What is the absolute best bilge pump

[sailaway78]

Once again, a Rule float switch has failed. A little over a year old. Also noticed when I pulled it out that the wires are badly corroded, the entire length. Same with the wires on the pump. The pump and switch are still in warranty, but I do not want to replace with more of the same. I'm tired of this crap. Only reason I bought the switch is convenience. Only place within nearly 50 miles has only the Rule stuff and I bought it. But no more for me. What experiences have you guys had with other brands, and what would you consider the absolute best. To hell with what it costs. I'm thinking a diaphram pump, mounted up out of the bilge, and one of the electronic switches, as a primary. Had this setup on the previous boat, and it was bullet proof for several years. Only drawback is they don't pump a lot of water, so would need a bigger backup. Like most other things, I would rather do it right and be able to not worry about it any further.

 

[letterman]

a five gallon bucket

and a scared man!
No?
How about a whale pump? Not enough volume?
How about a wet/dry vac on a inverter! No?
Try a Slovak lady with pail and mop! No?
Try sailing in the desert. No?
Hmmmmmmm. Dry Ice! Freeze it and then throw the chunks of ice overboard.
No???? How about a hose running from the bilge to the water outside, dragging in the water, with a one way valve. The vacuum created when sailing will pull the water out.
Shoot, I know I forgot something.

 

[Ross]

The beat switch for that operation that I have seen

is a free floating switch on a sump pump. Completely sealed, turns on the pump when it floats to the vertical and shuts off when it drops below the horizontal. Unfortunately it comes on sump pumps for houses. But go to a plumbing supply wholesale company and see what you can find for sump pump switches. They make so many of them that they are cheap to buy but reliable.

 

[Ross]

Link

http://www.plumbingstore.com/water_detective_alarm.html

 

[Ross]

Nuther one

http://www.washerwatcher.com/Hi_Lo_Controller.htm

 

[sailaway78]

It's a shame

Ross, it's a shame that second link is for a 110V unit. That one looks pretty much like something I would use. Very adjustable. I had an electronic switch on the old 28, the kind with two metal fingers sticking out of it. That sucker worked, always. Never any kind of a problem. Unfortunately, can't find one like it anymore. The ones I see now are the flat kind, with the little circles. Not sure about them.

 

[Ross]

Hook it to an inverter?

Write to them and see if they make a 12 VDC unit for back up in case of a power failure.

 

[RAD]

My 2 cents

After having a real nice electronic switch for years that worked well till it failed during the winter when ice got in there (not enough antifreeze in the bilge :{)I had to get another switch and could not find one like I had so I went to the spare boat stuff in the shed and found a brand new Rule super switch and installed it,so far 2 seasons and all is well, But wait let me tell you about my neighbor who has the same switch and says he only gets a season out of it and its a pump in tha aft bilge of a power boat that he says hardly ever comes on.
I look at his installation and its the bilge pump/switch wiring nightmare that I see all the time
eg. taped connections,loose connections & corroded connections all subject to sea water
On my boat I installed a terminal block as high as I could and all pump and float switch connections are made there
also I increased the original wire with a larger gauge wire because if theres a voltage drop there will be more amps across the switch and maybe premature switch failure.

 

[sailaway78]

Switch wiring

Rad,
I agree with your installation methods, when possible. Unfortunately for me, that won't work. The wiring that comes with the switch is too short to get up and out of my bilge. What I do is to use a soldered connection, then liberally apply some 5200 over the splice. Then slide some heat shrink on and starting in the middle shrink the tubing so I get 5200 out both ends. But even with this, after only a year or a little less, the wiring was badly corroded, and this is as much a reason as any for the switch to have a voltage drop and go Kaput.
Benny, it may be a crutch, depending on your point of view. But I feel much more secure with a float switch in there. We get some pretty heavy rains during the summer, and as yet I haven't found a way to keep the water from coming down the inside of the mast. It's not uncommon to get five gallons or more from a heavy rain. Don't like to have the boat left to it's own devices under these circumstances. Even without the water coming down the mast, I don't think I would ever want to not have a float switch. As I have stated previously, Mr. Murphy lives next door to me.

 

[RAD]

N&E

Ya think the water is getting into the wiring at the switch itself? your splice and seal method is a pretty good plan
The Super switch I found had pretty long leads on it and the bilge pump I have been using is an baitwell aerator pump cause it had a long suction tube with a screen to get all the way down into the keel bilge leaving the motor closer to the cabin sole.

 

[Manny]

How about this switch?

Here's one I've never seen before:

 

[Rawsonnut]

Hydro air switch

The hydro air switch is the only thing I have ever bought from Defender that was totally useless. I worked one cycle and never worked again. Great idea but falls short in real life. I think I am going to try an old style toilet float to operate a switch safely above the water level. Good winter time project if I ever heard of one.

 

[ozesailor]

Practical Sailor Bilge Pump Tests

Here are some bilge pump test results that may be of interest to you

In 2000, Practical Sailor conducted tests on 20 different electric bilge pumps. They recommended the Attwood V1250 followed by Whale Supersub, RuleMate and Lovett 1200.

You can find the test results at the link below

Practical Boat Owner also conducted tests on 12 bilge pumps in May 2008. They recommended the Attwood V900, Shureflo Piranha, Johnson L750 and Whale Supersub

In both tests, the Attwood brand scored well and the Whale Supersub was recommended as the best small pump.

There's some confusion whether the Attwood brand has tinned wiring, but I spoke to them and they confirmed that all the wiring on their pumps is tinned.

There's also an article on bilge pump selection and installation at sailingmates.com which could possibly be of interest

 

[ozesailor]

Link didn't work

Here's the link again to the Practical Sailor test results

 

[jtm]

what about an integrated switch with pump

I have replaced several of those Rule scissor switches. Either the wires crap out or the switch hinge craps out/the clips give out.

I have a tight bilge in the H28.5 (about the size of a shoe box) and there are keel bolts that take up some of the "floor" real estate - limiting the positioning of a pump and switch. I decided to to install an Atwood Sahara 750 ( there are other gpm sizes and hose diams available) which has the switch "integrated" into a "conning tower" shaped pump housing not much larger or taller than the basic square Rule 1000. There's also a knob on the conning tower housing to manually switch on the pump. Its quiet, compact and I like the neatness of it - fewer wires "floating" around. Check it out