Any good? Air operated bilge pump switch

[Otter]

I need to fit an automatic bilge pump switch but is a 3ft deep bilge so fitting the switch is extremely difficult - I dame across this and wondered if anyone had experience of them? My concern would be floating debris blocking the air inlet?

http://www.foxsonline.com/acatalog/Jabsco-Hydro-Air-Switch-12v-39-12.html

 

[prv]

I've not heard anything bad about them.

Personally I use Salty John's solid-state switch, which can just be dropped into the bottom of the bilge and works whichever way up it lands.

Pete

 

[NickRobinson]

Hi-
There's no significant flow into the air chamber so should be fine.

But- save £40 by making your own. I use an automatic washer air switch (one in every scrap washer) on Magna. Mounted remotely above the bilges, the small bore tube is located in a simple inverted plastic bottle to give the required volume of air to operate. Works perfectly on and off with no cycling.

Nick

 

[libertyman]

No

I had one - absolutely useless! As you say it relies on the bilges being spotlessly clean. Doesn't take much to block the tube and when that happens I was advised to take the end off the switch and blow through to clear it. Well that isn't much good if the boat is unattended and anyway after you have done that a few times it is difficult to guarantee that the seal remains air-tight.

I have replaced it with a solid state device that works a lot better.

 

[Otter]

I've not heard anything bad about them.

Personally I use Salty John's solid-state switch, which can just be dropped into the bottom of the bilge and works whichever way up it lands.

Pete

Thanks for that, can you post a link to one of those? I've googled with no result

 

[Salty John]

Sorry, we don't offer that switch any more. Excellent as the switch was the very small company that make it are very difficult to communicate with and it became unworkable.

The company is called Bocatech and they're located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

[Otter]

Any suggestions for an alternative?

 

[prv]

Thanks for that, can you post a link to one of those? I've googled with no result

Hmm - surprised to find it's disappeared from his site. Perhaps out of stock? Hopefully the man himself will be along to explain.

EDIT: "The man himself" got here before I did

Pete

 

[SHUG]

I think the standard switch fitted to Johnson pumps is air operated. Had one for years and no problems.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I replaced my nodding dog float switches, which failed each year, with the air type you indicated since doing that not had a problem.

These keep all electrics far away from the bilge water.

 

[PaulJ]

I think the best you can say for the air operated type is that they are unreliable. I had two fitted in Damarri and though they seemed to work when I tested them, I once got water in the bilge which should have activated the pump but it didn't. Fortunately we noticed the water and switched the pump manually. When tested, the "air switch" seemed to be OK but I couldn't trust it so now I have relaced both with conventional float switches.

Anyone want two air operated switches? ......... I can give you a very good price!

Paul

 

[bedouin]

I need to fit an automatic bilge pump switch but is a 3ft deep bilge so fitting the switch is extremely difficult - I dame across this and wondered if anyone had experience of them? My concern would be floating debris blocking the air inlet?

http://www.foxsonline.com/acatalog/Jabsco-Hydro-Air-Switch-12v-39-12.html

I've had one of those for several years and it has always performed faultlessly.

Floating debris ought not to be a problem as there is a large air chamber on the bottom and the switch operates when that is about half full - so virtually impossible for it to be blocked.