Bilge Pump Breaker Tripping

alisdair4

alisdair4

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Joined
18 Jan 2004
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690
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Isle of Bute
midnightdrifter.net
Apologies if this has come up before . A search revealed nothing similar.

Anyway, on our LM32 we have 3 Whale Gulper 750 GPH bilge pumps. They are controlled by a single switch on a 15A breaker. This setup has worked for the last year.

This year, just after launch, I ran the pumps to drain off the bilges. The pumps ran for a few seconds, then the breaker popped.

I have run through the permutations of disconnecting each of the pumps sequentially. The outcome is identical; the breaker trips after a few seconds.

It makes no difference which pump is connected to the system; the outcome is the same.

Can anyone please suggest what is happening here?
 
Cannot find any info on a Whale Gulper 750 gph pump. Only Supersub for which the current is 2,5amps and recommended fuse is 5 amps ( for 12 volts)

If your pump is similar then it will be relatively easy to check the actual current. If well below the breaker rating I'd suspect the breaker itself.

If the current is truly high enough to trip the breaker , whichever pump is in use , Id suspect a wiring fault.
 
Do you have another, identical breaker.

Connect pumps to alternate breaker and try your test. If the breaker trips - its probably the wiring as unlikely to be two (?) pumps with an identical fault and unlikely to be two breakers failing simultaneously.

Good luck,

Jonathan
 
ghostlymoron said:
If you don't have a suitable breaker, wire in a temporary 5a fuse. If it doesn't blow it's the pump, if it does blow, it's the breaker.
Click to expand...
Sorry. but with respect don't you mean the other way round? In other words, if it doen't blow it's the breaker.:)

Mike
 
Thank you, everyone who replied. With the absolute perversity of boats, I stepped aboard today (armed with multimeter, spare wire, extra breaker etc). I ran the bilge pump circuit as a quick trial before getting to work. Bizzarely, it all worked! Bilges now dry, owner remains confused...
 
alisdair4 said:
Thank you, everyone who replied. With the absolute perversity of boats, I stepped aboard today (armed with multimeter, spare wire, extra breaker etc). I ran the bilge pump circuit as a quick trial before getting to work. Bizzarely, it all worked! Bilges now dry, owner remains confused...
Click to expand...
Keep the diagnostic equipment to hand
 
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