Bilge pump

[chris young]

1984 Rider,

Does anyone know if the float switch is in the pump or the boat. My pump runs in auto, so most likely the float switch is stuck. I'm planning on going back to the boat in a week but I'd like to take a new pump if it needs it. I'm guessing if it's the float switch I should be able to fix it but if it's in the pump maybe a new pump makes more sense.

Good thing the boat seems to be tight. I don't like leaving it in the water without an auto bilge pump so it needs to be fixed right away.

[Salty87]

i hope it's not the original pump. if so, you got your money's worth.

if it's from before you got the boat i think i'd just buy a pump with internal switch and replace the other. if you can get it working again you've got a spare.

do you know what gpm it is?

[Wylietunes]

If there is a float mounted to the bilge floor with a wire running to the pump, the float is external. I know thats stating the obvious, not trying to be sarcastic. If your pump housing has 3 wires coming out of it, the float is internal. Black is ground, brown is switched for manual operation and brown w/red is B+ for auto.

[crystal waters]

great info

[chris young]

Thanks for the info guys, I guess I'll just get a new internal switch pump and replace it, it's not like they're big money, I guess it doesn't really matter, as peace of mind would be a new pump. No idea what the GPM is I've never even seen the pump only felt it. I can't imagine that I need a big one, if the boat were to leak that much, the battery would be dead by the time I got back to the boat anyways. Where would the float switch (if it's external) likely to be mounted?

[Wylietunes]

I would imagine the float switch to be mounted no more then 12" from the pump. Ideally, the pumps would be located at the lowest point of the bilge, so you would want the float to be under water at the earliest time.

A bilge float can be wired in with not a lot of work, but for the price, you can just replace the current pump with a new one with an internal float.

[Jetlink]

Look for a 850 GPH bilge pump at a minimum for your boat.

[wotan2525]

Anyone recommend an auto pump that has worked well for them? I've gone through 3 Attwood Saharas in 3 years. I can't figure out what goes wrong with them -- they still kick on but they don't generate enough "lift" to push water out of the boat after a few months of use.

[Jetlink]

Strange, I'm going on 3 years now with my Atwood pump and it still pumps out water with authority. Is your hose from the pump to the thru hull excessively long? Not sure if Rule makes a better pump but like I said, going on 3 years with no issues with mine and it still pumps with authority.

[wotan2525]

I had an oily bilge (still do a little, I guess.) I think that the oil somehow decreased the effectiveness of the impeller on the pump. Even after cleaning, it wouldn't work. I have a traditional "cartridge" style pump that is a johnson and probably 10 years old and has never stumbled.

I just ordered an automatic Johnson and hope it will work as well.