Bilge Pump Question

[pissativlypossed]

Having read the sad report of the Mobo sinking in Plymouth in this Motor Boats Monthly, the sinking exacerbated by the bilge pumps being overwhelmed, I have a worry about how my pumps operate.

The boat, A new Sun Odyssey 42 ds, has pumps that are wired to work only when the batteries are switched on, but in the owners manual Jeanneau advise that the batteries should not be left on when the boat is unattended. Our last boat, also a Jeanneau, had pumps that were wired to work when the batteries were off, ie permanently live.

So if I follow the advice, and I do, there is no bilge pump protection when left unattended, I have looked at rewiring the pump circuit but it's not an easy thing to do as the switch control is fed power from, and located, on the main circuit board and I can't work out how to isolate and rewire a direct feed.

Any ideas please?

 

[sailorman]

my bilge pump is a diaphram type with a solid state sensor & always on

 

[Twister_Ken]

Any ideas please?

Yes. Hand the problem over to a marine electrician. Swot I did.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Best wired with a manual switch of main switchboard plus a constantly live feed through the level controller. (float or other type)

 

[pvb]

... I can't work out how to isolate and rewire a direct feed.

As Twister Ken has suggested, it sounds like you need to employ an electrician to do it for you. It's a fairly simple job though, so shouldn't cost much, and will give you better peace of mind.

However, bear in mind that your electric bilge pump is unlikely to be able to cope with any major leak. For that reason, you need to be confident that your seacocks and hoses are in good condition.