Bilge pump

[Bubblegtt]

I bought our Prestige 32 last October having had a full survey done and many items replaced before sale and after. One of the things that were checked, were the bilge pumps. The forward bilge pump can be manually operated via a switch on the dashboard. This was heard and pumped out some water. The stern bilge pump cannot be manually operated.

While doing some jobs last year, I decided to check the automatic operation of the forward bilge pump with water in the bilge, which eventually completely covered the automatic switch and it faild to turn on the pump. These have a delay of a few seconds before they switch the pump on. I checked the wiring and it was all rotted away!!

Thank you Jeanneau for installing the waste tank right on top of it, it makes it a ball ache to feed new wires underneath it, but I did it and it now works as it should.

It's been in the back of my mind to check the stern bilge pump ever since, but with one thing and another it got put on the back burner, what with fitting new chart plotters and radar etc. until yesterday.



This is the auto bilge pump switch hidden away where you can't see it and yes it doesn't work, neither does the pump, which is seized solid!!

A new identical switch is around 200 euros plus shipping and tax from France, so I have ordered a Whale type which is fitted to later build Prestige 32 for around £32. The Jabsco pump is £205, but I have found an almost identical spec Jabsco for half that. Just need to chop out all the corroded wiring and fit the new parts when they come.

So.......how often do you actually check the auto operation of your bilge pumps? It is almost certain that neither of mine have been working since I bought the boat, just the manual operation of the forward one.

 

[Portofino]

Have 3 water tight compartments .

Fwd saloon /living area 1- pump easy to access + check float switch rule from memory .
Engine room in the middle of the boat has two pumps , one at either end with float switches easy to access to fwd one but the rear one is under the Geny ( new 2014 ) it's float switch is easy to access though .
Rear cabin area under a floor panal. Pump + float switch .
We carry a spare rule float switch -luckily all four are the same .
Seperate switchs to them all on the dash too .

Check them every few weeks -just lift a float hear them come on .

In the ER the Aircon drains condensation and defrost water from two of the three air handlers into the bilge .
So it's important the ER two work automatically .
Although when planing I can turn on the rear pump to kinda pump any out if the auto switches have not raised high enough .
We also have a seperate bilge alarm and lights on the dash for the ER .This is positioned maybe a few cm higher than the auto switches .So if they both do pack up in a sods law way the day after i have checked them I will know -if there is a water level issue in the ER .Well that's the theory.
Then use the dash switches hopefully !

Boat was built to an Italian RINA classification --the I is Italian so has all sorts of safety related mostly out of sight features .

 

[alt]

Christ, access to bilge pump and switches should be easy and in plain sight. Thanks for turning me off the possibility of a prestige (36).

On my Cranchi, the first thing you see / have access to for both fwd and aft is the bilge pumps and floats...I suspect the majority is the same?

 

[Bubblegtt]

Christ, access to bilge pump and switches should be easy and in plain sight. Thanks for turning me off the possibility of a prestige (36).

On my Cranchi, the first thing you see / have access to for both fwd and aft is the bilge pumps and floats...I suspect the majority is the same?

The forward switch is under the floor of the forward berth and easy to access. You just have to wet your fingers and put them across the terminals for a few seconds. The aft switch entails removing the floor (easy) and then unscrewing the bilge pick up, which has the sensor screwed onto it. It's only a few minutes work, but how many owners (like me) had never checked it?

 

[Bouba]

Why do you have so much water in your bilge?

 

[benchmark]

At least once a month and a must before any long trip. when i also check the windlass too.

I have 2 bilge pumps both easily accessible. the first is electronic with a bilge alarm and the second is a backup manual pump with a handle and bellow recessed into the wall at the stern in case all electricity fails and water is coming in..