Sigla came with a SEAFLO 750 bilge pump located in the center bilge compartment (crudely wired directly from the battery) and leftover wiring from an old Rule pump in the aft bilge. I replaced the SEAFLO wiring with proper terminals and stranded wire (my very first project). But the pump bit the dust with the big hard freeze. The Whale gusher is out of commission, as well; it needs a rebuild.
With the rain coming, and me still deciding what I wanted to do for a long-term bilge pump, I decided to "status quo" it and get another impeller pump. I figured I could use it as a backup once I finalize my new setup that will likely use a diaphragm pump. The "current" wiring was exposed and running under the settee cushion and down to the bilge; it had no switch, so it ran only in 'auto' mode. Functional, but in the way and at risk of getting damaged.
So, I decided to pull both sets of the old wiring out and see if I could replicate what used to be in the aft compartment. I pushed the cable down the tightly packed conduit using a fish tape and went back up behind the DC panel out a little hole at the top. This is where the bilge switch will live until I get the panel re-done.
I ran additional wire to the aft bilge compartment using the old crusty wires as a pull cord. It runs in the front wall of the port settee, past the water tank, then into the cabinet in the head. The door doesn't seem to open in the head (marine toilet completely in the way), so I took the door off. The black hose you see in the picture is actually the auto bilge discharge. The through-hull for this is located in this same compartment. The cabling rounds the corner into the lower space in the v-berth under the black water tank. To get the wiring into the bilge compartment, I ran the fish tape from that aft bilge forward to the space under the v-berth and pulled it back.
At this point, I realized the hose was a different diameter than my pump. There was an adapter there from from 5/8 to 3/4. So, I had to resort to continue using the center compartment. At least now, the wires are a bit cleaner, not taped together in 4 places along the run, and will be ready for me to place my Water Witch and strumbox in the aft compartment, along with all new hose, as part of bilge pump v3.0.
Wow. Lot of words. Now, for pictures.
With the rain coming, and me still deciding what I wanted to do for a long-term bilge pump, I decided to "status quo" it and get another impeller pump. I figured I could use it as a backup once I finalize my new setup that will likely use a diaphragm pump. The "current" wiring was exposed and running under the settee cushion and down to the bilge; it had no switch, so it ran only in 'auto' mode. Functional, but in the way and at risk of getting damaged.
So, I decided to pull both sets of the old wiring out and see if I could replicate what used to be in the aft compartment. I pushed the cable down the tightly packed conduit using a fish tape and went back up behind the DC panel out a little hole at the top. This is where the bilge switch will live until I get the panel re-done.
I ran additional wire to the aft bilge compartment using the old crusty wires as a pull cord. It runs in the front wall of the port settee, past the water tank, then into the cabinet in the head. The door doesn't seem to open in the head (marine toilet completely in the way), so I took the door off. The black hose you see in the picture is actually the auto bilge discharge. The through-hull for this is located in this same compartment. The cabling rounds the corner into the lower space in the v-berth under the black water tank. To get the wiring into the bilge compartment, I ran the fish tape from that aft bilge forward to the space under the v-berth and pulled it back.
At this point, I realized the hose was a different diameter than my pump. There was an adapter there from from 5/8 to 3/4. So, I had to resort to continue using the center compartment. At least now, the wires are a bit cleaner, not taped together in 4 places along the run, and will be ready for me to place my Water Witch and strumbox in the aft compartment, along with all new hose, as part of bilge pump v3.0.
Wow. Lot of words. Now, for pictures.
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NewWiresAft.jpg
