Auto Bilge Pump - Recommendations please

Ripster said:
Haydn - the alarm in the cabin is situated next to the rear doors and is 80db piercing scream. I can hear it from the FB with the engines running, which was the objective. I was concerned about suitable warning if I am on the boat. It can also be clearly heard outside the boat too. If am not there, then it (even a klaxon) will probably be ignored anyway like car alarms tend to be!
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Well that makes more sense then.

They dont ignore my alarm!!:eek:
 
FWIW, i've been through loads of bilge pumps in an open boat, the ice kills em! but i did try a rule automatic, it kicked in every few minutes and if it sensed water it pumped it, trouble was it killed battery in a few days with lots rain. different i know if you dont have an open boat! I changed to johnson pump and seperate switch (only cos thats all i could lay my hands on quickly) proved very good! but rule also v good, bigger the better as everyone says, i also tried an air pressure fl switch, not very good!
 
Quick note:

Rule type centrifugal pumps are not good for keeping bilges dry, as the shove water up the way and once off again, water will flow back (which in turn may activate a switch on and on again and drain the battery).. If you want to dry the bilges, use a different pump...

Auto switched pumps needs activating higher up in the bilges (seperate switch may be preferrable) with bigger volumetric area so the backflow won't re-activate the pump. Swan neck with non-return valves at outlet is something you also ought to install...
 
Divemaster1 said:
Quick note:

Rule type centrifugal pumps are not good for keeping bilges dry, as the shove water up the way and once off again, water will flow back (which in turn may activate a switch on and on again and drain the battery).. If you want to dry the bilges, use a different pump...
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To stop the water flowing back down the pipe fit a non return valve inline.
 
Would a diverter valve like this

2025958_l.jpg


Be able to divert the pumping power of the engine into the bilge given an emergency? I am thinking if this was inline between strainer and engine with a hose running off it into the bilge that could be switched to if required?
 
All depends on engine and setup..... but I'd hazard to guess that the one depicted is not designed for this purpose... and to provide unrestricted flow (full bore) for raw water pump under normal engine operation...

Personally, I would not consider anything less than a 3 way, full bore valve..

6d26ffbaa3dff3c64ad74559cf387d28.jpg
 
I'd be reluctant to risk having my engine overheat while I'm trying to deal with a major leak. I might not have the time or the dicipline to remember to switch the valve back to normal position when the water level had dropped.
 
Salty John said:
I'd be reluctant to risk having my engine overheat while I'm trying to deal with a major leak. I might not have the time or the dicipline to remember to switch the valve back to normal position when the water level had dropped.
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Never mind messing about on here, get some more bilge mates made. I was going to order one but you're out of stock.
 
Auto Bilge Pump

I have also been interested in this thred as i have been planing an auto bilge pump. One of the obvious dangers is the drain on the batteries and this going unnoticed. My solution to this was to buy a GSM Auto dialer so that if the pump auto switched on I would get a telephone warning so that I could go to investigate and hopefully sort things out. I had chosen this course of action as my boat is fairly remote and there is, as already mentioned, the possibility that alarms will be ignored.

However, this is a cautionary tale, as i have purchased my auto dialer from Hong Kong (at a good price ,my life)and when it came, the instructions were obviously translated from Chinese! I am also still trying to get it to recognise the sim card.

I have not given up hope yet but am trying to find someone for advice, as what goes on inside these boxes is beyond my limited ability.
 
Salty John said:
I'd be reluctant to risk having my engine overheat while I'm trying to deal with a major leak. I might not have the time or the dicipline to remember to switch the valve back to normal position when the water level had dropped.
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Theory goes.... if your current pumps cannot cope (unikely that the standard would cope if you drop a shaft, an intake valve snaps, hull rupture etc., and repair not feasible). Then a quick valve handle operation would turn your engine into a very efficient, high volume bilge pump.... If the choice was as you portray, I'd rather overheat & stay afloat for anoter 15 minutes, than have to abandon ship.

I like to see it as having a massive capacity pump availalbe, which could be put into play, whilst making way to shore .... and as a backup when batteries get flooded and electrics fail (inevitable when pumps cannot cope)... if it keeps my family's feet dry for another 10 minutes, then it is worth marginally more than than £100!! :D
 
Andrewells said:
I have also been interested in this thred as i have been planing an auto bilge pump. One of the obvious dangers is the drain on the batteries and this going unnoticed. My solution to this was to buy a GSM Auto dialer so that if the pump auto switched on I would get a telephone warning so that I could go to investigate and hopefully sort things out. I had chosen this course of action as my boat is fairly remote and there is, as already mentioned, the possibility that alarms will be ignored.

However, this is a cautionary tale, as i have purchased my auto dialer from Hong Kong (at a good price ,my life)and when it came, the instructions were obviously translated from Chinese! I am also still trying to get it to recognise the sim card.

I have not given up hope yet but am trying to find someone for advice, as what goes on inside these boxes is beyond my limited ability.
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If have one of these alarms from ebay, british made luckily! Works well, gives me a call if it senses water. Like the idea of using engine raw water pump as an emergency bilge pump. Even if i forgot to turn the valve when the water level dropped, surley it would take some time for the engine to overheat, and would hope the water temp alarm would activate! Nice idea i thinks!
 
elioti said:
....... Like the idea of using engine raw water pump as an emergency bilge pump. ..... Nice idea i thinks!
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OK... since there have been some interest here ... this stuff is what I believe you need ... fit for your engine installation of course....

1) Intake valve of course with T piece fitted before main intake strainer
2) New valve on to T piece
3) Non return valve, to prevent possible backflow in case of 2nd valve failure
4) Intake strainer to reduce debris intake to main strainer
5) Pipe supports as appropriate
 
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A friend had a float switch operated electric bilge pump on his boat, which was moored in a BW canal, for the winter. A newly filled fuel tank developed a leak, so the pump sent several hundred gallons, yes gallons, of diesel into the canal. Neither BW or the boatowner were very pleased. So remember there could be a downside of automatic pumps.
 
I wouldn't bother with a float switch. They are fine when they are new, but being a mechanical switch, they are not as reliable or compact as the electronic sealed solid state ones you can buy on the market now. Also FS don't tend to work until you've got a couple of inches of water sloshing around in your bilge.

The latest generation are very reliable, will switch at any depth from 1/2" upwards and often come with a long warranty.

I've just replaced my float switch which failed, with one off Ebay which came with a 5 year warranty and cost me £30.



Philiz said:
I'm slightly embarrased to admit the only bilge pump I have on our boat is the original equipment manually switched one.

I'm planning on putting in an additional pump with built in float switch together with an audible alarm.

I've noticed that there are several types, some have a built in mechanical float switch, others have a reed switch mechanism and there are some which spin up every so often and switch on if they sense water resistance against the impellor.

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding type, reliability etc.?

Thanks all.
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