Best automatic bilge pump for a 321 ?

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Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
If you own a 321 then you know there's not much of a bilge.
Nor is there alot of room for a conventional auto bilge pump. My boat has 1 pump that is used for all the places you would normally pump water from including the shower sump and ice box. It's mounted with the water heater under the settee. The problem is you have to open and close cocks for what you need pumped because the pump isn't able to draw if its sucking air from a dry sump if there is more than 1 cock open at one time. The other thing that is of most concern is that the pump has to be tuned on & off at the panel and that means if I am away and the boat takes on water....... Im screwed ! Is this normal ? So my question is, who's has a auto-pump? or a way to address this problem. Other suggestions would be very appreciated. I am mechanicly retarded so photo's help me alot. Thanks to all , PK
 
A

AndyR

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Oct 13, 2007
26
Beneteau 393 Blairgowrie Vic Australia
Hi PK
we have a similar problem withour B393. It has a switchboard operated bilge pump to empty the bucket sized bilge. I cant find a float switch that would work. I wonder if anyone has come across a water sensor or some kind of appropriate 'vertical' rod-like switch that would fit in the bilge and be suitable for a salt water environment?

Andy n Barb on 'AMALIE'
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
bilge on 321

We have a 2000 MY B321. We bought it new. I had the dealer install an auto bildge pump float switch which is wired to a battery so it is always on as long as one battery is on. Has worked great for 10 years so far. I can get the name next time I go to the boat.
 
Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
MOD , Would you please re-post this in Ask All Sailors ? Its dead over here.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Unfortunately, on the A.A.S. forum, you'll get responses that can not help you since your problem is very brand AND model specific. No one else would know the height of your bilge. The B323 has the same problem, and the owners are adding switches. We have a B323 site being developed that may be of help to some of your boat's needs.
 
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cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Didn't make it to our boat last weekend. I will try and do this weekend.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
PK, in your first post you want to place a new pump there, but possibly you really just want to place a float switch in the bilge, like cymyer did? Wire it from the battery pos, to the float, to the pump pos.
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
You are correct, that is what we did

Yes, that is alll we did. It is just a float switch. Nice to have in case we take in water when I am not there. It is always on.

Ron20324 said:
PK, in your first post you want to place a new pump there, but possibly you really just want to place a float switch in the bilge, like cymyer did? Wire it from the battery pos, to the float, to the pump pos.
Click to expand
 
Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
cymeyer said:
Yes, that is alll we did. It is just a float switch. Nice to have in case we take in water when I am not there. It is always on.
Click to expand
OK... What pump is it hooked to, and where is it located ? The pump on my boat is located under the settee with the water heater. It has 2 other sumps connected to it also and I'm having to open and close valves every time I board the boat. I'm wanting to put it on a dedicated bilge pump.
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
On our 321, there are two small pumps next to the water heater. One is the water pump to pump water out of the water tank. The other is our bilge pump. We don't have any other sumps.

When we use the bildge or when we are not on the boat, we keep the line to the bilge open and the exit line open, but close the other which is I think the fridge drain. If you don't do that, the bildge doesnot work correctly.

I have to go up to change the oil tomorrow. If I think if it, i will take some pictures...
 
Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
I wanted to see how you have it mounted in there. It looks to me that any way its mounted, its going to be in the way if the keel bolts need to be serviced. I think I'm gonna just zip-tie the switch to the two drain hoses in the bottom of the bilge so it can be removed easily. There's two hoses ???? Got any idea what the one with out the little strainer on the end is doing or where it goes? I wiggled it but couldn't tell where it was going and it looks as if its a pathway for letting water into the bilge from another area of the boat.
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
I will bring my camera up to our boat when I winterize it. Will take some pictures for you. It is a pretty simple set up and it works great. Has worked great for 10 years.
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
pictures of our float valve

See files attached. Not sure if this helps. Just a simple float switch mounted in the blide area and then wired to our bilge pump.
 

Attachments

Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
Re: pictures of our float valve

Thanks for the photo's. I got it hooked up and running on a 3 way. I have my sea strainer in there too so I had to zip tie the float switch to the top of the hoses. It will work good if I get a leak.
 
cymeyer

cymeyer

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Jul 8, 2005
522
Jeanneau 389 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Re: pictures of our float valve

Great work.
Just curious. Have you mounted a GPS on your pedastal? I have a hand held one, but have looking for a good way to mount a GPS. I don't even know which one. Don't need a Raymarine one with radar, just want like a Garmin with a 5 inch screen...
 
Mike B

Mike B

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Apr 15, 2007
1,013
Beneteau 43 Baltimore, MD
West Marine has a switch that is electronic. Cost apx $35. Works much better in Beneteau's shallow bilges. The standard bilge switch wont activate unless the water is quite high. By then you have water migrating into the other blige comaprtments which is difficult to clean out. The West Marine switch can be ty-wrapped to the discharge hose, the one with the brass strainer on it. Just wipe the contact surfaces down peridoically to prevent scum from accumulating and insulating the contacts. BTW Beneteau typically wires in two power sources for the bilge pump. The first is a fused connection directly from the battery back through the bilge switch. The other is a swiched connection from the DC panel switch so you can manually activate the pump. Any bilge pump exit through hulls should be left open while the boat is in the water. This way if the pump runs while you're away the water can exit the boat. The 2nd hose leading into the bilge is likely the drain hose from your air conditioner condensation sump if your boat has AC.
 
G

George G

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May 25, 2009
3
Beneteau 311 Magothy River
Freezing water in bilge line

In my previous boat I had to leave the battery on to energize the bilge pump. Unfortunately after a snow storm the snow in the cockpit melted and drained into the bilge. Apparently there was some water in the bilge drain line that didn't melt. The float in the bilge came up and the electricity turned on and the battery gave everything it had but the water couldn't drain past the slug of ice. I suspect even if I were hooked to shore power the pump would have burned out.
George
 
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