Installing Multiple Bilge Pumps

[Mike Banks]

The more complicated you make anything, the more prone to disaster it becomes.

I disliked any of the float switch systems that existed on most bots bilge pumps. There were only a few that seemed fail safe--and they were almost impossible to source becuse they had mercury relays in them.

So--I made my own. My pumps are the standard large RULE or H{+JOhgnson pumps located in engine room, aft cabin and main saloon. The shower poump also doubled as a bilge pump because it was wired to a float switch that would in the event of flooding, have turned on the shower sump pump.

The simple float switch is a float arm connected to a float which lies in the bilge, and at its pivot point is secured a mercury switch. This is a u-shaped glass tube with an electrode in the centre of it and one at each end of the tube. When the tube tilts in either direction beyond a certain limit, the mercury, being a conductor and in a vacuum--rolls over two contacts, the one in the middle and one or other at the ends of the tube, and turns on the pump. No difficult circuits or micro switches to corrode. Simplicity itself, and mercury switches can switch heavy currents.

Small biulkge pumps draw less than ten amps--but for the larger ones larger switches can be put[=rchased, or the small switch used to operate a 30 amp Relay out of the bilge environment and in the pump power feed..

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...7a6367e60UITdl

[leftbrainstuff]

We have 3 seperate bilge pump circuits. Two are PAR 38000 pumps and one is a macerator.

The float switches are all mounted on a removable arm. All systems are fitted with waterproof Deutsch plugs.

I can remove and replace any pump or switch in just a few minutes.

Most mechanical switches are unreliable. Rule switches seem to have great batch variability. I prefer the modern solid state switches.

I also prefer pumps I can rebuild rather than the cutesy plastic integrated switch systems. They are compact.

[roland stockham]

Size matters. The second pump is also there incase you gat significand flooding. If you have a leak it is very hard to find and fix if it is underwater. Loose the speed log and you will get at least a couple of thousand gal per hr comming in. This needs a 3-4000 gal pump to keep it clear enough to see whats going on

[Madehn]

Separate switch
separate battery
Separate outlet
4 inches higher

+1 for above

low capacity pump down low
high capacity pump higher
bilge counter ( from West Marine) wired to the low one -- this has saved my boat at least once!

dont use integrated switches ( had several fail)
consider an air switch mounted somewhere high and dry- only a tube and a plastic bell down in the bilge.

i have three
rule 2000 down low
rule 3500 or 400 high
diaphram pump with air switch with pickup down low but with "turn on" point set as approx same height as 3500.

[Taipe]

To enable optimal flow with least resistance, use a dedicated (not shared by self-bailing cockpit hoses or other bilge pumps) full-flow diameter thru-hull located on the aft transom as close to the mid-line and as high as possible. And the same goes for the manual bilge pump, which ideally, ought to be dedicated (not shared with electric bilge pumps) and operable from the cockpit. I have full-bore ball valve fittings available from Groco mounted direct to the thru-hull fittings to manually block retro-grade water coming onboard if a hose is punctured or comes off. The same goes for the water exhaust hose to prevent backflow, as in a raging storm before a following sea. Not cheap, but very worth while.

[moseriw]

DO NOT USE Bilgepumps with integrated shut off when oil is detected. Though they will sink you!

Swim switches: Do NOT use marine swim switches without relays. They are so poorly manufactured that the conctacts will burn.

And I am talking of the number one in marine pump and switch business for yachties.

Better you buy a cheaper float swich for pools. Make sure that the contact is made due to gravity and mercury or equal.

It is useless to use a pump > 150 Gph for normal operation - this is about 1,5 gal/minute. Enough even for my 47.

As emergency I use
1.) a -Johnson SPX 4000 GPH
2.) a 3 way engine water intake valve with filter to switch the intake to the inside.
3.) for bluewater cruising a gas water pump with approx 200 GPM like

https://www.amazon.com/DuroMax-XP650...-2-spons&psc=1

good luck

[Akafred]

Originally Posted by vanderd

My boat is a 2006 Endeavour Powercat. The bilge pump counters were installed at the time of manufacture and requested by the previous owner. We are the second owner. I’m not sure what brand it is but they work great. They even have a reset button to rezero when the issue is resolved. If you like I could call Endeavour. They are small enough builder that you can speak to the owner (Bob Vincent) who is extremely knowledgeable and always very helpful.

I think the idea of a counter is very good in order to have a better idea of what’s been happening when you’re not around.. I’ve been reading reviews of pumps and what I read most frequently is how the rule-mate pumps with built in sensors keep constantly cycling until they kill your battery. Having a counter could help see the problem before it gets out of hand..

it’s not too much trouble would you mind asking for the counter’s brand and model number?

Thanks,

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Akafred

I think the idea of a counter is very good in order to have a better idea of what’s been happening when you’re not around.. I’ve been reading reviews of pumps and what I read most frequently is how the rule-mate pumps with built in sensors keep constantly cycling until they kill your battery. Having a counter could help see the problem before it gets out of hand..

it’s not too much trouble would you mind asking for the counter’s brand and model number?

I have one of these installed
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=2846718

It works fine in calm conditions ... but at a bouncy anchorage, or if its windy enough to rock the boat at the dock, any residual water in the bilge will slosh around and occasionally trigger the pump (I have a deep bilge, so there is always a bit of back-flow when the pump cycle ends) ... so after a windy day it's not uncommon to see it count 10 or 20 times, when in reality no new water entered the bilge.

It works well to keep track of what the bilge has been doing if you're away for the day, and know what the weather was like (like when my stuffing box started dripping) ... but after leaving the boat in the marina for a couple of months, one windy day and the count is meaningless, it just means that the pump triggered at least once and left behind a bit of water.

[Cyrus Safdari]

Make sure the switch is rated to handle the load for the pump too

[Akafred]

So here’s an update on my progress. After buying two automatic rule-mate 1100gph. I wound up returning both units based on the mixed reviews from this forum and reading so horror stories in other reviews about constant cycling and batteries getting drained .. I decided to just stick with the tried and true so I purchased two 2000gph rule non-auto and two 35A float switches. Each pump will be wired to its own control panel rule model 41. But now it seems I need to replace the hose/tubing for the discharge. It’s funny how on a boat fixing one thing always turns into many things.. the deeper you dig the more crap you find lol.. thank you all for the good advice.

[Lepke]

I've been using bilge pumps for about 60 years. In the old days, bilge pumps and mercury switches lasted decades. Especially 32 volt. I have a couple in my spares from old boats that are about 50 years old. I no longer will buy the electronic switches commonly found in pump switch combinations or shower sumps. They don't last with heavy use, like a liveaboard shower sump. Most use I got was a year.
The float switch shown is the only type I use and I've never had one fail.

[TonyP2000]

Since I'm reading this thread about bilges, may I ask an additional question? I have 6 bilges, 3 in each hull of my catamaran. 2 are the baffle type pumped by hand as back-ups, 2 are electric manual and 2 are intended to be automatic. The 2 automatics are burned out and I am replacing with similar Rule 1100. However, now that I have one installed and verified to be working I see there is something wrong with the wiring. I have two bilge switches. One is a side-to-side butterfly toggle with Manual and Auto settings. However this is wired such that one setting turns on the manual bilge in one hull and the other setting turns on the manual bilge in the remaining hull. Then there is a vertical type switch (typical bilge style with the bilge graphic) and this one seems to only run the manual bilge in the starboard hull. When I run the manual bilge in the port hull, which has the new automatic bilge installed, both the new automatic and old manual bilge work simultaneously, but I can't find how to get the automatic to be on all the time. Any ideas where I should start? Something is off in the wiring.

[Bycrick]

+1 for the Ultra Safety switch. I had one in my first boat from about 1980 until I sold it in 1999. The current boat had two installed by the original owner (pre 1990). They’re still there and working fine.