Mounting a bilge pump and float switch?

Murv

Murv

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The units in my boat just sit on the bottom of the bilge.
Nine times out of 10, the float switch is laying on it's side and the pump is half twisted on the outlet hose so won't pump the last inch of water out.
I don't want to stick them down because I want to be able to easily remove them for cleaning, so had the idea to stick them to a very thin sheet of stainless. Good idea? How does everybody else do it?
 
Murv said:
The units in my boat just sit on the bottom of the bilge.
Nine times out of 10, the float switch is laying on it's side and the pump is half twisted on the outlet hose so won't pump the last inch of water out.
I don't want to stick them down because I want to be able to easily remove them for cleaning, so had the idea to stick them to a very thin sheet of stainless. Good idea? How does everybody else do it?
Click to expand...
Here is what someone was proposing:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?374609-Bilge-Pump-Mounting
 
Hi Murv

In the end on my Sailmaster I mounted the pump to a piece of lead sheet that I purchased from a plumbing shop cut to the shape of the bottom of the bilge sump

I was originally going to use plastic cutting board but was concerned that it would float in the bilge

The lead sheet is good because it is heavy and also thin so it reduces the depth of water that is in the bilge

I just bolted the pump strainer to the lead sheet with some stainless steel bolts and nyloc nuts and then clipped the pump body down on to the strainer

Regards Don
 
Murv said:
The units in my boat just sit on the bottom of the bilge.
Nine times out of 10, the float switch is laying on it's side and the pump is half twisted on the outlet hose so won't pump the last inch of water out.
I don't want to stick them down because I want to be able to easily remove them for cleaning, so had the idea to stick them to a very thin sheet of stainless. Good idea? How does everybody else do it?
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I've done it, x2 ergo it must be a good idea!

To keep the stainless in place and stop it sliding around etc it's bent up into an L shaped bracket and a hole drilled through the vertical face.
A conveniently handy protruding anode stud pokes through the hole.

Both bilge pumps (small and large, 2000gph) mounted this way, each on their own bracket with their own float switch.
 
Trundlebug said:
That's exactly how I've done it, x2 ergo it must be a good idea!

To keep the stainless in place and stop it sliding around etc it's bent up into an L shaped bracket and a hole drilled through the vertical face.
A conveniently handy protruding anode stud pokes through the hole.

Both bilge pumps (small and large, 2000gph) mounted this way, each on their own bracket with their own float switch.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, that does sound a good option too. I'm not sure what handy protruding bits I have, I shall have a good look tomorrow. Although, I'm fairly sure the deepest section of my bilge is a neat square section under the sump so sliding around shouldn't be a problem.
I guess I need to find out what thickness the thinnest lead sheet comes in, compared to the stainless, and just go for the thinnest option so that I can draw as much water from the bilge as possible?
 
Murv said:
Thanks for that,
I guess I need to find out what thickness the thinnest lead sheet comes in, compared to the stainless, and just go for the thinnest option so that I can draw as much water from the bilge as possible?
Click to expand...
Lead is normally sold in codes referring to weight in Lbs per square foot.
Code 3 =1.25mm
code 4 = 1.8mm
code 5 =2.24mm
 
omega2 said:
as said mount it on a plate plywood will do, if you must use a float switch mount it front of the pump facing forwards, use a stainless jubilee clip to fix the hose, with regard to float switches they are a PITA always jamming and failing. We got WATER WITCH they work much better

http://www.waterwitchinc.com/new/SiteElements/Pages/SecondaryPages/Products/BilgeSwitches.html
Click to expand...

DanTribe said:
Lead is normally sold in codes referring to weight in Lbs per square foot.
Code 3 =1.25mm
code 4 = 1.8mm
code 5 =2.24mm
Click to expand...

Superb :) thanks both, much appreciated
 
DanTribe said:
Lead is normally sold in codes referring to weight in Lbs per square foot.
Code 3 =1.25mm
code 4 = 1.8mm
code 5 =2.24mm
Click to expand...

the water witch will always leave a drop in the bottom, and if there is any oil around it switches the pump off, no complaints from your marina/neighbors, of course you can always switch to manual and maybe empty the crud out as well?
 
omega2 said:
That pump is bad news!! had two of them both failed, the magnetic switch gear in the float failed.
Click to expand...

Interesting. When I researched pumps four years ago, I remember there being issues reported with the RuleMate 500, but that the 1100 gph was good. So far, so good with ours after 4 years, but we will watch it. If it goes pearshaped, we'll go for the Whales you suggest. Thanks for the link.

R.
 
rbmatthews said:
Interesting. When I researched pumps four years ago, I remember there being issues reported with the RuleMate 500, but that the 1100 gph was good. So far, so good with ours after 4 years, but we will watch it. If it goes pearshaped, we'll go for the Whales you suggest. Thanks for the link.

R.
Click to expand...

the float rises with water in bilge, has a magnet in the top that activates a micro switch and that is the achilles heel, good to hear yours is still working, got nowhere with rule, but we rewired to a water witch, and the pump is doing it's job. Ours was 1100.
 
omega2 said:
That pump is bad news!! had two of them both failed, the magnetic switch gear in the float failed.
Click to expand...

Just realised that ours is a Rule-Mate Series II pump with solid-state "field-effect" water sensing switches. There is an interesting video here showing the difference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbM4lj8dUUo

Hopefully they are more reliable than ones with magnetic switches, but time will tell.
 
Thanks both, greatly appreciated.
I think I will invest in another pump, and run the two.
Although the original works ok, it is old and I'd rather have some backup. I'll probably fix a new one in place, and then mount the old one an inch or so higher so that it stays dry.
 
I have mounted my bilge pumps on a long piece of aluminium strip which is bent in such a way that you mount the pump on one end and the other end become a long handle that allows you to manoeuvre it to the position you want (with a bit of bending) and then you can screw the end of the handle to a bulkhead to secure it. When you need to lift for maintenance, just remove the screw and lift the whole issue out. I use a pump with integral switch which makes it very easy.. Hope this makes sense.
 
On my old pump I stuck 8 feet of hose and the same length of wire, this way it can be used anywhere on the boat in an emergency, as a back up.
 
Puggy said:
I have mounted my bilge pumps on a long piece of aluminium strip which is bent in such a way that you mount the pump on one end and the other end become a long handle that allows you to manoeuvre it to the position you want (with a bit of bending) and then you can screw the end of the handle to a bulkhead to secure it. When you need to lift for maintenance, just remove the screw and lift the whole issue out. I use a pump with integral switch which makes it very easy.. Hope this makes sense.
Click to expand...

Perfect sense, thank you. That approach would actually suit my layout very well.

lynall said:
On my old pump I stuck 8 feet of hose and the same length of wire, this way it can be used anywhere on the boat in an emergency, as a back up.
Click to expand...

Another option, thanks for that. I'll probably mount the two together though, it's only a small boat so only one real option to place a pump anyway.

Where can you buy plates of aluminium or steel?
 
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