Automatic bilge pump

[Capt Dale]

Our 1984 Hunter 27 has a square Rule bilge pump wired to the bilge pump switch on the DC panel. It is either on or off, no float switch. Stashed in a drawer was a Rule float switch that looked used. I tested it with a mete and it checks out OK. However, it needs too much vertical space to activate. Our 27 has a VERY shallow bilge. 3-1/2"-4" deep. I would like to have a bilge pump in a auto-working mode when we are not there, just in case. Anyone have a shallow bilge 27 with a pumpa nd switch combo that works? Or is one of the self contained pump/switch units the way to go? Thanks for your help.

Dale

 

[Benny17441]

Isn't a pain when the boat heels and water spills out of the bilge unto the cabin sole. Well I have the solution for you. Get a Rule Electronic Sensing Automatic. Model 25-S 500 GPH 1.9A @ 12V H-4 1/2" W-2 3/8" . At around $60 they are a little expensive but it will work great in your bilge. It does not have a float switch what it has is a computer chip that turns the the pump on every 2 1/2 minutes for around 2 seconds. It measures resistance on the impeller to sense water and when it does it will continue to run until all the water is expelled. If it does not sense enough water it will turn itself off and reset in 2 1/2 minutes. There will always be some backflow when the pump turns itself off but it will be very little and the timer will prevent undue recycling. Power usage is very small and you may leave it on when you leave the boat just keep your panel switches on. The electrical draw is 1.9A per hour. If it cycles every 2.5 minutes it will turn on 24 times in an hour for just 48 seconds. In a 24 hour period it will run for 19 minutes. Now let's say you have a leaky packing gland and the pump stays on 4 times for 2 minutes a t a time. Round the usage off to around 30 minutes for 24 hours or .95 amps. You could probably go 3 months without recharging the batteries and then have power left over to start the engine. The only drawback I have found on those pumps is that they only last about 4 years so keep your purchase receipt in case of premature failure. They used to have a 5 year warranty. I had two of those pumps on the old 27 over an 8 year span and they did the job. The only maintenance was keeping the strainer clean. No float switches to mess with and the small noise every 2 1/2 minutes lets you know is working without having to lift the floor boards. Oh, about the noise, it is not loud at all and you have to listen for it.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Not sure I like Benny's option, have to think about it. Why not a small 500gph pump with the switch built-in? I have one that I know is around three inches tall. Can't think of the brand, has a blue cover.

 

[amcmahon]

Hey Dale, I share your pain with my 1984 h27. I've tried several float switches, but nothing works to my satisfaction. So I worked on managing the problem by reducing water intrusion. First, get your packing drip down to 5 to 9 per minute, then I sealed rain water leaks along the toe rail, next I found water comming in at the rudder flange (recommend checking 4 bolts to see if tight), replaced leaking mufler/hose, and finally I have corked the ice box drain and use a 12v pump to remove melted ice water from ice box. With all this I find the bildge stays nearly empty and only occasionally have to manually activate float switch to keep bildge down. Good luck. Tony

 

[rardiH36]

Two ideas:

1) How about an electronic water sensor/activator switch instead of a float one?

Electronic Switches might have lower water level trip points. The below link has an example. At the bottom of the the web page are some pictures of mounting options. Looks like the switch can be mounted so it activates the bilge pump with only an 1-2" of water level? Best to call the seller and ask however.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|679971&id=1212512

Also here is a link to another electronic switch available at this site's Chandelry.

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?6545

2) Add a second bilge pump for almost dry result:

My 1980 H36 has a deep bilge so I don't have the problem of bilge water sloshing out. But along the lines of amcmahon's response, I also like to keep my bilge level very low.

I've added a completely separate bilge pump (in addition to my two main ones) with its own hose to the outside world. The pump I have is Rule's smallest which just by chance is the one that benny17441 cites. I've also put a dedicated on/off switch for this small pump in the bilge well above the water level. Further, just after the exit hose at the pump, still in the bilge area, I've added a ball valve ... nothing special ... the kind you can buy for a few dollars at a hardware store's garden irrigation department.

My process to get my bilge almost completely dry, which you also could do prior to each sail, is to get on my knees, open the ball valve and turn on the little pump with its dedicated switch. Just when the pump stops moving water and begins to suck air, I close the ball valve to prevent the water still in the hose from draining back into the bilge. Then turn off the pump with the switch.

Of course you would still keep your existing bilge pump for primary pumping.
And get that float switch you have installed on it!

 

[Manny]

I was trying to find a picture of my pump and switch but couldn't find one. I have a regular float switch on mine and it works okay. It is located at the rear of the bilge and the switch is aligned fore/aft. The water has to be up about an inch or so before it trips (which is too high since the bilge is so shallow). I had originally thought of putting some foam under it to make it lift sooner, but after years of effort my bilge stays pretty dry. The only time I get a lot of water in is when i'm healed over far enough to port so that the bilge pump thru-hull gets submerged. Even with a loop it still siphons a bit in. Kind of ironic that the system meant to keep the bilge dry is the biggest contributor of water. The little water i do get in from rain & condensation I remove with a turkey baster.

M