Installed second bilge pump with float switch today

[David Decker]

I installed a second bilge pump today with a float switch, wired directly to the house battery. I wanted this for peace of mind, but also because the stock configuration doesn't work well for boats that are stored in dry stack.

When I return to dock after a day of boating, I tie up and head home. The boat stays in the water until the marina re-stacks it the next morning.

For folks who keep their boats in dry stack, the stock bilge pump situation leaves two choices, both of which are bad:
1. Leave the house battery switch ON. The pump will come on every 2 1/2 minutes for the next week or two, until I can go out to the lake again (or until my house battery dies).
2. Turn the house battery switch OFF, in which case I'd be effectively without a bilge pump for about 18 hours.

My solution was a second pump wired to a float switch and directly to the house battery. Now I can turn off the house switch and the second pump will still run, but only if it is actually needed. It draws no current and the pump stays off unless there is water present.



In order to avoid the need to drill a 2nd hole in the side of the boat, I used this 3/4" dual-bilge "Y" valve with two integrated check valves. This prevents backflow if one pump is on and the other is off.

http://www.explosivepowersports.com/unified-marine-dual-bilge-y-valve-50052444/?gclid=CM3307-mhcwCFYkCaQod3HEA_g

 

[jkl3991]

Nice job- I will be doing this as well. Amazon-ing these parts now.

What did you use to mount the pump to the floor?

 

[Addicted]

I installed a second bilge pump today with a float switch, wired directly to the house battery. I wanted this for peace of mind, but also because the stock configuration doesn't work well for boats that are stored in dry stack.

When I return to dock after a day of boating, I tie up and head home. The boat stays in the water until the marina re-stacks it the next morning.

For folks who keep their boats in dry stack, the stock bilge pump situation leaves two choices, both of which are bad:
1. Leave the house battery switch ON. The pump will come on every 2 1/2 minutes for the next week or two, until I can go out to the lake again (or until my house battery dies).
2. Turn the house battery switch OFF, in which case I'd be effectively without a bilge pump for about 18 hours.

My solution was a second pump wired to a float switch and directly to the house battery. Now I can turn off the house switch and the second pump will still run, but only if it is actually needed. It draws no current and the pump stays off unless there is water present.

View attachment 35526

In order to avoid the need to drill a 2nd hole in the side of the boat, I used this 3/4" dual-bilge "Y" valve with two integrated check valves. This prevents backflow if one pump is on and the other is off.

http://www.explosivepowersports.com/unified-marine-dual-bilge-y-valve-50052444/?gclid=CM3307-mhcwCFYkCaQod3HEA_g

This is a great mod, and I have done the same myself. You may want to consider adding another through hull fitting for discharging the second pump. As installed you won't have the ability to move more water with second pump running, as the volume of water leaving the boat will be limited by the 3/4" hose, and often times limited even more by the wye fitting. You will however have the benefit of a backup pump if one fails, and of course the float switch option, so it is still a win.

 

[David Decker]

@Addicted - you make a good point about the second thru-hull fitting - with both pumps on, I agree the output will be limited by that shared section of 3/4" hose. It would certainly be less flow than if there were two thru-hull fittings.

@jkl3991 - I mounted the 2nd pump and switch to a small piece of white Polyethylene cutting board. It's about 1/2" thick - I used mounting screws that went almost (but not quite) all the way through. I roughed up the back of the board and used marine "goop" adhesive and one stainless screw that bites maybe 1/4" into the fiberglass. On my boat, the "articulating keel" is below, so there is some room before worrying about reaching the outer hull. I thought about just using the adhesive, but settled on using a screw as well to make sure it was secure.

I found that the easiest routing for the new 3/4" hose was straight to starboard - this made is easy to route under the engine without kinking the hose.

 

[JDSCHMOO]

Did this last season, added a second thru hull as Addicted did. Always thought about doing it, but finally did after I flooded my engine compartment and almost submerged my engines after a plug blew out... my fault. The stock bilge wasn't pumping enough water quick enough for me at that moment, and I also realized that if I hadn't flipped on the bilge switch at launch, I'd have had a much bigger problem. Now I have a larger volume, floated bilge pump wired directly to the house battery for backup, more volume, and peace of mind that if I'd forget to flip that stock bilge switch, I'd still be moving water in case of an emergency.

Although it gets interesting if I have it on the trailer and fueling the boat and some water finds its way back to that pump...

My thru hull is next to the fuel cap.

 

[Julian]

@David Decker I was reading your point #1 above and was wondering if you removed your solar panels? If not, then they have more than enough capacity to keep the battery charged with the tiny draw the stock bilge has....but that said....there is never anything wrong with having more pump capacity!

FYI--Yamaha told me that both panels combined would produce 1.5 amp hours in the sun!

 

[4x15mph]

Great mod and did the same. I didn't use a Y adapter and instead I have 2 separate thru hull and hose runs meaning I can use each of the pumps to their full capacity.

I just used 3m 4200 to glue the pump to the bilge floor and it seemed sturdy after 24 hours. I think 5200 would guarantee that but I don't like using 5200 if I don't have to.

 

[David Decker]

@Julian - I didn't remove the solar panels, but I don't think they would help much in my case because its usually nearly sunset when I tie up at the end of the day. And on top of that, the boat gets re-stacked the next morning inside a dark warehouse with boats above it and to the sides. The boat is basically in the dark 90% of the time.

I think the battery might survive running the pump for a week or two with only a little help from the solar panels, but I didn't like the idea of it cycling day and night. Basically, the pump would never get a rest - it would cycle and cycle all summer long, whether the boat was in or out of the water!

So my solution was to put the stock pump on AUTO while in the water, then turn off both battery switches when I tie up at the end of the day. That way, the stock pump gets to sleep most of the summer

 

[Julian]

@Julian - I didn't remove the solar panels, but I don't think they would help much in my case because its usually nearly sunset when I tie up at the end of the day. And on top of that, the boat gets re-stacked the next morning inside a dark warehouse with boats above it and to the sides. The boat is basically in the dark 90% of the time.

I think the battery might survive running the pump for a week or two with only a little help from the solar panels, but I didn't like the idea of it cycling day and night. Basically, the pump would never get a rest - it would cycle and cycle all summer long, whether the boat was in or out of the water!

So my solution was to put the stock pump on AUTO while in the water, then turn off both battery switches when I tie up at the end of the day. That way, the stock pump gets to sleep most of the summer

Ah...that makes sense....I wasn't thinking about the fact that a dry stacked boat would be in the dark!

 

[Jay Petzold]

Did you put a fuse between the battery and bilge?

 

[David Decker]

@Jay Petzold - Yes, I wired a 10A inline fuse within the first few inches of wire coming off the house battery.
I used 10A because the pump is rated at 4A current and I thought maybe a 5A fuse was cutting it a bit close. But I think Rule recommended a 5A fuse.

 

[Jay Petzold]

@Jay Petzold - Yes, I wired a 10A inline fuse within the first few inches of wire coming off the house battery.
I used 10A because the pump is rated at 4A current and I thought maybe a 5A fuse was cutting it a bit close. But I think Rule recommended a 5A fuse.

Thanks you saved me a lot of research time!

 

[David Decker]

I'm thinking now about maybe replacing the existing 3/4" thru-hull bilge fitting with a 1 1/8" one like shown below.
http://www.starmarinedepot.com/seachoice-thru-hull-connector-black-plastic-1-1/8/pzz7554.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwmdu5BRCg1O3a-tDY0AQSJACKPgRKV_RIhD76Dwu5Te2kjneSo3NFCdrL7OD-63UadIAGdRoCmbnw_wcB

This way, I wouldn't have to drill a 2nd hole (though I might need to enlarge the existing one) and I could use a short section of 1 1/8" tubing from the "y" valve to the fitting on the starboard side. This should help avoid restricting the flow too much if both pumps came on at the same time. Has anyone done this?

 

[Boat Crazy]

@Jim Robeson , thought this may be an interesting read for you.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I would install 2 independent thru-hulls. I don't like the idea of a check valve possibly getting stuck closed or at minimum it has to reduce flow.

 

[jameskeller76]

I installed a second bilge pump today with a float switch, wired directly to the house battery. I wanted this for peace of mind, but also because the stock configuration doesn't work well for boats that are stored in dry stack.

When I return to dock after a day of boating, I tie up and head home. The boat stays in the water until the marina re-stacks it the next morning.

For folks who keep their boats in dry stack, the stock bilge pump situation leaves two choices, both of which are bad:
1. Leave the house battery switch ON. The pump will come on every 2 1/2 minutes for the next week or two, until I can go out to the lake again (or until my house battery dies).
2. Turn the house battery switch OFF, in which case I'd be effectively without a bilge pump for about 18 hours.

My solution was a second pump wired to a float switch and directly to the house battery. Now I can turn off the house switch and the second pump will still run, but only if it is actually needed. It draws no current and the pump stays off unless there is water present.

View attachment 35526

In order to avoid the need to drill a 2nd hole in the side of the boat, I used this 3/4" dual-bilge "Y" valve with two integrated check valves. This prevents backflow if one pump is on and the other is off.

http://www.explosivepowersports.com/unified-marine-dual-bilge-y-valve-50052444/?gclid=CM3307-mhcwCFYkCaQod3HEA_g

Did the Rule 800 come with enough wire to make it to the battery?

 

[2nazt]

@jameskeller76 usually the pumps only come with 12" of wire give or take off it and you have to provide your own wire to complete the install. My 2 different Rule pumps I have use in the past have a 500 and 1100.

 

[jameskeller76]

@jameskeller76 usually the pumps only come with 12" of wire give or take off it and you have to provide your own wire to complete the install. My 2 different Rule pumps I have use in the past have a 500 and 1100.

Thanks for the info!

 

[eticket]

@David Decker,what float switch is that you used for the second pump? I am buying parts for my install and the reviews for the Rule switches are not good.

 

[swatski]

@David Decker,what float switch is that you used for the second pump? I am buying parts for my install and the reviews for the Rule switches are not good.

@eticket I always enjoy reading about your mods!
So, in my boat I finally got a backup bilge pump installed - the way I like it - direct to the battery (fused), used the simplest of all pumps - an automatic with a float switch. Attwood or Rule, doesn't matter, they are all the same. They all get terrible reviews, but I think it is primarily due to installation and maintenance issues. The Ultra (brand) switch is about the only thing that will not fail - and something I would get if I wet slipped. Otherwise, they all can get stuck in either "off" or "on" position, but I believe those inexpensive float switch automatics are actuslly the most reliable, if frequently tested and kept reasonably clean. One of my past boats leaked heavily (before I rebuilt the transom) - I had a chance to test various setups over the few years I kept it, lol.

As you know - the cycling ones (like the OEM pump) sense a load, any load - so it could be debris that will keep those on and drain your battery pretty quickly leaving the boat unprotected. Same with the "actual liquid sensing" (optical, conductance, or whatever) - those can be fooled/activated by dirt - and stay "on". What is even more worrisome, neither of those two types (or the newer ones that "sense" but then default to "cycling" if they think it is just dirt) will actually pump if gasoline or oil is present...
(I'm all for clean environment, but if my boat sinks....)

Here is my backup bilge pump setup (inside the stern):

The pump's base is screwed and 5200-ed to one of the support beams (for the ride plate underneath the hull) at the bottom of the bilge. This backup pump operates completely independently of the factory bilge pump and is the only device in my boat that is live when all battery switches are "OFF". I have it wired directly to the house battery with a 16awg wire (using ground-black, and automatic - brown, with the brown/white - manual sealed off) running in a loom (top in the picture) - going into the engine compartment inside another large loom, along steering cables. The hot wire is fused within few inches of the positive terminal with a 5A fuse. The drain hose (bottom) is a standard 5ft 3/4" with a dedicated thru-hull outlet fitting installed above/forward off of the strbd rear cleat (don't have a picture). The pump is accessible through the cleanout tray hatch/opening - I can reach it to test the pump with the little dial knob.

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