Bilge Pump monitoring: Oil or water problems warning: light for night

[pratkins]

Twice in recent years, I have had a problem with a broken oil line and loss of oil pressure. To help alert to this I have installed a car horn operated by a relay on the oil pressure sensor and another on the water sensor. There is a switch in the circuit which I leave off until the motor is operating, then it is put on, indicated by an appropriate dash light. If either fails during operation the horn will sound, an aid to someone also hard of hearing.
The clock, from one of my wrecked Peugeots, is wired in parallel with the bilge pump. This monitors the time the pump has operated since last time when set to auto. It is useful up to 12 hours and especially was when I had a leaking stern gland.
The red light I have installed in the forecabin is actually a rubber trailer light with a brass plate for mounting and useful for night sailing.
I would welcome comments for further improvement. Peter web page

 

[William_H]

You might consider using the W output of the alternator if it has one as a power source to the oil pressure and water flow relay. Fit a diode or diode bridge to the W output to get a DC of about 8 volts only when the engine is running (charging). This would make your warning system independant of the need to turn it on when the engine is running. Although the warning system would be inoperative if the alternator belt failed. Just a thought olewill

 

[Anonymous]

Is yours a wooden boat? Re the bilge pump monitor, I have a BEP meter that includes bilge pump monitoring and my bilge pump usage is around 30 seconds every couple of months. Some of that is condensate from the aircon and rain from the mast. If a regular clock is appropriate for this monitoring then you should consider how to stop the weeps and leaks.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have fitted an electro mechanical resetable counter across my bilge pump that counts the number of times the pump operates indicating amount of ingress of water etc in the bulge over time.