I finally got around to installing an automatic bilge pump in Mariah last month. It only took me 3 years since I first thought of doing so. I voiced my reasoning elsewhere in earlier posts: The boat is on a mooring buoy (no AC or solar) in an isolated area. Ultimately, all the auto bilge pump assures is that, if the boat sinks, it goes down with dead batteries.
Still, I can imagine the difficult conversation with the insurance adjuster after he asks, “What did you do to try to keep the boat afloat?” The reasoning I gave above isn’t likely to be very persuasive to the guy that I’m seeking a $30K check from. And, even under batteries only, a 170A-h bank might keep a 3A pump running for over two days—or a week if running only intermittently. So, I put in the auto bilge pump.
I know that diaphragm pumps are highly recommended on this site. I’ll probably get around to installing one of those eventually, as my “emergency” pump. Still, it seems the diaphragm pumps draw higher amperage than the Rule centrifugals, so I went with a Rule 800 since this is mainly a battery-only application.
I followed Christian Williams' idea of putting the auto-on-off switch under the aft bench of the U-shaped setee. On the E323, no bilge hoses or wiring originally ran through this compartment, but it is a convenient location from which to access the bilge for wiring.
The existing, shotty wiring I pulled from the bilge was a collection of poorly spliced wires and inline fuses, all joined together with wire nuts. I wanted to do better, so I converted a residential-type PVC wiring box into a ”bilge-box,” which mounts to the underside of the sole in the bilge compartment using zip-ties. These boxes come with foam gaskets around the access plate. I imagine a little sealant around the single entry-point for the wiring would make the box nearly waterproof.
I considered pulling all new hose for the job but then reconsidered. The existing fabric-reinforced 3/4" poly hose is sturdier than the 3/4" bilge-flex hose I would have replaced it with; it just doesn’t bend as well. The existing poly hose run had three 90 degree PVC elbows installed—two in the bilge, and one near the through-hull. I cut the old poly tubing a few feet short of the elbows and spliced in bilge-flex hose at those points to eliminate the elbows. I found that ½” brass pipe nipples have larger inner diameters than ¾” hose-menders, so I used the ½” nipples to splice the hoses. I figured that minimizing flow restrictions in the hoses was the best way to optimize the centrifugal pump.
The float switch is an Aqualarm Smartswitch. Here’s the final installation:
I hope my insurer is happy. The boat seems to be.
Still, I can imagine the difficult conversation with the insurance adjuster after he asks, “What did you do to try to keep the boat afloat?” The reasoning I gave above isn’t likely to be very persuasive to the guy that I’m seeking a $30K check from. And, even under batteries only, a 170A-h bank might keep a 3A pump running for over two days—or a week if running only intermittently. So, I put in the auto bilge pump.
I know that diaphragm pumps are highly recommended on this site. I’ll probably get around to installing one of those eventually, as my “emergency” pump. Still, it seems the diaphragm pumps draw higher amperage than the Rule centrifugals, so I went with a Rule 800 since this is mainly a battery-only application.
I followed Christian Williams' idea of putting the auto-on-off switch under the aft bench of the U-shaped setee. On the E323, no bilge hoses or wiring originally ran through this compartment, but it is a convenient location from which to access the bilge for wiring.
The existing, shotty wiring I pulled from the bilge was a collection of poorly spliced wires and inline fuses, all joined together with wire nuts. I wanted to do better, so I converted a residential-type PVC wiring box into a ”bilge-box,” which mounts to the underside of the sole in the bilge compartment using zip-ties. These boxes come with foam gaskets around the access plate. I imagine a little sealant around the single entry-point for the wiring would make the box nearly waterproof.
I considered pulling all new hose for the job but then reconsidered. The existing fabric-reinforced 3/4" poly hose is sturdier than the 3/4" bilge-flex hose I would have replaced it with; it just doesn’t bend as well. The existing poly hose run had three 90 degree PVC elbows installed—two in the bilge, and one near the through-hull. I cut the old poly tubing a few feet short of the elbows and spliced in bilge-flex hose at those points to eliminate the elbows. I found that ½” brass pipe nipples have larger inner diameters than ¾” hose-menders, so I used the ½” nipples to splice the hoses. I figured that minimizing flow restrictions in the hoses was the best way to optimize the centrifugal pump.
The float switch is an Aqualarm Smartswitch. Here’s the final installation:
I hope my insurer is happy. The boat seems to be.
