Getting Swamped

[Guest]

Does anyone know of a simple, cheap, fail-safe audio alarm for detecting the buildup of seawater in the bilge? Seems swamping is a common cause of disaster at sea (see this month's YM Learning Curve). In most incidents the leak goes undetected until the vessel becomes noticeably sluggish and floorboards are awash. By this time it's difficult to locate the source (probably below the flood water level) and the engine and batteries may be soon lost, along with VHF and electronic nav equipment. I've considered putting an audible alarm on my automatic bilge pump, but I don't trust float switches, particularly in the bilge - had too many fail. An independent alarm with a fail-safe seawater level detector would be ideal, should be cheap, and would give much peace of mind. Does such a device exist, or how could one be easily made? Or as the wife says, am I worrying needlessly again?

 

[pete]

Several years ago in P B O I think! was an article on making your own bilge alarm from a domestic smoke alarm,
from memory you connect a twin core cable to the test button contacts on the smoke alarm,and terminate the other end of the cable in the bilge with the cable ends bared and probably tinned, leave a small gap between the wire ends and any water is supposed to make the circuit, also it was said that it also still worked as a smoke alarm.

good luck

pete

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

why not use a float switch usually for use with a bildge pump, it is after all only a switch. Hook it up to a bell and or light and hey presto.

I bought two new platisimo switches last year for £13.00 each so they are a reasonable price.

<font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ukstaffords.com>http://www.ukstaffords.com</A>

 

[Anchorite]

Re: Bilge alarm

The article was in PBO of January 1993. I made up two and yes, they work (but
not in anger so far...). PM me a fax no if you want a copy.

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

Pete, You are right.
I fitted a smoke alarm near the boat cooker and ran two wires from the smoke detector. Which is probably same as from the test button and I connected the two ends to a terminal block in the bilge. Its been off twice once for burnt toast and also for leaking water pump. When it goes off its LOUD and comes as a shock. /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif
The sensor is set just below the bilge pump so I know if the bilge pump is required.
Trevor

 

[Balaclava_Colin]

I bought a washing machine alarm from Lidl's (about £3). Apparently you stick them to the side of your machine and it tells you when your floor is flooded. Stick it in your bilge with a little sikaflex and bingo you get the fright of you life when it goes off.

 

[themount2]

Ok maybe it's early and I'm not thinking straight but what do you do when you're at sea with all that bilge water sloshing around? Is it one of those "must remember to switch it on (or put battery back in)" things that eventually get forgotten and the whole brilliant idea is rendered useless?
Don't get me wrong it sounds like a good, cheap solution to a static situation but I have visions of smashing it with the winch handle 'cos it's driving me mad!!!

 

[wpsalm]

You worry to much ..... you,ve made your pleasure boating unpleasant by complicating it all out of proportion...something happened to someone somewhere so immediatly we must find a foolproof tecnical solution so it,ll never happen to us .. relax ... high water alarms are simple and easy to install .....

 

[jimboaw]

Saw your post this am $10 US. for the smoke alarm and half an hour to dismantle and solder. job done. Works a treat! SWMBO very impressed may even get reward tonight! Thanks

 

[wishbone]

A better way of making the detector for the rising water: get a piece of plastic electrical connectors, a piece of brass braising rod, fit a small piece side by side and connect the wires to the other side of the connecting block and take the twin wires to the alarm, you can either screw this through the hole in the connecting block or stick it in place

Wishbone
wot do I know! I’m just yer common Cockney

 

[vyv_cox]

It is a well established practice (well it used to be) on every hour to fill in the log and give ten strokes of the bilge pump. No need for any dependence upon electronics or electrics. No cost whatsoever.

 

[Guest]

Ooooooh, point taken on established practice.

Just two comments, however:
1 - I suspect most instances of serious flooding got out of hand in less than an hour. Hourly bilge pumping may be a hangover from wooden boats. The risk today with GRP is from catastrophic leaks from too many seacocks or loss of prop shaft. (I exclude hull damage from flotsam or running aground because that kind of damage carries its own alarm signal.)
2 - I think we all have a number of items on our boats these days that are an improvement on "established practice" - from winches to auxilliary engines to GPS and beyond. As has been discussed ad nausium, the question of when should these items be regarded as a back up for good practice, and when do they become accepted as established practice in themselves? Has anybody failed a YM exam recently because he didn't pump the bilge hourly? We are, however, still expected to carry out difficult manoevers under sail.