Bilge pump recommendations?

woodster · Jan 27, 2015

SPLETS said:
I have a Catalina 30 with a Rule 2000gph bilge pump (RM2000) it has a built in float switch, if I was to purchase a back up or replace it should I:

1.) Buy another of the same model?
2.) Buy a new pump with a built in float switch or a separate float switch?
3.) What brand pump do you recommend?

Thanks for the input!!

Splets

i have a rule 750 with built in float switch they come with a 3 year warranty thats what i use for my maintenance pump..... in the bottom of the bilge i have a 1500 gallon rule about 12 ' above that one with a separate float switch at the same level as the 1500 pump that is my back up pump i can control both from their own switch on the panel they are wire direct to bat source and not through any other switch and they are fused with the appropriate fuse

the reason i am using them is because they have a 3 yr warranty i have read a lot about bilge pumps and there is a lot of bad ones out there so the warranty is important to me they cost tooo much to just throw them away and go buy new ones

Benny17441 · Jan 27, 2015

I would buy another one of the same model. With the base already installed in place and the discharge hose sized it would be an easy switch. My feeling about bilge pumps is that they are convenience items and anything above 500GPH can do a good job. The electrical pumps with a float or microchip switch can automatically expel from the boat incidental water that collects in the bilge. It is the best alternative to having to be present and getting on your knees to manually remove the water. What they are not is a safety item; these pumps are limited in capacity and cannot handle any significant amount of water intrusion. In an unattended boat they could help delay some flooding damage for a couple of days and that is probably as good as they will perform. If you are in a boat and you are taking on water the thing to do is find the source and do your best to plug it. The pumps are just for removing the water once the situation is in control. A manual gusher pump with access at the cockpit is most efficient for removing the water. I guess I meant to say, do not mull too hard over that decision, it is not a critical one.

centerline · Jan 27, 2015

as a back up bilge pump you should have a manual pump.... what good is a back up pump if it is prone to the same failures as your main bilge pump?...

for the past 45 years I have been an active boater, offshore as well as the more common local shoreside/bay boating.
I have had bilge pump failures, but I have never had a bilge pump failure where I needed, or could use another electric pump to back up the one that failed.

I believe this is due to a few reasons...

..the electrical failure would have prevented the use of another electric pump.
..my basic manual pump always worked dependably (and will out pump the basic electric pumps that one usually purchases)
..I have never "holed" any of my boats where i needed more pumping capacity than is normal.
..I have always been able to make it back to shore days before the boat would have been in any danger of sinking.
.. I have always attempted to maintain a good preventative schedule and checkups on a daily/weekly basis to minimize surprise equipment failure.

it doesnt matter if you are a lake sailor where you can go to the dock when your bilge pump fails, or if you are an offshore cruiser or racer, if you feel the need for the relative marginal safety that a back up bilge pump can give, it should be a simple device that has very little that can fail... when its time to seriously use the pump for the safety of those on board, you want maximum dependability from a pump that can move a lot of water in a hurry.
and if you NEED the secondary pump and are actually depending on it for the preservation of vessel and life, that would mean its probably going to be running for a long time, so it is very much more prone to failure than a manual pump.

a manual pump pump will always be my first choice as a back up pump.

woodster · Jan 27, 2015

i will add that i have 2 manual pumps and a good bucket to go with the electric pumps

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 28, 2015

Splets,

Some owners are under the thinking of, "well I have a smaller boat & bilge, I can go with a smaller pump."

This is wrong, the smaller the bilge the larger the pump must be. A larger size bilge can hold more water, not so for a small bilge. And, you will never achieve the rated GPM/GPH, when you add head to the equation (vertical rise of the discharge hose). Your pumping capability will be less. With a small bilge, you have to move more water out in a short time if an accident is sending alot of water to the bilge. Keep in mind your engine area is also part of the bilge.

I use the Rule 5000 & it's adequate for the small bilges we have. I am not a lover of internal floats, as I've had two in the past & had problems. It's alot easier/cheaper to change out a separate float switch. Float switches seem to have a shorter lifespan than the pumps.

In addition, keep all you wiring connections high & dry. I run my wiring to a terminal block on the inside of my engine compartment. Then from the block to my panel. This way, you only have to add terminal connecters for changeouts.

CR

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 28, 2015

Splets,

Sorry pal, that was supposed to be 2000.
That's what happens when you're only working on you last two brain cells.

CR

njlarry · Jan 28, 2015

If my memory is correct (a 50/50 chance these days) I had the Rule 2000 when I got my boat and of course it was dead and needed to be replaced. I also thought it wound be easiest to just but the same model and "pop it in". However the unit had so many negative comments on the West Marine site from user reviews that I decided against it and bought an Attwood instead. The Attwood has been working fine but I really do not like the "air Lock" feature that prevents a good seal on the discharge hose so about 20% of the water sprays into the bilge. As there is a steady rise of the overboard discharge hose from the pump I believe this is unnecessary and makes the pump work more often and less effectively.
CORRECTION; I found a pic of my original, it was a Rule Mate 1100.

kloudie1 · Jan 28, 2015

My experience with Rule 2000 is better than most... The pump in my boat is original .. it is a Rule 2000 operating with an old mercury float switch, which is also original. I have a wet bilge because the air conditioner condensate drains there when i am running it.. and the dehumidifier condensate drains there when I am not aboard. I have regular packing which drips when running... Pump has seen almost constant use since the boat stays in the water year 'round. The pump was on the boat when I bought it in 1991, so it has been in pretty much constant service for 24 years that I can verify. I have a spare aboard as well as a manually operated Whale pump.

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 28, 2015

Kloudi,

My Rule is 6 years old now. Most elec. problems on boats are because they are not used much, moisture & temp. changes & then folks wonder why they stopped working.

When I leave the dock under motor, all my lights are on. I run them approx. 1/2 hour. This dries any moisture out of the units/fixtures. With bilge pumps, I frequently run mine on manual or just by the flapper as a check. I have a waterless shaftseal & most times, I have dust in the bilge. I also check my screen on the intake side to be sure it's clear.

I'm sure you are like minded.

CR

kloudie1 · Jan 28, 2015

Yup. I am pretty meticulous about keeping bilge free of bits that can clog or wind around the shaft and kill the seal/bearing. Pump has seen a little bit of diesel and some detergent over the years but never any chlorine as from bleach.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 28, 2015

I use a Rule pump with separate float switch. Funny thing is, the float switch has lasted longer than my original pump. Previously, I tried a Rule pump with the built-in float switch and that one didn't work for whatever reason. The pump would get stuck in the on position.

Then I switched, about 9 years ago and my float has never failed to work properly. The pump failed a few years ago when the plastic discharge flange broke off (I think I pick up the hose and wiggle it too often when I clean the bilge). I test the float switch about once per week when I let the ice box train the icewater into the bilge.

Dalliance · Jan 28, 2015

I put in a new Rule pump and float switch seven years ago. No problems with it to date. Its effectively tested weekly the same way Scott's is; water from the ice box.

It's on a bilge pump counter which I reset to "0" when I leave the boat Sunday evening. When I return the following Friday, the counter normally reads "1", which accounts for the last of the ice left the previous Sunday. More than "1" and I'm looking for what's wrong. It has alerted me to problems a couple times; once it was a leaking water heater fitting over the course of a weekend and once it was the stuffing box which I had adjusted and not adequately tightened the lock nut. The counter prevents an automatic bilge pump from masking problems.

I have a back up bilge pump too; a Johnson cartridge style, higher in the bilge, also on a separate float switch, and with an alarm. I put it in five or six years ago, bit other than occasional testing, it's thankfully never been used. The discharge is on the dock side of the boat in the theory that the combination of an alarm buzzer and water spitting onto the dock might prompt a phone call from a dock mate or harbor security. The two pumps have fused connections to separate batteries. Both are around 700 or 800 GPH capacity.

There are also two manual pumps and three buckets on the boat. Hard to believe, but I really am an optimist. Just a cautious one.