Bilge pump - whale supersub smart any good?

Tintin

Tintin

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I'm fitting an electric bilge pump. The boat has never had one so am fitting new wiring and hoses.

I am attracted by the Whale Supersub Smart, which has solid state switching.

This concept seems the way forward - no seperate switch with extra wiring. What is not to like?

On the outlet i was going to Y it into the existing manual outlet rather than make a new hole. Good plan?
 
The Supersub seems quite a good unit. I wouldn't recommend having a combined outlet but would provide a seperate skin fitting - it's above the waterline so wouldn't compromise the boats safety. If you have a combined outlet, there's always the possibility of reverse flow through the other pump unless you incorporate a non return valve which reduces pumping capacity.
 
Comrade Red,

a new skin fitting may be above the waterline with the boat in normal trim, but a distinct liability if flooding of some kind should put the outlet underwater !

For this reason I have seacocks on my above water skin fittings.

I'm fitting a Supersub too, the 1100 model; looks like the best thing going, on another boat I had a conventional Rule pump & float switch and never trusted it, the float often stuck so either no pump or flat battery.
 
Have fitted a number of Johnson Ultima pumps over the last year and can highly recommend them, in fact now my pump of choice, fully self contained, solid state and everybody has been happy. They are very easy to test and confirm operation too which is a real comfort. Have looked at the Whale but the lack of high / low sensor and the length of the things made me lean toward the Ultima, especially after fitting a couple.
 
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David2452 said:
Have fitted a number of Johnson Ultima pumps over the last year and can highly recommend them, in fact now my pump of choice, fully self contained, solid state and everybody has been happy. They are very easy to test and confirm operation too which is a real comfort. Have looked at the Whale but the lack of high / low sensor and the length of the things made me lean toward the Ultima, especially after fitting a couple.
Click to expand...


Hi - I looked at those but was concerned about sensor failure - click http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...Ultima-auto-bilge-pump-switch-failure-(again)
 
Seajet said:
Comrade Red,

a new skin fitting may be above the waterline with the boat in normal trim, but a distinct liability if flooding of some kind should put the outlet underwater !

For this reason I have seacocks on my above water skin fittings.
.
Click to expand...


My thoughts exactly - I am averse to holes without a cock, as the actress said to the bishop
 
My seperate float switch , Rule unit I replaced only 4 years ago, shorted and fecked up the battery so am looking at various solid state units.
Must check out the specs on these units.
 
Comrade Red said:
Hi - I looked at those but was concerned about sensor failure - click http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...Ultima-auto-bilge-pump-switch-failure-(again)
Click to expand...

That seems to be a seperate switch, and two failures on the same installation could easily piont to something else causing an issue, with the combined pump the switch is obviously matched to the pump draw for instance. All I can say, and from a much larger sample than one installation is seven units and no problems of any kind when properly installed and with the correct weight of cable, length, height and bore of discharge hose within spec etc. I have no doubt the super sub is a good unit, my only concern on a couple was the length as they were sump mounted, so just a physical thing. Also used a couple of shower sump mounted ones which I suppose makes it nine. On the subject of physicality, the sub is lower so could easily have to use one and would not worry about doing that either.
 
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I fitted one of the 1100 version a year ago and so far no problems to report. Switching works perfectly and easy to test by putting a finger each side of the sensor. You don't say whether you are looking at the 650 or the 1100 - but if the 650 I don't think it includes a non return valve so you would need to add one of those, especially if using a combined outlet.

At the time of fitting it I e-mailed Whale to ask if it would be ok to wire a buzzer across the manual and negative feeds to act as an alarm - they said that would be fine.

Mounting was easy. I just used "underwater epoxy" from Maplin to stick the mount bracket to the damp floor of the bilge.
 
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My supersub smart has packed up within 2years. The sensor somehow got stuck open and the pump burnt out. Gone for the one without the switch with separate float switches.
 
McKimm,

thanks for that; exactly what I am bothered about with all these pumps, had that trouble in a big way with a separate float switch so I suppose there's no magic answer.
 
I am also just fitting a subsmart 1100 as a second electric bilge pump to back up my existing manual one. Have gone for a separate skin fitting above the waterline except when heeled. The idea of epoxying to the bilge/hull sounds a good idea, was wondering what to do about that!
 
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