Prestige 32 bilge pumps

[Ripster]

Just acquainting myself with all the buttons and switches on my newly acquired Prestige 32 and I come across the bilge pump rocker switch on the dash. I know the BPs are supposed to be automatic anyway (as far as I know) but when I push the switch nothing seems to happen - cant hear any pumps start. Made sure all the power switches/breakers are on and tried various combinations of buttons - but nothing appears to happen. Is this correct? I thought perhaps if no liquid was "detected" by the pump they dont come on - but not sure?

Perhaps there is another P32 owner out there - what does yours do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BGW]

Just acquainting myself with all the buttons and switches on my newly acquired Prestige 32 and I come across the bilge pump rocker switch on the dash. I know the BPs are supposed to be automatic anyway (as far as I know) but when I push the switch nothing seems to happen - cant hear any pumps start. Made sure all the power switches/breakers are on and tried various combinations of buttons - but nothing appears to happen. Is this correct? I thought perhaps if no liquid was "detected" by the pump they dont come on - but not sure?

Perhaps there is another P32 owner out there - what does yours do?

Thanks in advance.

I don't have a Pretsige boat, but I can explain how my rocker switch works, which may be the same as yours - Off in the middle, up is 'spring loaded' so is only on while you hold it and this bypasses the float switch to test the pump or pump out water lower than the float switch.
Down stays on when switched but goes through the float switch, so this is the normal position for automatic pumping.

 

[volvopaul]

Hi David is she back in Brixham? I would say unless the floor is up and you can see the pump, you may not hear it, try lifting the float switch if its that type, it maybe another type of switch that senses water around it, but it should be on a command as well on the dash, are you sure all the dash switches are on, the bilge pump master from memory is the one in the left row with the tap symbol on it or the one next to it.

I would have thought the keen surveyor would have pointed out if they were no working, he was keen!!!!

 

[Ripster]

Hi Paul,

Yes she is finally there - nightmare on the very morning couldn't get the stbd engine to start! So assuming its the Batts- again - I rewire all the leads as you showed me and still nothing. Then I had a lightbulb moment- wonder if I have to push the helm key light each time I try to start an engine, not only on the first one? - Hey presto - off it goes!! Easy when you know!!

On the bilge thing - I think the bilge switch according to the manual is a pic of a boat with a pipe out the side. I think the tap shape is to do with the water/waste pumps.

When I am down next I will lift the floor and listen.

My suspicions were raised when I lifted forward hatch to inspect the bow thuster and noticed a pond in the bilges just behind it of green coolant water where the engines had been drained previously. I have manually pumped it out now, but I would have thought the BPs would taken care of it - maybe not? I have tried the manual BP aft and it works fine - but was dry.

I hope a P32 owner can tell me:

As VPaul has suggested - does another switch(es) need to be on at the same time?

Does the BP switch light up when its pushed?

Can they hear the pumps when the switch is activated?

 

[A_8]

Hi David,
I've got a P34 and its got two bilge pumps, one of them, the one midship gets active if I first switch on the "water" switch, in my boat this is the same as if you would run the black-water drain pump or shower drain pump.
To engage the pump I then need to activate the bilge pump, its got 3 positions, off, automatic and manual. If I want to run it in manual I need to press and hold the upper side and it can easily be heard. The other bilge pump is always active with a water level sensor.
I had a problem with one of my water lever sensors after the boat was a 2-3 yrs old, it started to show itself as the pump starting without no apparent reason.
It took me quite some time to figure out but the sensor consists of two metal parts 2-3 mm apart and one a few centimeters above the other. It was stuck down in the bilge with the lower metal part always in a bit of water. It turned out that there was a build up of "stuff" that when moist would create a electrical connection and indicate that there was water and start the pump.
Before I figured it out and changed it for a air pressure sensor I had to shut it off by disconnecting the wires to avoid draining the batteries.
I am telling you this as I assume yours got the same sensor and the previous owner/seller might have got the same problem, taken a shortcut disconnecting the pump to avoid having it go on and off (the boat would still have another pump)
It took me two seasons to figure out what was really wrong and then I changed the sensor. The old one was a Laz.. something from Italy.
Hope it helps!
/Michael

 

[pissativlypossed]

Bilge Pumps

Just acquainting myself with all the buttons and switches on my newly acquired Prestige 32 and I come across the bilge pump rocker switch on the dash. I know the BPs are supposed to be automatic anyway (as far as I know) but when I push the switch nothing seems to happen - cant hear any pumps start. Made sure all the power switches/breakers are on and tried various combinations of buttons - but nothing appears to happen. Is this correct? I thought perhaps if no liquid was "detected" by the pump they dont come on - but not sure?

Perhaps there is another P32 owner out there - what does yours do?

Thanks in advance.

Hi we have a Prestige 36 and from your description of your system it would appear it's the same as ours, the automatic function is always live and operates as per A_8's interpretation, the circuit is completed when the metal contacts are submerged, the helm switch has no function as far as the bilge switch is concerned.
We modified our system by adding a bilge alarm, proved to be the best thing we did as it saved us from a flooded engine bay on two occasions firstly when a raw water inlet split and filled the engine bay, without the alarm we would have only known about it when the engines stopped, and secondly when the end cap on the intercooler gave up the ghost. Would seriously recommend this modification, it's so cheap and easy to do.

 

[mlthomas]

We used to have a P32 2006 model and I am not sure if they are all the same. On ours the pump as actually in the electrical ‘room’ off the aft cabin (makes the boat sound huge).
When you take the hatch off it was the first pump on the left looking in. It didn’t have a float switch but an electrical water sensor next to where the tube from the pump was located which was under the floor in the forward cabin.
You could definitely hear the pump if you used it.
If you have the owners book it should show you where the fuses are located on the main electrical distribution panel - always start with the simple things.

 

[Ripster]

Thanks to all so far.

I think I know the pump in question now in the electrical room. I will check it out next visit.

Like the idea of a bilge alarm - that sounds a good investment. Did you fit it yourself using a float switch?

 

[Ripster]

Thanks to all for the advice. Visited the boat today and found the combination of switches that makes the BP operate manually. So all appears well.