Create Profile or Login

Forum Menu

Home > Forum Home > General Forums > The Boat Shed

connecting a bilge pump

  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - connecting a bilge pump Forum Search Events FAQ FAQRegister RegisterLogin Login

 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  12>
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote NZfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: connecting a bilge pump
    Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 11:51am
NZfrnd View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Location: Auckland
Status: Offline
Points: 117
I was soo looking forward to having a small break (till jan 10th) and look at Auckland weather! ^%#&%# ...i guess all boaties would be doing some diy jobs at this time..i am planning to install a bilge pump.

i bought an automatic bilge pump from smart marine, along with the flippin hose which i thought was way over priced! anyway, do i buy a switch like this one and run the cables from the back of the boat to control switch?




also when fixing the pump to the base of the boat, do i just screw it down on to the fibreglass bottom? is there any type of screws that dont rust? i was fiddling with my handset for UHF radio and found all screws in it had rusted badly.

huggy, CJ, u guys going out fishing any time soon? 

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Jet_ski_fisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 12:46pm
Jet_ski_fisher View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Location: Whakatane
Status: Offline
Points: 15
Don't screw it, skiaflex it down in case you have to move it, you wont be left with holes to fill up.
just remember if you leave the boat battery in it will go flat, as it is in auto and has power.
and yes that's the one you need. i have a 2000gph one that can suck the balls of a gnome :)
and i used twin core tinned cable to make it last longer, we did the whole boat out with tinned cable while we was at it. just need the carpet it out to finish it off.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 5:53pm
Catchit View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 28 Dec 2009
Location: South Head
Status: Offline
Points: 2185
just remember if you leave the boat battery in it will go flat, as it is in auto and has power.
or a small solar charger to keep it topped up ?
"We gave Sir Peter a knighthood," Mr Key said, "And if we could give him a second one, we would."

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Jet_ski_fisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 8:25pm
Jet_ski_fisher View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Location: Whakatane
Status: Offline
Points: 15
solar charger yerp bunnings have them cheap as chips and ready to go :) thanks forgot about the solar charger thing :)
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote NZfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 9:03pm
NZfrnd View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Location: Auckland
Status: Offline
Points: 117
but it does have an off button, so shouldnt it cut the power off? i am becoming very depressed when looking at the weather forcast...what a waste of annual leave!
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Blue Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2011 at 11:02pm
Blue Asparagus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 10 Oct 2004
Location: Kerikeri N.Z
Status: Offline
Points: 27586
mate I have one but I over rode it so it is on permanent with a fuse, now I am not 100% sure mate but if your in a trailer boat there is no drama turning it on when you start your trip and off when ya done, auto switches are mainly for moored boats with shaft seals or skin fittings that may just let go, unless it is running you wont use power and yes it has a wee light but nothing wire cutters wont sort, by all means fit one up no harm in it at all.Wink
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote tobez Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 3:46pm
tobez View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: whitianga
Status: Offline
Points: 10390
dude
chances are you have three wires, red black and other, probably brown with with stripe - that must be hard wired to your battery - it will not drain battery power unless the float switch is stuck on and youll hear the pump. the negative goes to your feed wire to the negative busbar behind the dash and the pos to the 'on' side of the switch - theres no need for a switch like that a standard on off switch is fine, the main pos feed from the battery or pos busbar to the off side of switch so when you turn it on it makes the circut - the whole idea of having an suto bilge pump is so u dont need to have it on auto, it should be on auto the whole time...sikaflex 291will do the job of holding the bilge pump down any issues give us a tinkle 021 862948
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Jet_ski_fisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 4:18pm
Jet_ski_fisher View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Location: Whakatane
Status: Offline
Points: 15
What i ment was if left on auto, it will drain the power as you need power to keep it on auto so when it fills it will click the pump into gear. but thats how i see it 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 4:46pm
Catchit View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 28 Dec 2009
Location: South Head
Status: Offline
Points: 2185
NZfrd, is  your boat on a mooring or a trailer ?
"We gave Sir Peter a knighthood," Mr Key said, "And if we could give him a second one, we would."

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Olfart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 5:46pm
Olfart View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Feb 2008
Location: Wattle Downs
Status: Offline
Points: 5012
Why not do away with all the fancy wiring - toggle switch and all - and install a "float switch" alongside the pump?  That way the pump will only turn on when there is sufficient water in the sump to activate the switch.  Similarly when the water level drops, the float switch turns itself off.
This is what I am going install in my boat sometime soon...
Semper in excreta sumus, solum profundum variat....



Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Jet_ski_fisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 6:53pm
Jet_ski_fisher View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Location: Whakatane
Status: Offline
Points: 15
 guy with a fancy inboard engine at whakatane with a dam find boat, had the same setup you just typed old, problem was it didn't do as it was told to do and promptly filled with water to half way up the engine before they found the problem..leaking bung was the source of water drying out the engine wa sthe other problem  
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote NZfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 11:03pm
NZfrnd View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Location: Auckland
Status: Offline
Points: 117
catchit, mine is a trailer boat catchit, a sea nymph wasp. olfart, this is what i bought


apparently it didnt need the float switch!

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Olfart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2011 at 11:08pm
Olfart View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Feb 2008
Location: Wattle Downs
Status: Offline
Points: 5012
NZfrnd: I only have a standard bilge pump on my tub (Buccaneer 510) controlled by an on/off switch.  So was thinking it might be good to add a float switch (about $29) just to be safe in case of an unwanted ingress of water....e.g. from a leaking bung for example...
But then again, maybe a complete unit like you have may be a better option.
Semper in excreta sumus, solum profundum variat....



Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Damo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2011 at 9:19pm
Damo View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 4632
you can also wire in a car horn ($5 from a wrecker) Good if you cant see your bilges or dont have a warning light on the dash. This has saved my cookies before.


www.charterconnection.co.nz
Facebook: Diversity-Fishing
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Blue Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2011 at 10:40pm
Blue Asparagus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 10 Oct 2004
Location: Kerikeri N.Z
Status: Offline
Points: 27586
Originally posted by Damo Damo wrote:

you can also wire in a car horn ($5 from a wrecker) Good if you cant see your bilges or dont have a warning light on the dash. This has saved my cookies before.

Damo how does this work, I am in that boat so to speak and just run a float switch, is the horn just a warning the pump cant keep up or just to let you know the pump has operated.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote NZfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2011 at 10:58pm
NZfrnd View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Location: Auckland
Status: Offline
Points: 117
i thought buying the bilge pump would be the last thing i would wana do for the boat right now, but wait...i got to spend more...now that i bought the switch, i would need cables, from switch to the battery and the unit to the switch, so which is what...about 10 m of cable? and where do i get this skiaflex glue? does it come in like a small tube or so? 

on a positive note, took my lil one to the movie  theaters for the first time in her life..with a large popcorn, we managed to keep her entertained thru the movie..happy feat 2 :) 

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Damo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2012 at 9:06am
Damo View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 4632
Originally posted by Blue Asparagus Blue Asparagus wrote:

Originally posted by Damo Damo wrote:

you can also wire in a car horn ($5 from a wrecker) Good if you cant see your bilges or dont have a warning light on the dash. This has saved my cookies before.

Damo how does this work, I am in that boat so to speak and just run a float switch, is the horn just a warning the pump cant keep up or just to let you know the pump has operated.


lets you know its on....we used them on our fishing boats. During the day the stereo would be blasting and the winches grinding away youd never here the little alarms so we swapped them out for car horns. Saved my bacon once when a rudder gland let go out off Cuvier. For a pleasure carft you can use the reversing signal alarms too -  they are bit less agriculturaLOLl


www.charterconnection.co.nz
Facebook: Diversity-Fishing
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Big -Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2012 at 2:30pm
Big -Dave View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 05 Aug 2009
Location: Hamilton
Status: Offline
Points: 3168
I like the idea of the float switch on my boat when overnighting, if it comes on i would probably hear it and get up to see what is going on.
Some pumps come with a built in float switch, some dont.
Keep it simple, run a decent sized wire from a switch on the dash to the pump and earth the pump negative back to the battery. Use heatshrink over joins in wires wherever you can.
you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 2:21pm
kinger View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 15 Nov 2009
Location: Taupo
Status: Offline
Points: 141

As a little add on to this. (please excuse me).

I'm taking on a little water through the keel strip on my old Clyde Craft 4eleven. It's got a sealed flotation chamber. Can I mount a pump with a hose inlet via a bulkhead fitting o the cabin floor, or do I HAVE TO cut a hole and fit it inside the hull.
It's trailered, and rarely out for more than six hours, so just on/off wiring is needed.
Alternatively, as I don't have the means to lift the boat off the trailer, what would be a reasonable cost for a yard to lift it and reseal the bottom.
Thanks.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Busted! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 2:50pm
Busted! View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum


Joined: 15 Nov 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 2493
Originally posted by Olfart Olfart wrote:

NZfrnd: I only have a standard bilge pump on my tub (Buccaneer 510) controlled by an on/off switch.  So was thinking it might be good to add a float switch (about $29) just to be safe in case of an unwanted ingress of water....e.g. from a leaking bung for example...
But then again, maybe a complete unit like you have may be a better option.
 
The 'normal' way of wiring bilge pumps is either completely manual (i.e. switch on/off) or auto/manual/off.
 
The wiring for the auto manual and off (2-way) circuit is pretty easy, you need a 3-position switch usually 1-off-2 where you would make 1 auto, off off (obviously) and 2- manual-on.  The wiring is as this, common negative to battery from bilge pump, positive supply to switch (fused), two wires - one from each of poles 1 and 2 from the switch to the bilge pump.  Wire 1 runs through the float switch, wire two runs direct to the pump.
 
This way, if the float switch fails to close (not uncommon as they are notoriously unreliable beasties) you still have a manual override position so that you can lock the pump on and pump out, and if the float switch fails to open (pump refuses to switch off) you can manually switch the pump off and prevent it burning out...
 
The bilge alarm horns are a requirement for survey and are usually permanently wired up on a seperate float switch (positive wire to fuse-horn-float switch and neg to battery) so that they cannot be switched off by accident.  The second alarm float is normally positioned about 100mm or so ABOVE the bilge pump float switch to provide room for the bilge pump to operate without triggering the alarm/horn, and so that boat rolling won't trigger the alarm either.
 
Other considerations with fitting a bilge pump, include putting it somewhere that you can get to it to clean fishing line and debris out of it and service it, and placing the outlet as high up out from under the gunwales as you can.  If there is a long outlet hose, and a small bilge compartment you might need to use a non-return to prevent the water in the hose backflooding through the pump into the compartment and closing the float switch again.  This cyclic on/off due to water movement into and out of the hose has sunk several boats due to burning out pumps and flattening batteries.  It's a good idea to fit a non-return in any event to prevent any crap that makes it through the pump from draining back through and stopping the works...
 
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should a bilge pump outlet exit below the waterline, as the skin fitting can clog with fouling or the non-return fail and a siphon set up which can sink your boat...
 
As far as a 'sealed compartment' that fills up, I would look to getting it repaired at the earliest and the cost depends entirely on the amount of damage.  Or, fit a through-bulkhead hose fitting with sikaflex so that it remains sealed, and a decent watertight hatch with a gland to run wiring etc so you can get to the pump...
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  12>
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.391 seconds.

Most Thanked Forum Posts

2 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Mc Tools berley mincer
2 Hey Smudge...come over to wher...
2 Mc Tools berley mincer
1 here is one for you Tonto
1 Full circle
1 Knife sharpeners
1 Knife sharpeners
1 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Freshwater Fishing Reports
Canterbury Fishing Report - 23/07/26

Lake fishing strong July is close to an end, our duck season is closing this... Read More >

24 Jul 2026
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Northland Fishing Report - 23/07/26

Inshore snapper fishing heating up It’s officially past the halfway point of winter, and the... Read More >

23 Jul 2026
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bream Bay Fishing Report - 23/07/26

Winter kahawai abound  Kahawai and kingfish have ‘invaded’ Bream Bay over the last few weeks,... Read More >

23 Jul 2026
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 23/07/26

Choose a spot and stick with it Why the chill factor of the wind affects... Read More >

23 Jul 2026
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

All information © 2026 The Fishing Website