bilge pump

[su2root]

is there any easy way, beside sinking the boat, to see if the bilge pump is working. specifically, the automatic bilge pump? i just bought a 1999 23 ft Cobia CC, and I know the bilge pump works... I turned it on and it pumped out water... I am just wondering if it would have come on automatically.

[rj]

garden hose

[Sandtiger]

If you're on a trailer put the plug in and fill the bilge with a hose. If in the water just put a hose in the bilge and turn it on...... [grin]

[Slipsinker]

Since you already know the pump works just reach down there and trip(raise) the float switch by hand. You should hear the pump running. I'm very aware of this since I'm on my third float switch in as many seasons. My boat almost sunk two seasons ago because of a bad float switch. Go a call from the marina after a 3 day heavy rain that my boat was sitting very low in the water. When I got there the scupper drains were only 1/4" above the water line. Now I check the float switch weekly and back flush the drains to make sure the check valves aren't stuck open with any junk.[grin]

[Bryansfish]

I agree with what the others said. One thing you can do if you leave your boat at a marina or somewhere that your not able to check on it after every rain. You can add a second float switch which will work with or if one fails you have a back up. Just mount another float switch with its own power sorce and then conect to the bilge pump as you would with only one. Now if one fails the other will kick in and bildge out the water. I have two batteries so I have one float attached to one battery and the other attached to the other battery. I came up with this after one failed in my boat causing it to sink.

[Slipsinker]

I added a second pump and float switch this year just to be safe.

[captaingeorge]

Agree with the "redundancy" of an extra float switch, but if the pump fails, the extra switch is useless. Consider a second pump and switch, totally different circuit from the other, mount it a little higher, run from the other battery.

[Slipsinker]

captaingeorge originally wrote:
Agree with the "redundancy" of an extra float switch, but if the pump fails, the extra switch is useless. Consider a second pump and switch, totally different circuit from the other, mount it a little higher, run from the other battery.
Thanks for the tip about running the circuit from the other battery. I ran both from my deep cycle battery but will put the other one on the starter battery STAT. Don't know why I didn't think of that at the time. That's what I love about this forum, the knowledge and learning never stops.[smile][smile]

[Bryansfish]

captaingeorge originally wrote:
Agree with the "redundancy" of an extra float switch, but if the pump fails, the extra switch is useless. Consider a second pump and switch, totally different circuit from the other, mount it a little higher, run from the other battery.
I did not think of adding another pump at the time.I now trailer the boat and it stays in the water only for a weekend or so but if I ever start leaving the boat in for an extended time I'll go with the extra pump too. Thanks for the idea.