Which Bilge Pump Switch Do You Like ?

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

Water Witch model 101. Solid state. No floats to jamb. Works exactly like it says it's supposed to. They make a host of accessories, monitors, alarms, remote panels etc. Normal retail on the 101 is $29.95. I got mine on e-Bay for $20.

+1 on the water witch. The nicest feature on it is the delay in turning the pump off. It allows everything to exit the pump so backflow is minimized.

[bstreep]

One BIG problems with the Water Witch - and I called them about it. It can ONLY be used with salt water. Our bilge water is primarily condensate from A/Cs and the fridge (this is south texas). It does NOT work in fresh or mostly fresh water! That also means that if you wash out your bilge with a hose, it won't work either.

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by bstreep

One BIG problems with the Water Witch - and I called them about it. It can ONLY be used with salt water. Our bilge water is primarily condensate from A/Cs and the fridge (this is south texas). It does NOT work in fresh or mostly fresh water! That also means that if you wash out your bilge with a hose, it won't work either.

Here is the text from the information sheet provided by Water Witch:

If large amounts of rain water can enter the bilge, it may dilute the normal, fresh or salt, water outside our sensitivity window. Corrective action can be to switch pump on manually to remove diluted water or to add minerals such as salt, baking soda, bilge cleaners, etc… NORMAL FRESH WATER HAS AMPLE MINERAL CONTENT FOR PROPER OPERATION.

I have a friend who adds salt to the bilge, in case rain water enters. It works well for him. But yes, fresh water boaters should be aware of this and account for it.

In the California Delta (where I mostly boat), the water has ample TDS (total dissolved solids) to trigger the water witch, especially in the summer months. Much of the delta is prone to agricultural run-off, which is very mineral rich. Even though it is considered "fresh water" by many standards, it does not behave as such. For example, I use aluminum anodes because magnesium will dissolve within weeks.

[bstreep]

Like I said, I CALLED THEM. Condensate has a TDS of 0-2ppm - it's distilled water. Rainwater, typically around 10. Our tap water in San Antonio is over 300, but in Port Aransas, it's very soft.

Rainwater and condensate, without additional highly mineralized water, will not allow the switch to work properly.