up high and dry but, use a tube/hose to go down into the bilge?

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Sam am I, yes I could, but I wanted to keep it all out of sight in the sump, and I have a plastic debris cover I made that fits over it all, flush with the deck. Next to that (and in my way) I will have the 2000 gph emergency pump with standard float switch that I need to conceal/keep safe somehow. These Whalers are great boats, but they have NO room for stuff.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Is this the sump your speaking of? This is my boat and where I'm looking to install the bilge pump. (The whole in the floor, not behind the access panel)

 

[sam am I]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Ahhhhhhhh, I see, I see said the blind man.....hmmmm, that is a bit of a challenge.

What kind of volume are we talking about down in that thar hole?

 

[Auger01]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Jabisco makes some nifty pumps that are remote mounted with only a small inlet screen that goes in the actual bilge. They are just the ticket for small bilge sumps.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Revenge- nice job!! Looks beautiful! Yes! That is the sump I speak of. Hey, your's is bigger than mine!?! And mine is more starboard too. See how little space? But a 500 gph fits nicely, even an 800 gph fits, and the drain plug is still accessible. It is the float switch that takes up a lot of space, that's why I will be going with an electronic switch. I even have a sump cover, not the cool mahogany one Whaler provided,(vanished) but a plastic one that sits flush to the deck and protects the pump. No pics, the boat is covered and has about 3ft of snow right now.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

Not my boat, but, same hull. Small sump, just enough for a small pump.

 

[The Revenge]

Re: Electronic bilge pump switch

I found one by Rule today that is a switch and pump in one.