Bilge pump pooped out

[Bill O'Donovan]

Both the float and the pump simply died on my 29.5. I find it hard to believe they would both go down by coincidence, which suggests an electrical source rather than the units. But since there's no fuse, I'm stymied. Eh?

 

[Paul Aubrecht]

I just replaced mine.,try this to test

First,remove the float switch.Take a multimeter and go across the leads with the ohm setting.See if when you work the float switch up and down you see it go from open(electrically) to closed.There is nothing elctrical in the floatswitch other than a contact that closes when the water rises.It is possible that the bilge pump is bad but I would test all connections from and to the pump with a multimeter.Good luck

 

[robert]

mine also

I have a 29.5 and my bilge pump stopped working about 2 weeks ago. I replaced the pump, no luck.I replaced the float, no luck. I took a volt meter and found power at the power lines, the black wire is ground and the two brown wires, with red and orange stripes are the wires from the 1)manual switch and2)supposedly direct from the battery(via the circut breaker). They both showed voltage, but when hooked up to the the pump or via the float, nothing worked. I got fed up bailing daily and ran wires to the battery directly(I put in a line fuse) It was tough but worked,I still dont know why the original wires wont work?ideas?

 

[Doug]

DVOM

As an automotive technician, I was once fooled by a DVOM. Though it only happens once. The probelm is just one strand of wire will read voltage with a DVOM but it can't do any work i.e., run a pump. Doing a voltage drop test would have shown the problem. A better check for voltage on a 12v system is to use a test light. If there is enough voltage to do any "work", it will light the light. By wiring straight to the battery you show the switch and pump are ok - if they are now working. I would suspect corroded wiring - most likely in a splice.-Dougsv BrendaGail

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Yes, Doug, but...

If it's a corroded wire, would both units go out or just one? This seems too coincidental.

 

[Debra B]

There should be an inline fuse!

Check again. It does depend on how it is wired. Mine draws power straight from the main batter switch, with the panel switch just acting as "manual on."If the power or ground cable are the ones that are corroded, then the pump won't work.

 

[robert]

thanks doug

I will check the 12v lines with a light.And give the voltmeter a jaundiced eye.