BILGE PUMPS & FLOAT SWITCHES

[moseriw]

Reason
I always had troubles with the bilge pumps. Either they stopped working or the float switches drowned or even burnt.

Why the Bilgepumps
stopped working? Well some of the vendors (or by law?) declared us as stupid. So they managed to implement a mechanism that stops the working pump if oil is detected.

A super solution that will sink our boats on emergency as when the water rises even the oil sump of the engine might be floated.

And by then, out of our control someone sends us to the ground!

Solution:
always use a self priming gear wheel pump and read the f. manual(RTFM) before you buy scrap!

Warning:
the Bilgepump I am talking about is from one of the top 5 makes.

Float switches
During the last 2 years one float switch drowned (OK a cheep one) and I was foolish enough to throw it away instead of foaming it. After this I bought a swim switch of THE vendor with 14 Amps, connecting it to a 6 Amps Bilgepump that is dedicated to pump the showers waste out.


It died within one year and say 200 uses. OK I bought the expensive one for 20 Amps to get the same result within one year.

After the second brake down I contacted the vendor requesting RMA with the answer that everything breaks by time and I shall claim the distributor with the invoice.

Mention we are talking about THE vendor and not some Hongkong based noname distributor.

The finding
of course I wanted to know why these 40-60 USD float switches gave up and I cutted the cheaper one in half to find that the contact plates (metal) are burnt and the resulting coal cover refused electrical contact.

Which indicates that this swim switch is not even capable of 6 Amps while it is praised for 14 Amps. In spite of this I did not dismount the second swim switch as the result will be much like the same.

Solution
at very first I will implement 12V 50A Open/Close relays to get the Amps off the float switches. Next I will buy some Mercury-Float-Switches for around 5-7 USD each.




Pricing
the said professional solutions that fooled me around are 40-60 USD. The relay and mercury switch 15 USD at max.

[Teknishn]

My experience with this type of float switch has been that they never last long when used in a high amperage circuit (i.e. bilge pumps), no matter who manufactures it. I've had good success using them for tank High/Low level alarms (low amperage). I've also used them to actuate relays which, in turn, energize a pump controller or contactor rated for the specific pump (again, the relays are low amperage). As far as bilge pumps go? I'd look for something that is designed specifically for bilge pumps. I use Rule float switches for bilge pumps, or where it dictates, a stainless steel ball and float sensor.

[moseriw]

yes they are not supposed to withstand Amperage. Therefore: us a 12V DC casr relay for 4 USD and its done!

[old frog]

+1 on the relay.

[Lepke]

I have 5 wt bulkheads with 6 bilge areas in a wood boat. The only float I use now is the float-in-a-tube, any brand. The pumps with built in sensors always fail. Non-mercury float switches fail. I also have a relay on my pumps. They are cheap ($1-2ea.) and rated 40 amps. There is also a similar 80 amp rated on on ebay for $7. The 5 pin is probably the most common in use relay, I've found it in all kinds of equipment, cars, engines.

Most pumps and float contacts fail because there is too much voltage loss on 12v systems. A relay solves many problems with long 12v wire runs. Several OEM engine manufacturers now use a relay to the starter solenoid "S" terminal, so the 12 volts doesn't have to run to the key and back. As voltage drops the pump draws more amps and burns the float contacts or the motor.

[Nicholson58]

Replacing this AGAIN after six months in a fresh water shower sump. Not so super. I assumed that the cord seals failed so I now pot them in 5200. From discussion above, sounds like the contacts are likely inferior. Replacement in the Caribbean is big money and no alternative options except a manual bypass switch.

[motion30]

I stopped buying the rules float switches. In my experience they are failure prone and tend to fail in the on position. And then the pumps overheat and burn out

[moctrams]

The Water Witch 217, 230 or 230-24 is a submersible electronic bilge pump switch which allows boat owners to forever rid themselves of the archaic outdated float switch. They have no moving parts, requires no adjustments and works in an oily bilge

[motion30]

Originally Posted by moctrams

The Water Witch 217, 230 or 230-24 is a submersible electronic bilge pump switch which allows boat owners to forever rid themselves of the archaic outdated float switch. They have no moving parts, requires no adjustments and works in an oily bilge

I Googled the switch and it is not expensive but nowhere in the literature does it say it will work in an oily bilge???

[Bycrick]

Look for the Ultra Safety switch. I put one in my first boat in about 1980. It was still working when I got rid of the boat in 1999. My second boat had two of them installed when I bought it in 1998. They’re still there and working.

[Bill Seal]

I just checked on EBAY, and found out the Bosch type 12v relays are available with Weatherpak style waterproof seals for just a few bucks.
My next project.

[Lepke]

Originally Posted by motion30

I Googled the switch and it is not expensive but nowhere in the literature does it say it will work in an oily bilge???

4th line on the 1st page says it works in an oily bilge. I may try one.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by Lepke

4th line on the 1st page says it works in an oily bilge. I may try one.

Ok thanks.

[Simi 60]

If you have the space mount the float switch well above water height.
PVC tube fitting loose in pvc saddles
Float on end of PVC tube.

As water rises, float floats and tube rises up activating float switch, which never sees water.
Oily bilge not an issue as there are no electrical components that get wet apart from the pump.

But, you should have oil absorbent mat's in bilge, drip trays under engine and oil leaks fixed.
Oil should not be pumped overboard.