speaking of brown trousers!!

[Thepipdoc]

.... Mid English Channel the engine bay bilge alarm sounded and it's not a noise you want to hear while you're 35 miles from land!
After some investigation I discovered that the boat was bone dry on the inside and the noise was caused by a knackered float switch and the only way I could "shut it up" was to cut the feed to it which wasn't easy given that it was buried deep in the recess of the bilge.
The photo below shows the hole that was burnt into the casing of the switch.

 

[sailorman]

.... Mid English Channel the engine bay bilge alarm sounded and it's not a noise you want to hear while you're 35 miles from land!
After some investigation I discovered that the boat was bone dry on the inside and the noise was caused by a knackered float switch and the only way I could "shut it up" was to cut the feed to it which wasn't easy given that it was buried deep in the recess of the bilge.
The photo below shows the hole that was burnt into the casing of the switch.

ask Salty John for a solid state replacement

 

[longjohnsilver]

.... Mid English Channel the engine bay bilge alarm sounded and it's not a noise you want to hear while you're 35 miles from land!
After some investigation I discovered that the boat was bone dry on the inside and the noise was caused by a knackered float switch and the only way I could "shut it up" was to cut the feed to it which wasn't easy given that it was buried deep in the recess of the bilge.
The photo below shows the hole that was burnt into the casing of the switch.

Probably the most unreliable piece of marine equipment produced. Iirc it was hlb who had one actually explode. Lost count of the number I've replaced over the years.

 

[Bandit]

They work when new but a little corrosion or a bit of dirt and they stick.

Had these in previous boats as auto bilge switches and alarms.

In current boat these are in the tupperware automatic shower drain box. They either would not cut in or would not cut out.

Useless, so we wired the pump to a Manual switch.

 

[Ripster]

Got the same set up on mine. But when I wired it all in I have a mute switch and off as well JIC. Must have been scary to hear it sound in what you thought was genuine anger!

 

[rafiki_]

Good result when you found the root cause though.

 

[OAF]

Thank god for the bilge alarms, mine sounded last year so took a look and to my horror the engine room was filling up rapidly with water, burst inlet hose, I now check the float switches on a regular basis, never seen one burn out before!