Bilge pumps and battery taps

[cadunkle]

Replaced my bilge pump today. Was a Sahara 500 GPH pump, I went with a Sahara 750 GPH to replace it, so as to get more flow but not have to replace the through hull. What are you guys running for bilges? I'm considering adding a second pump aft of the trans, maybe a 1200-ish GPH. Would have to be a major leak to get water back there that the front pump couldn't keep up with but thinking it's cheap insurance. Any thoughts on bilge pump GPH or secondary bilges?

Also not sure on wiring on these pumps but the existing wiring for my pump works off the switch but the constant +12v lead is not giving any voltage so I just ran it through a fuse to my larger battery. This terminal is starting to get a bit busy as I have 3 taps off it now with inline fuses... Bilge, seat furnace, and heater blowers. What do you guys do to clean up wiring when you start adding more than a few accessories? Distribution block mounter near batteries? Fuse box? Want to do something to get this a bit more neat/clean as it's getting cluttered and I may be adding a few more things to tap off the batteries.

[wotan2525]

Replaced my bilge pump today. Was a Sahara 500 GPH pump, I went with a Sahara 750 GPH to replace it, so as to get more flow but not have to replace the through hull. What are you guys running for bilges? I'm considering adding a second pump aft of the trans, maybe a 1200-ish GPH. Would have to be a major leak to get water back there that the front pump couldn't keep up with but thinking it's cheap insurance. Any thoughts on bilge pump GPH or secondary bilges?

Also not sure on wiring on these pumps but the existing wiring for my pump works off the switch but the constant +12v lead is not giving any voltage so I just ran it through a fuse to my larger battery. This terminal is starting to get a bit busy as I have 3 taps off it now with inline fuses... Bilge, seat furnace, and heater blowers. What do you guys do to clean up wiring when you start adding more than a few accessories? Distribution block mounter near batteries? Fuse box? Want to do something to get this a bit more neat/clean as it's getting cluttered and I may be adding a few more things to tap off the batteries.

I've got (2) bilge pumps in the factory location. One is wired to the auto switch and has a float, the other is to the regular bilge switch. They each have their own thru-hull. I've had issues with one of them failing every year so the redundancy has been nice. I think they are both 750s (although if you're pumping 750gph you've got bigger issues than a failing bilge pump.)

And yes, I had too many auxilarly wires heading to my battery so added a fused distribution block a few years ago. Added a matching one (non-fused) for the grounds. Really cleaned things up.

[jasun]

I also had quite a few wires going to the battery, so this year I installed one of these:

Ran six gauge wire to it from the battery and really clean things up.


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[jtryon]

I had an issue with a Sahara pump getting plugged multiple times a year and finally upgraded to a Rule 1200GPH pump. Didn't have any issues all of last season, which is likely due to the filter screen that Rule includes as part of their pumps. If you're going to add another, I'd recommend a Rule.

[trayson]

After my sahara failed (either wouldn't turn off or wouldn't turn on), I replaced it with a Johnson low boy. it's a cartridge pump so easy to replace. And I decided to stay away from any of the "all in one" units with the built in float switch and went to the attwood digital bilge switch with the separate pump. That was on my supra.

The Moomba has the sahara and eventually i'll probably do the same on it.

[SquamInboards]

For what it's worth, I would definitely recommend one of the distribution blocks like jasun posted... personally I would go for breakers so you don't have to carry spare fuses of all the various amps you might need.

My primary bilge pump is in the factory location, wired to the auto switch on the dash, always on. I put a second one behind the transmission as a backup, and it's wired (with a breaker inline) directly to one of the main breakers on the engine. No switch, separate discharge hole. Both are Sahara 750 with built-in floats. Personally I like those because debris can't get in them as easily, and there are fewer wires than having a separate float switch. They both have small-diameter wire screens to keep debris out, too.

I think the pump really comes down to personal preference. All bilge pumps are prone to fail at one time or another for lots of reasons, hence why many people have two. There is no part that I have replaced more times in my boat than the bilge pump. However, the saharas have lasted the longest of the ones I've tried.