Bilge pumps wiring

[Bristolfashion]

I've just fitted an automatic pump. Whilst noodling around, I found an interesting professional site suggesting that you forget the 3 way switch (£35 odd) and simply wire the automatic circuit direct to the battery and the manual to a switch of your choice. The reasoning is that you then can't forget to switch on the automatic pump - saves a good few beer tokens as well.

If you really need to disconnect the automatic circuit, it's pretty easy to pull the connections.

I've done this and it seems fine.

What do you reckon?

 

[[2574]]

Don't see why not. Fuses of course....

 

[Bristolfashion]

Don't see why not. Fuses of course....

Yes, good point to make - I've included the appropriate sized fuse. I suppose "pulling" the fuse would give a quick way to shut off the circuit.

 

[Sandy]

Yes, good point to make - I've included the appropriate sized fuse. I suppose "pulling" the fuse would give a quick way to shut off the circuit.

I'm a fan of In-line blade fuses

Inline Splashproof Standard Blade Fuse Holder

 

[blush2]

A word of caution. Make sure the fuse is instantly accessible, if you have a set up where the seacock is used for more than one thing, for example emptying a wash basin. Our boat uses one seacock to empty the bilge and heads basin as well as supplying water to the heads. One very windy beat down the Solent the pump turned on and wouldn't turn off, despite being on auto, because of the heeling some water ran into the basin pipe and the pumping forced it into the basin and out into the boat.

I only found out because I went below to grab a jacket. The three way switch allowed me to turn it off immediately.

We now have a valve on the basin pipe to stop water. However, as the bilge only collects rain coming down the mast, if we close the seacock we can pump fresh water through the heads to flush smelly seawater out (as long as it has rained).

 

[VicS]

I've just fitted an automatic pump. Whilst noodling around, I found an interesting professional site suggesting that you forget the 3 way switch (£35 odd) and simply wire the automatic circuit direct to the battery and the manual to a switch of your choice. The reasoning is that you then can't forget to switch on the automatic pump - saves a good few beer tokens as well.

If you really need to disconnect the automatic circuit, it's pretty easy to pull the connections.

I've done this and it seems fine.

What do you reckon?

I'm sure you can find a suitable 3 way switch for about the same as a simple on/of switch and a lot less than £35.

.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I'm a fan of In-line blade fuses

Inline Splashproof Standard Blade Fuse Holder

Yes, that's what I've used.

 

[Bristolfashion]

A word of caution. Make sure the fuse is instantly accessible, if you have a set up where the seacock is used for more than one thing, for example emptying a wash basin. Our boat uses one seacock to empty the bilge and heads basin as well as supplying water to the heads. One very windy beat down the Solent the pump turned on and wouldn't turn off, despite being on auto, because of the heeling some water ran into the basin pipe and the pumping forced it into the basin and out into the boat.

I only found out because I went below to grab a jacket. The three way switch allowed me to turn it off immediately.

We now have a valve on the basin pipe to stop water. However, as the bilge only collects rain coming down the mast, if we close the seacock we can pump fresh water through the heads to flush smelly seawater out (as long as it has rained).

Yes, good point - in my case the bilge pump has a unique exit. It's significantly above the water line as suggested by the manufacturer.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I'm sure you can find a suitable 3 way switch for about the same as a simple on/of switch and a lot less than £35.

.

Good point - but I rather liked the suggestion that the automatic function is always on - nothing like getting 100 miles from the boat and ..... "did I put the bilge pump on?"

I couldn't quickly see why you couldn't just use 2 simple on off switches instead of a three way.

On reflection, the direct battery connection also takes out two wire connections on the automatic circuit, which could also be a source of failure.

I was also fortunate two have two spare battery posts so it's a unique battery connection as well.

You may suspect the truth - I've got a supply of simple on/off switches!

 

[Stemar]

I don't think I want bilge pumps that can be switched off at an easily accessible panel - too easy for them to be turned off accidentally. My pumps are wired from the battery side of the isolator, through in line fuses directly to the auto connection of the pump, and via switches to the manual one. If I do need to isolate the pumps, I'll pull the fuse.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

A word of caution. Make sure the fuse is instantly accessible, if you have a set up where the seacock is used for more than one thing, for example emptying a wash basin. Our boat uses one seacock to empty the bilge and heads basin as well as supplying water to the heads. One very windy beat down the Solent the pump turned on and wouldn't turn off, despite being on auto, because of the heeling some water ran into the basin pipe and the pumping forced it into the basin and out into the boat.

I only found out because I went below to grab a jacket. The three way switch allowed me to turn it off immediately.

We now have a valve on the basin pipe to stop water. However, as the bilge only collects rain coming down the mast, if we close the seacock we can pump fresh water through the heads to flush smelly seawater out (as long as it has rained).

Sounds like a wildly unorthodox plumbing arrangement to me.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I've just fitted an automatic pump. Whilst noodling around, I found an interesting professional site suggesting that you forget the 3 way switch (£35 odd) and simply wire the automatic circuit direct to the battery and the manual to a switch of your choice. The reasoning is that you then can't forget to switch on the automatic pump - saves a good few beer tokens as well.

If you really need to disconnect the automatic circuit, it's pretty easy to pull the connections.

I've done this and it seems fine.

What do you reckon?

When I had a heavy duty three way battery switch for engine and boat electrics, I used a simple 3 way switch direct to batteries (£6), though a two way one (£5) would do as you never want an auto pump off. (on on bat 1 / on on bat 2)

Now I have engine and aux battery I have direct unswitched wire to aux battery

 

[Ammonite]

I've just fitted an automatic pump. Whilst noodling around, I found an interesting professional site suggesting that you forget the 3 way switch (£35 odd) and simply wire the automatic circuit direct to the battery and the manual to a switch of your choice. The reasoning is that you then can't forget to switch on the automatic pump - saves a good few beer tokens as well.

If you really need to disconnect the automatic circuit, it's pretty easy to pull the connections.

I've done this and it seems fine.

What do you reckon?

Have you fitted a switchable alarm and ideally a really loud one that you can hear from the cockpit / with the engine on etc ? That way you know that something is awry before the floorboards are awash. I've wired mine directly to the pump as the bilge "should" always be dry but you can install one above the automatic pump if needed.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Have you fitted a switchable alarm and ideally a really loud one that you can hear from the cockpit / with the engine on etc ? That way you know that something is awry before the floorboards are awash. I've wired mine directly to the pump as the bilge "should" always be dry but you can install one above the automatic pump if needed.

That's a good point. Not yet, as "phase one" was to get a reliable bilge pump while we leave the boat in the water over winter - to paraphrase Alien, "on a mooring, no one can hear your bilge pump scream".

I'm planning a nice, loud alarm to be triggered by various bad things in due course i.e. it's on the list, but will I get round to it?

 

[Ammonite]

That makes sense. The reason I wanted an alarm is to alert me the instant the pump goes off when I'm onboard. I also think there are plenty of people who would walk past a boat pumping out a bit of water (must leak when it rains, it will switch off in a minute) who would be more inclined to report it if an alarm was sounding....but maybe I'm deluding myself. I've also linked mine to the exhaust alarm which was pretty pathetic and there is a light for each so I can tell what triggered it with an option to silence it while you sort out the problem.