Just a reminder to all fellow sailors to check your bilge pump & float switch on a regular basis.
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Make sure you check you bilge pump & float switch regularly!
- Thread starter Domenico
- Start date
Yes indeed, Jrowan brings out a very illustrating example of what can happen with a faulty bilge pump assembly. But this incident also helps illustrate the limitations of a bilge pump system to keep your boat afloat. Jrowan indicates that water from the packing gland drip and some porthole leaks put a foot of water inside a 30' boat cabin. Now just imagine a significant water intrusion where s busted hose or fouled through hull would have done. Even if the bilge pump and float switch would have been operational they could not contend with the flow of a 1/2" opening. It is more likely that someone will see and report that your boat is riding low or listing than it being saved by the bilge pump. The point is do not rest on the bilge pump assembly for safety, it is only intended to discharge nuisance water, and check your boat frequently or get someone to do it. The real safety solution is to frequently check hoses, clamps, valves and thru-hulls and also perform timely maintenance on any known leaks.
So sorry to hear of your damages, that truly SUCKS!
It is a bit late late to help you but a few thoughts none-the-less for others reading this.
#1 Please STOP buying these POS Rule float bilge switches. Years ago they were Mercury filled and very reliable now days they are a switch and they last about as long as a bag of Doritos at a Phish concert.. This is what they can do, ruin boats. If you want a reliable switch the Ultra Safety Systems Ultra Pump Switch Junior or Ultra Pump Switch Senior hands down. I have never seen one fail. You pay a premium but you get what you pay for.
#2 That three-way bilge termination could have cost you even more in DC corrosion. In fact you should check all your below water metals for signs of pitting and DC corrosion because you had live DC current in the bilge water. DC corrosion is extremely fast.. All terminations/connections in a bilge must be 100% water proof or the wires taken well above the bilge area and terminated at a point water should never get to.
This is not a safe nor proper termination for a bilge pump. It could also be the cause of the switch failing to work.
#3 I can't see one but that pump should never have a check valve in the discharge line. Check valves have no place on centrifugal Rule style pumps and are a major safety and battery killer.
#4 Every boat over 24 +/- feet with a bilge & cabin should have a dual pump configuration. I have been harping on this for years but folks rarely go for it. Pump #1 for a 30 footer would be a 2000GPH, or preferably more, "oh shit" pump with the bilge switch mounted slightly higher than the primary nuisance water pump. The nuisance water pump should be a diaphragm style pump for dealing with nuisance level water. Diaphragm pumps can use check valves but don't normally need them as they tend to self-check. Premium bilge switches like the UltraPumpSwitch Jr. or Sr. should be used with both pumps.
Thanks for posting this and hopefully it leads to safer bilge pump installations for other forum members.
It is a bit late late to help you but a few thoughts none-the-less for others reading this.
#1 Please STOP buying these POS Rule float bilge switches. Years ago they were Mercury filled and very reliable now days they are a switch and they last about as long as a bag of Doritos at a Phish concert.. This is what they can do, ruin boats. If you want a reliable switch the Ultra Safety Systems Ultra Pump Switch Junior or Ultra Pump Switch Senior hands down. I have never seen one fail. You pay a premium but you get what you pay for.
#2 That three-way bilge termination could have cost you even more in DC corrosion. In fact you should check all your below water metals for signs of pitting and DC corrosion because you had live DC current in the bilge water. DC corrosion is extremely fast.. All terminations/connections in a bilge must be 100% water proof or the wires taken well above the bilge area and terminated at a point water should never get to.
This is not a safe nor proper termination for a bilge pump. It could also be the cause of the switch failing to work.
#3 I can't see one but that pump should never have a check valve in the discharge line. Check valves have no place on centrifugal Rule style pumps and are a major safety and battery killer.
#4 Every boat over 24 +/- feet with a bilge & cabin should have a dual pump configuration. I have been harping on this for years but folks rarely go for it. Pump #1 for a 30 footer would be a 2000GPH, or preferably more, "oh shit" pump with the bilge switch mounted slightly higher than the primary nuisance water pump. The nuisance water pump should be a diaphragm style pump for dealing with nuisance level water. Diaphragm pumps can use check valves but don't normally need them as they tend to self-check. Premium bilge switches like the UltraPumpSwitch Jr. or Sr. should be used with both pumps.
Thanks for posting this and hopefully it leads to safer bilge pump installations for other forum members.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,343
Looks like your dehumidifier was overwhelmed.
Not a Christmas present I would want to get. One can be thankful that there are live aboard's in your marina who would give you a call or at the least report it to the marina office.
Some of the first friends I made were the folks living aboard, walking past my boat every day. Hopefully with smiles.
Not a Christmas present I would want to get. One can be thankful that there are live aboard's in your marina who would give you a call or at the least report it to the marina office.
Some of the first friends I made were the folks living aboard, walking past my boat every day. Hopefully with smiles.
Oh no!!! Sorry for your problem. Maine Sail's recommendation for the Ultra Safety Systems pump switch is spot on. The "Senior" model has the capability to switch on an optional high water alarm which is another nice safety feature. The "Junior" does not have that feature. Both of these switches are super reliable (and expensive) but good insurance. Made in the USA too!
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Seems to me I recall seeing a car alarm that will actually dial your phone number when it goes off. Why could't we rig something like that to a high water alarm. I only live 15 minutes from the boat, but in a pinch could call the marina to have someone do something.
jr, really, really sorry about your issues. Hope you get them resolved to your satisfaction.
Was there a reason you thought you needed to get hauled to repack your stuffing box? Is it an access issue? For years we have been telling new skippers that there is no reason it can't be done in the water.
Stu, if jr has a dripless shaft seal like I do, I see no comfortable way to replace the thing with the boat in the water. If he has a stuffing box, nother story.
Sorry to see your predicament. THAT is the stuff from which heart attacks are made.
Without any other source of water leakage other than what you mention, I would suspect the gland to be the #1 culprit.
As Stu mentioned, the gland can be easily packed in the water as long as you have everything at hand. An assistant who is mechanically inclined would also be a good accessory to have along for the first try. After that, you can do it with one hand tied behind your back (both hands when you really get good).
Without any other source of water leakage other than what you mention, I would suspect the gland to be the #1 culprit.
As Stu mentioned, the gland can be easily packed in the water as long as you have everything at hand. An assistant who is mechanically inclined would also be a good accessory to have along for the first try. After that, you can do it with one hand tied behind your back (both hands when you really get good).
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,343
Friend of mine showed me an old mechanics trick. Get a rod of suitable length. Position the end on the nut in a way so when you wack it it applies pressure in the direction of untorking the nut. Several sharp raps on the rod had my leaking stuffing box unscrewing. We did the job with a rag wrapped around the shaft to reduce the water ingress. Not much water. Pumped the bilge. Saved $$$$ on the haul out as no other projects were planned.
Good luck. It can be done safely. Good bilge pump and battery suggested.
Good luck. It can be done safely. Good bilge pump and battery suggested.
The trick is to place large monkey wrenches on the nut and then use a METAL hammer to rap the wrench a few times. The metal on metal banging sends a shockwave through to the nut which helps loosen it immediately.
I am just finishing the repairs on my bilge pump system. When I went to winterize the hot water tank for the first time in my "new" Hunter, I found out the cheap corrugated discharge hose had a hole in it where it made a sharp bend behind the settee. I bought good quality smooth hose and rerouted it to avoid extreme bends. Had to replace the straight thru-hull with a 90 degree. This hose does not have much flex.
Once nice feature of sail drives is that there is no shaft, no stuffing box or packing gland, etc. So, there is no accumulation of drip water in the bilges. They're always dry. The only time my bilge pumps have ever pumped water out of the boat is after I've flooded the bilges w/ fresh water to wash them and to test the pumps. The electrical connections, as far as I know, have never been submerged in seawater nor have otherwise ever come into contact with seawater. If submerging in seawater is the "acid test" for the durability/reliability of a pump or switch, then that would be a heck of a time to find out it's not working as promised! How many of these boats have a float-switch by-pass (3-position switch)? Mine does not.