Gosh Darn Bilge Pump

sailaway78 · Jul 4, 2010

Problem is, it never stops

Things like this are a continuing and never ending problem on boats. I recently installed a second bilge pump, with it's own float switch and a seperate circuit. I do believe that Murphy lives on every boat, and sticks his head up regularly to check things out.

zeehag · Jul 4, 2010

Bad Obsession said:
To clean out the bilge I put a hose from the dock into the bilge and turn on the fresh water from the dock. I let it run for a while. The hose can't even get close to beating the bilge pump with it's 2000 gallon an hour rating.

The pump is made by Rule. I haven't been a big fan of Rule Float switches but we shall see. I wasn't about to let my boat sit over night with no working bilge pump. Rule is all that the near-by Marina carried so Rule it was. If it mal-functions I will change it out!

those float switches last about a year and do not like oily stuff or diesel fuel......found this out about 1 1/2 yrs ago..

kenn · Jul 4, 2010

Those little centrifugal bilge pumps are amazing, but they can also be touchy.

This year I saw a boat that got partially flooded due to a cracked water strainer. The bilge pump was found burned out, and at first it was believed that it burned out coping with the flood... but after the bilge pump was changed, it ran but there was no pumping. We disconnected the pump, stuck a garden hose nozzle into the out hose, gave it a blast, and after that the pump worked fine. Now the out hose was fairly long, and there was a check valve inline, but still, it didn't take much to stop that new bilge pump from working.

Moral: exercise your bilge pump so that it and the hose remain clear.

Roger Long · Jul 5, 2010

Bad Obsession said:
My Jabsco 1750 Gallons per Hour bilge pump gave up the ghost yesterday.

And the new one probably will much sooner than you like. Having a pump and float switch big enough to be of any use in an emergency makes no sense although my boat is the only one I know of that is set up any differently.

The regular bilge pump that deals with condensation, shaft drips, and ice box melt should be the smallest and cheapest you can buy. I've had very good luck with a 500 gph Atwood with built in float switch.

Put the big pump (or better, pumps) a few inches higher so they stay dry, bilge crap doesn't get into their strainers and impellers, and the float switches are not constantly cycling. You won't have to replace them or the float switches every 2-3 years and they will work when you really need them. It's isn't a difficult job to put another through hull above the waterline in the transom on most boats.

butchrobbins · Jul 8, 2010

Re: Problem is, it never stops

I believe Murphy was an optimist.

jfmid · Jul 8, 2010

I have a tiny little 350 Gph pump in my bilge that would be of abslutely no use when a real need arises. I am planning to do something along the lines of what I am reading here
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/bilge_pumps.htm

My only concern is available space and length of run of the outlet hose. I may have to place a new thru hull way in. BTW this author says absolutely no check valves.
The idea of coming into my backyard and seeing my boat on the bottom of the lagoon is horrifying. However, it's not as horrifying as the thought of being way out on the water and having a major problem that my current puny little pump couldn't handle.
This gets moved up to the head of list in terms of safety preparation. Man it's gonna be a busy winter.
Will someone please keelhaul Murphy????