Bilge Failure?

[Cory]

Last couple of times out, noticed when I flip the bilge pump on, it lights up the switch for about 5 seconds, then pops the circuit. Never note anything coming out of the side of the boat.

Pulled the pump, the strainer was clean, all appears to be in order so I am assuming the pump has failed?

Any specific steps to test, or just replace it?

Any particular brand or replacement that is preferred?

 

[Gym]

You might try using the exact same pump if possible. That way you can pop the new pump into the old strainer.

 

[Julian]

Last couple of times out, noticed when I flip the bilge pump on, it lights up the switch for about 5 seconds, then pops the circuit. Never note anything coming out of the side of the boat.

Pulled the pump, the strainer was clean, all appears to be in order so I am assuming the pump has failed?

Any specific steps to test, or just replace it?

Any particular brand or replacement that is preferred?

Does the impeller in the pump spin at all, or is it jambed?

 

[Beachbummer]

Do you have an Multi-meter? If so, check the resistance between wires coming out of the pump. If they are shorted (Very Low resistance) The coil inside has shorted and the pump is toast.

Can you touch the pump cable terminals directly to the battery or to a battery charger, very carefully, just for a moment, to see if it runs in that scenario or not? The idea is to confirm the pump is indeed the issue before you replace it. I venture a wild guess that 90% its the pump, but if you can test it this way and confirm it's not it, it could be a short in the wiring or other electrical problem. Unlikely, but easy to test, so might be worth it if you can, before spending the money on the replacement pump.

 

[Cory]

Ok - I guess I'll play with it some more, its just such a bitch to get to, part of me just wanted to replace it and be done. But realistically, that pump has hardly ever been used. Until this last season where it sat outside over the winter, I've never had any water in the boat whatsoever, its probably been used a half a dozen times at most.

 

[Beachbummer]

You should remove it to do any testing. It is very likely the pump. Easiest thing is to remove it to test it out. Don't work any harder than required.