Bilge pump manual switch indicator light on

[gregpallen]

When I connected my batteries on launch this year I noticed that the red light on the end of the manual bilge switch located on the 12 volt DC panel is on. Activation of the switch does not turn on the bilge pump. It was working fine when I winterized the boat as I dumped red pop in the bilge and then used the switch to pump the antifreeze out the bilge discharge to make sure the discharge line was protected for cold temps.

Does anyone know what the red light is trying to tell me?

Obviously there is a problem but I am not sure where to start troubleshooting.

Greg

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Curious - what is "red pop" I assume antifreeze?

It could be a dead pump or bad switch.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

The light comes on when the pump is activated either with the manual switch at the panel or the auto float switch in the bilge. Means the pump is running. If yours is not running and the light is on you might have a short in the circuit. check your wiring in the bilge.

 

[splax]

You have a insulation fault and have the circuit being made through fluid, with galvanic corrosion eating the conductor. You will find you have an empty tube of insulation. I had a similar issue and replaced my float switch connecting to good wire above the damaged conductor.

 

[Capt jgw]

Short circuit somewhere, could be right at the switch, but more likely in the bilge or at the pump. Wiring in the bilge is especially prone to corrosion. Ultimate fix would be to replace all the wires from the switch to the pump and do all connections with adhesive heat shrink crimp connectors.

 

[gregpallen]

Thanks everyone. I will manually activate the float switch to see if the pump tuns on. If not I will check the wiring first and then replace the pump if necessary. I think the manual switch bypasses the float switch so if the pump is good the float switch should activate it

 

[Capt jgw]

Should be two positive wires and one negative. One positive goes to the float, the other to the pump. Current flowing on either one will light the light. The wire from the float to the pump also connects to the other positive wire, this connection is often the problem as it is down where it gets wet.

 

[gregpallen]

Float switch looked like it had been crushed. I am thinking ice damage. Very strange since bilge had an inch of antifreeze in it and I had cycle the bilge pump manually to fill lines with antifreeze prior to winter storage. All wiring was fine. As soon as I cut the wiring to the float switch the red light went off. I replaced the switch but the pump would not run. I replaced the pump and all is now operational again. I am thinking that the float switch damage resulted in it allowing current to flow to the pump motor. When I connected the batteries the day before I never noticed that red light was on on the manual bilge switch so the pump may have been ruinning continuously for over 24 hrs and was also running dry. I am thinking that heat build up wiped it out. Not sure why a fuse or breaker did not shut everything down. The bilge pump breaker had not tripped.