12V Bilge Pump Question

[Vega1447]

Just bought and installed a Rule 500 gph automatic bilge pump.

There are two wiring options; live (brown) to + live or brown to one pole and brown/white to other pole of a 3 pole +/0/+ switch.

I'm inclined to wire the pump to an on/off toggle switch on my switch panel as I don't use an one/two/both/off rotary battery switch (though I have one ).

My main reason in that the switch panel lights up as a reminder that the pump (which activates automatically if water detected) is live.

Should I just wire the pump directly to battery terminals (with an inline fuse) and forget about a switch?

Thanks,
John V1447 Breakaway

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie

 

[n4lbl]

John:

I have no experience and so far have only a manual bilge pump. Based on
reading I think that the compelling case for no switch is that it can't be
accidentally turned off by you or anyone else trying to be helpful.

Alan

 

[tiempo2010]

On many boats it is common to wire the automatic side of a bilge pump
direct to the battery with a fuse. The manual side is usually switch
controlled. The best switch is a momentary one so the pump cannot be left
on by accident.