Bilge Pump Wiring

[G Kiba]

Took me too many years to realize that I actually like working on my boat. That is, when it isn't something that prevents me from sailing it! It helps that I am a mechanical designer and have been working on cars and motorcycles in my younger years. Then homes and yards later. But boats? It seems that the learning curve never ends. So you will need and use any skill you bring with you. And I include the business skills of barter, making connections, bargaining, negotiating, legalize as well as the obvious mechanical, electrical, wood working, fiber glassing, sewing, navigating, docking, etc. etc. Wow. makes me wonder why I do this. Someone smarter than me told me, "it's who you are". Sounds like some Yogi-ism (Yogi Berra). Best of luck and enjoy the ride of boat ownership!

 

[Eric Gordon]

After finally installing my bilge pump… I have turned to the wiring… And as previously mentioned here it is a rat’s nest, spiderweb, a monstrosity.
so what I’ve done, is begin removing any wiring that is not used, and will not be used… One by one.

This is a painstaking process, but necessary for me to understand what everything is hooked up to where it is, etc.

today as I was removing several cables related to instruments I don’t use or are broken I have run across a plethora of power busses some of which I have no clue what their purpose might be… So far I have found four of them on the boat… Please see pics

I think once I get rid of all the unnecessary wiring, I will build something which will replace these existing bars…install it and rewire (labeling liberally as I go).

 

[peaman]

The second image, with all the black wires, is probably a ground buss. Without those connected to ground, things won't work. Once you disconnect all of the hot wires which serve no purpose, turn on everything you intend to keep, and then disconnect the ground wires one-by-one before disabling them. Or leave them all connected. Every circuit needs a ground, and addressing that can be a bit messy.

 

[Eric Gordon]

The second image, with all the black wires, is probably a ground buss. Without those connected to ground, things won't work. Once you disconnect all of the hot wires which serve no purpose, turn on everything you intend to keep, and then disconnect the ground wires one-by-one before disabling them. Or leave them all connected. Every circuit needs a ground, and addressing that can be a bit messy.

Yes! I found SEVERAL black wires with multiple splices of other electronics (dont know what yet) attached to them. Again, nothing labeled. I think I would rather pay for the wire, and have each circuit with its own connection, for neatness and rather than try to save a couple of $$. Oh, and I assume the pinkish red painted buss is for waterproofing.

 

[Christian Williams]

We all have to decide whether to use expensive heat-shrink terminals when rewiring (photos show you have two that the installer never bothered to shrink).

I've noticed that Ericson didn't use heat shrink connectors, or heat shrink tubing, on anything. And 40 years later, none of my fittings seemed to care. So I recently stopped bothering with them, except where wires encounter moisture, as in the bilge. (My connectors that fail fail mechanically, not due to corrosion)

Not a recommendation, just a report from the field.

 

[Eric Gordon]

As I maneuver through the nooks and crannies of the boat, following wires that lead nowhere…or to unexpected bus bars, I run across this, probably 20-year old “repair” of stanchons….

…which as you can see has dripped and drizzled its way down to cover some existing (probably circa 2001) wires here:

Obviously, I am replacing the wires, which lead to the v-berth lamp, and the forward running lights.
It simply amazes me, the things I’m finding.