Looking for diagram of automatic bilge pump witness light.

Claude L.-Auger

Claude L.-Auger

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Dec 14, 2003
1,401
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
I am in the process of replacing all 12V breaker witness lights of the elctrical panel of my Hunter 34. Middle row, bottom light is marked auto bilge pump. Never seen it work in 20 years yet I know the pump has started automatically several times during the course of all these years ! When I got to the wiring behind the panel, that light was only wired to the ground bus bar. No wonder it never worked ! The positive wire is nowhere to be seen. Can anyone either provide a diagram so I can wire the new light properly, or at least help with directions. Wiring to the beige (light brown) wire at the fuse leaves the light on all the time. It either has to work when the pump is on to let you know that it's on if engine noise prevents hearing it, or it has to come on when the float is up but pump is not working. Which one of the 2 possibilities is the correct one ? And how do I wire the witness lamp for it to work correctly. Diagram, pix, or any help appreciated.
Thanks a million !
Claude
 
Mechone

Mechone

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Mar 20, 2016
594
Beneteau 351 WYC Whitby
If you want the light to come on when the pump comes on ,one side of the light goes to ground the other side must go to the positive side of the pump motor. A better choice is to install one of these the same as above but now you will get an alarm which you can hear from cockpit ,telling you the pump is on and you have a problem...bilge alarm
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/LED-Flash-A...hash=item5910252e2e:m:mSHeIuoWRb2NfD1Ost9Jhqw
I've installed these on last 2 boats ,some insurance companies are now asking for these..bilge alarms
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,773
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
A far more useful item in the position would be a counter, to let you know how many times the pump was cycling each day. You'd pick up on a new leak pretty fast with one of those.
 
Mechone

Mechone

.
Mar 20, 2016
594
Beneteau 351 WYC Whitby
capta said:
A far more useful item in the position would be a counter, to let you know how many times the pump was cycling each day. You'd pick up on a new leak pretty fast with one of those.
Click to expand
This may be useful, but not when motoring along and the boat is filling up with water. Have seen this happen and boats sunk in our club and to people on YouTube
 
capta

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,773
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Mechone said:
This may be useful, but not when motoring along and the boat is filling up with water. Have seen this happen and boats sunk in our club and to people on YouTube
Click to expand
Gee, that's why we have a couple of completely independent bilge alarms that make enough noise that either can be heard from the helm in a full gale!
 
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