Bilge pump replacement

[Krats]

Sorry if this has been discussed but, I'm in need of replacing my Rule 25d2m 500gpm bilge pump. My question revolves around "automatic". This bilge comes on every 2.5 minutes for one second to determine the presence of water. That is the spec thats integrated into the pump. There are other pumps that are defined as "automatic" but that is because they have an integrated float switch. My question is, if my current bilge pump is built with this automatic cycling integrated in the pump what does switching between "automatic" and "on" do at the Connext screen? My tought was to replace my current pump, with an automatic pump with an integrated float switch and simply wired to the existing wiring but turn the switch on at the helm to "on". Wouldn't that allow for the pump to cycle on with the float switch?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Babin Farms]

The earlier models like mine have the pumps that cycle and run off of resistance. I'm not very familiar with the newer boats but I believe your boat has the float integrated into the pump and when you put your switch in the on position it makes the pump run no matter what, when it's in the automatic it is just that, automatically turns on when there is water that need to be pumped out of the bilge.
I'm sure someone with more knowledge of your boat will chime in.

 

[Bryan L]

Sorry if this has been discussed but, I'm in need of replacing my Rule 25d2m 500gpm bilge pump. My question revolves around "automatic". This bilge comes on every 2.5 minutes for one second to determine the presence of water. That is the spec thats integrated into the pump. There are other pumps that are defined as "automatic" but that is because they have an integrated float switch. My question is, if my current bilge pump is built with this automatic cycling integrated in the pump what does switching between "automatic" and "on" do at the Connext screen? My tought was to replace my current pump, with an automatic pump with an integrated float switch and simply wired to the existing wiring but turn the switch on at the helm to "on". Wouldn't that allow for the pump to cycle on with the float switch?

Thanks in advance.

Any luck with this? I have the same concern. This summer will be the first time the boat will be slipped for the season. It will be left unattended for the week. I noticed when on the trailer the pump cycles on and off at a consistent interval when on automatic despite the boat not being in the water for months. Curious what you came up with.

 

[2kwik4u]

I don't have a boat with connext, and I have an "run style" automatic bilge. Take my advice with a grain of salt.

My understanding is the boats with the connext systems have 3 wires running to the pump. One is ground, one "arms" the pump, and the other "runs" the pump. Think of Auto on the screen as "armed". This will let the pump cycle every so often and run as needed. Then think of ON on the screen as the pump motor actually turning and actively pumping. I'm not certain that the connext system will care exactly how the pump triggers during "Auto/armed" status. The current pumps run and check resistance, however a new pump might just check a float switch.

If you wanted to move to a float switch instead of a "run-check" auto pump. Tie the switch and the motor to ground, then the switch and motor to the "armed" leg (this arms the switch, but only provides power to the motor when the switch is closed), and tie JUST the motor to the "on" leg. Make sense?

Some time with a multi-meter, and the owners manual will confirm/deny how I think it works.

Does that help?

 

[Five Faces]

Any luck with this? I have the same concern. This summer will be the first time the boat will be slipped for the season. It will be left unattended for the week. I noticed when on the trailer the pump cycles on and off at a consistent interval when on automatic despite the boat not being in the water for months. Curious what you came up with.

I'm pretty confident your 2016 bilge pump is wired like my 2017. If you're wet slipping, be sure to leave your bilge pump in 'auto' and house battery switch 'on' when you leave. Turning the house battery switch 'off' kills the power to your bilge pump. It is important to note that the resistance type auto bilge pumps draw power by checking for water every couple minutes which will run down your battery after a certain time away, but I have gone as much as two weeks without any issues.

If you want more peace of mind update your 2016 like the 2018 models (I think?) and trash the resistance type bilge pump and replace it with a float type bilge pump and wire it directly to the battery. In this scenario you can turn off both battery switches when you leave the boat and still have a bilge pump ready to do work, without drawing any power until necessary. This has been on my to-do list for some time.

 

[Five Faces]

My tought was to replace my current pump, with an automatic pump with an integrated float switch and simply wired to the existing wiring but turn the switch on at the helm to "on". Wouldn't that allow for the pump to cycle on with the float switch?

Regardless of which type bilge pump (resistance or integrated float), there should be three wires (on/auto/ground). If you wire the new three wire integrated float type bilge pump using the existing three wire resistance type bilge pump wiring it should operate just as it did before but with the added benefit of not drawing any power every couple minutes. If you wire it like this be sure to always leave your house battery switch 'on' when the boat is left in the water unattended for 2017 models. My personal opinion is the float type bilge pump should be wired directly to the battery so it is always ready to do work even if the battery switches are 'off.'

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

FWIW,

On my 2020 210 FSH Sport the bilge pump doesn’t go through the connext screen it just has a three position toggle switch, Auto, Off, Manual. Even when this switch is in the off position the bilge pump is in Auto as the bilge pump is connected directly to the battery.

If the bilge pump runs in auto the back light of the switch illuminates to let you know the bilge pump is running. When in manual the back light comes on too.

 

[randykyra]

I don't have a boat with connext, and I have an "run style" automatic bilge. Take my advice with a grain of salt.

My understanding is the boats with the connext systems have 3 wires running to the pump. One is ground, one "arms" the pump, and the other "runs" the pump. Think of Auto on the screen as "armed". This will let the pump cycle every so often and run as needed. Then think of ON on the screen as the pump motor actually turning and actively pumping. I'm not certain that the connext system will care exactly how the pump triggers during "Auto/armed" status. The current pumps run and check resistance, however a new pump might just check a float switch.

If you wanted to move to a float switch instead of a "run-check" auto pump. Tie the switch and the motor to ground, then the switch and motor to the "armed" leg (this arms the switch, but only provides power to the motor when the switch is closed), and tie JUST the motor to the "on" leg. Make sense?

Some time with a multi-meter, and the owners manual will confirm/deny how I think it works.

Does that help?

You are incorrect.... I have a 2017 212 limited S with connext and its a 2 wire setup....

 

[2kwik4u]

You are incorrect.... I have a 2017 212 limited S with connext and its a 2 wire setup....

I sit corrected.

 

[Levi Weatherford]

You are incorrect.... I have a 2017 212 limited S with connext and its a 2 wire setup....

Same as my 2017 Limited S. There are only two wires running to the pump. A ground and 12v+. There is only voltage on this wire whenever the automatic function cycles for a second and when you turn the bilge on at the Connext screen. This tells me that Connext is controlling the “automatic” and “ON” functions. I kind of wonder if Connext is also looking at the amp draw of the pump to keep it going if it senses water. I would like to add a float switch but still would like to have the ability to use the “On” feature. I think I have an idea on how to wire it so I can do this but I am gonna wait til lake season is over in a month or so. I will try to remember to post a wiring diagram when finished. If anyone really knows how the 2017 Connext bilge system works exactly I am all ears.

 

[Cambo]

for the 2017 it is confusing on the Connext screen pushing the bilge control it turns colors when you press the screen and im still not sure what they do. It seems like the screen would be set up for a 3 wire pump as described above but they only installed a 2 wire pump. They did mess up other items that are very simple like the battery display on the 242x . They had both voltage readings coming from the same battery House and auxiliary and they were measuring at different locations so the resistance in the wire made it appear like two different voltages. With other passengers hitting the screen my concern is that the pump gets turned off I’m not even sure that’s possible but if it does I have a water alarm installed that will ring as soon as soon as the water gets half way up the bilge pump. Every season more and more people flood there engine compartments and a few have sunk there boats. So more importantly than the bilge spend $20 for 3 battery operated water alarms. I will post a link but I’m posting from my phone and don’t have it. If someone does set it up to allow the pump to turn on there is a chance that fumbling fingers could leave it on and the pump will burn out. An audible chime would be great to know that it is on the bilge could be running and pumping out water and the only time you would know is when you stop and hopefully hear it or look over the side.

 

[Levi Weatherford]

Same as my 2017 Limited S. There are only two wires running to the pump. A ground and 12v+. There is only voltage on this wire whenever the automatic function cycles for a second and when you turn the bilge on at the Connext screen. This tells me that Connext is controlling the “automatic” and “ON” functions. I kind of wonder if Connext is also looking at the amp draw of the pump to keep it going if it senses water. I would like to add a float switch but still would like to have the ability to use the “On” feature. I think I have an idea on how to wire it so I can do this but I am gonna wait til lake season is over in a month or so. I will try to remember to post a wiring diagram when finished. If anyone really knows how the 2017 Connext bilge system works exactly I am all ears.

So just to update this, I finally had a chance to add a float switch wired directly to the house battery going to the factory Rule bilge pump. As suspected, on my 2017 212 LS with Connext, the factory bilge pump is just a standard Rule bilge pump. Model 25D2M. Simple on or off pump. Apparently Connext “senses” the current draw and decides to leave the pump on every 2-3 minutes. So what I did was put a diode between where I tapped the factory 12v positive wire with the float switch and where this 12v positive goes back to Connext. Works great. This setup still allows Connext to do its thing like factory but gives me a float switch tied directly to the house battery to operate factory bilge pump even when the battery switches are off.

 

[Julian]

I just added a 2nd float switch pump....I believe in redundancy!