Auto bilge pump

Benny17441 · Sep 21, 2016

There is nothing wrong with having a manual switch for the bilge pump. It just means you will have to monitor the collection of water and turn it On and Off. You control when it runs and for how long. Many boats were delivered from the manufacturer with only such switches. The addition of a float switch and or the replacement of the pump with one with automatic capabilities brings the added convenience of a pump that will turn itself On and Off even when the boat is unattended. That convenience can come at a price; float switches are famous for getting stuck which could mean failure to discharge water or failure to disengage resulting in dead batteries. The automatic pump does require more maintenance and attention. It is your boat and it is up to you but make an informed decision before deciding you need an automatic pump. Many do so under the false notion that the bilge pump is a safety item which will prevent a boat from sinking when unattended but it is not so as they are not capable of handling any significant water intrusion. They are just designed and incorporated as a convenience item to discharge incidental water that collects in the bilge so that it does not have to be scooped up manually by the boater. I have had boats with both systems and the difference is in doing it yourself or letting the float switch do it but with the automatic pump comes the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" and when something goes wrong it usually comes in as a surprise while the manual switch forces you to monitor and pay attention to what goes on in the bilge. Oh as far as recommendation I would consider just installing a float switch but make sure the boat's bilge is deep enough to allow it to swing up and down. There is a switch panel that will allow the pump to operate automatically while still retaining the manual switch function and that can come in handy.

Ward H · Sep 22, 2016

Welcome Scott to SBO and to the being an O'Day owner,
Do you have an outboard or inboard? I think that might influence your thoughts on a bilge pump.
I have an outboard and think along the way Benny does. I have one underwater through hull which is for the galley sink drain. I had it replaced and only open it when I need to. There are no other under water through hulls so only water access is rain water or maybe the CB pendant tube. I believe the top of the tube the hose goes on is above the water line so rain water access only.
It will take a lot of rain water and a clogged cockpit drain to fill the bilge and cabin with enough water to lower the cockpit drain to below water.
So, that being said, I check the bilge when I arrive at the boat and sponge out any water I may fine, which is very little.
The only time I found a full bilge was when a winter freeze/thaw cycle cracked the inside cockpit drain through hull, allowing thaw water into the bilge.
If your getting rain water in the bilge, time to look for some leaks.
I believe it is better to fix the leaks then spend time and money on a bilge pump that may or may not work.

If you have an outboard that is a different story as they do drip around the stuffing box, causing more nuisance water. Then a pump might be worth it.

Enjoy!

Benny17441 · Sep 22, 2016

MSN-Oday said:
Benny,

Great info and advise.
It makes sense that if the boat is taking water the auto bilge will only pump out an amount equal to the power remaining in the battery. There is always more water than battery power I'd say...
I like what you are saying about being forced to monitor the bilge. It gives the boater more intimate knowledge and trend of the goings on in the bilge.

Thanks,
-S

Two little tidbits of additional, seemingly not well understood information. Bilge pumps are rated in Gallons Per Hour (GPH); usually 350, 500, 750 and 1,100 GPH. The kicker is that they are rated with no discharge hose connected. In real life conditions with friction in the hose, varying voltage, heating in the motor windings and depending on the number of heads to lift they only perform at 30-40% capacity. The other pertains to automatic pumps installed with the idea of helping delay a boat sinking; it is the smaller boats that would require the larger pumps as they can hold less water and will sink faster.

Ward H · Sep 22, 2016

Sounds like a plan.
It would be a good idea to check your sink drain through hull valve. If it is a gate valve (outside hose spiket type) you should change it out to a 1/4 turn ball valve. A lot of old boats have gate valves. If they are frozen in place you never know if they are frozen open or closed? Mine was completely corroded away inside.

Enjoy!

agprice22 · Sep 26, 2016

I have an O'day 272 with an outboard. Seal your boat properly, and you will not get water inside. The only time I have water in the bilge is the beginning of the season: condensation from the keel bolts as the keel cools off in the lake, which is in the 50s when we launch while the air temp is in the 70-80s. It is weird, but it is the only explanation. I get a few inches, and the bilge is dry from there on!
I do have a manual bilge pump, but I have never used it.
An electric pump may save you if someone notices it running and alerts the dockmaster. Also, if you are on shore power and have an inverter / charger, you can keep the automatic pump operable.
Frankly, I vote for keeping the boat sealed. Besides, the "bilge" in these boats is miniscule. Just sponge it out.

autocad · Sep 26, 2016

We keep our O'Day 25 on Lake Michigan @ SSYC. I installed a Water Witch electronic switch on our pump and like it. No moving parts. We do have regular seepage due to cracks inside the centerboard trunk though. If yours stays dry a manual switch would be fine. I use a small solar panel to keep the battery from draining. FYI I would check to see how yours is wired. Ours didn't have a switch dedicated to a bilge pump on the power panel so a P.O. spliced the pump into the bow (steaming) light circuit and just put a "Bilge Pump" tag over the "Bow Light" tag. The bow light still worked, but only when the pump was running! Took me forever to figure that one out.

Davidasailor26 · Sep 26, 2016

agprice22 said:
and you will not get water inside. The only time I have water in the bilge is the beginning of the season: condensation from the keel bolts as the keel cools off in the lake, which is in the 50s when we launch while the air temp is in the 70-80s. It is weird, but it is the only explanation. I get a few inches, and the bilge is dry from there on!

Alternate explanation - something leaks when it's dry, until it swells up and heals itself. We had a thru hull with plywood backing that would leak a slow trickle for a few days at the start of the season, until the water would swell the plywood and stop the leak. Not saying that's a good situation, but it could explain what you see.

Sefuller · Oct 2, 2016

Not sure how the 26 is set up, but on our boat the ice box drained into the bilge so when we spend time on the boat I always had water in the bilge - the bilge pump can't extract all the water so the ice melt always accumulated. Last year I installed a foot pump in the galley and connected the ice box drain to the foot pump so we can now pump the ice melt into the sink instead of the having it flow into the bilge.

Brian S · Oct 2, 2016

Davidasailor26 said:
We had a thru hull with plywood backing that would leak a slow trickle for a few days at the start of the season, until the water would swell the plywood and stop the leak. Not saying that's a good situation...

Yeah, that would make me really nervous!

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls