Bilge Pump Wiring Protocol

[BobSail]

Is there a correct way for bilge pump wiring? My fused pump runs through a master DC House Bank battery breaker switch. When turned on, the switch energizes the DC electrical panel and a hard-wired CO detector. Should the pump be hard-wired (with its inline fuse) directly to the battery? Thanks.

 

[Mike B]

Hard wire it

You got it right. You want the pump wired to the battery. Make sure you use an inline fuse to protect the circuit. When you wire it directly to the battery you avoid the risk of not having a switch turned on which would prevent the pump from running when it needs to.

 

[sailaway78]

Hard Wire

Hard wire it direct to the battery bank. This way you can kill everything else in the boat with the battery switch. Eliminates any chance of cutting the pump off, or leaving something else on to run the battery down. Be sure to fuse it.

 

[Steve Dion]

You need an automatic & manual connection

Bob:You need to have a float switch wired to the circuit & a manual switch to pump the bilge too.It should have some instruction with the pump/float switch.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Hard wire but keep panel switch

With the panel switch bypassing the float/switch. So when you turn on panel switch pump turns on and stays on until you flip the switch and with panel switch off, when you lift the float the pump comes on. What Steve said ( jeese he's a fast typist), so nevermind.