Heat shrink is a must to ensure that moisture is kept at bay. Be careful not to apply too much soldier as this could create a hard spot in the cable and result in strands breaking. The lugs need to be correctly seated on the cable, and it is always a good idea to put a little solder through the inspection hole of the lug to ensure a proper electrical connection. It is always essential to fit an appropriate fuse to the positive cable.Remember to use the appropriate color cable.Do you have the correct size lugs for the cable and the battery terminals?.Is it the correct size? Remember, we are dealing with DC here.
Is it marine-grade cable? Even if you are located on freshwater, don’t skimp on this.So the first thing we are going to check is the cable-some questions you need to answer. Similarly, your bilge pump has been seated correctly in the bilge.
Batteries are heavy, so it’s a good idea to stow them low down but not in areas where they are likely to get wet. We are honing in on the Bilge Pump Float switch, so I’m banking that your battery is fitted correctly and secured. Three Elements Required: Pump, Battery, Float Switch It is nice to have if you are frequently away from your boat, but it is probably the most costly to purchase and maintain.Īll the above systems require some electrical wiring so let’s start with the simple wiring and build from there. You will need a sim card for this as well as data.ĭisadvantages. Notifications are sent to your cell phone, alerting you to the bilge pump working. The system has to be powered up to facilitate the monitoring of the bilge. This system operates very much like a home security system. Also, passing through bulkheads and decks is hard work. Sometimes bringing up new wiring from the bilge to the bridge is problematic. Some additional wiring is required but is well rewarded with the ability to monitor the bilges from the bridge.ĭisadvantages. Now we are heading in the direction of sound control and peace of mind. Bilge pumps are generally fitted with a run-dry protection system, but I would rather not rely on that.
#FLOAT SWITCH MANUAL#
Careful management of the manual switch is required to avoid the pump cavitating and running dry. With the manual switch, you can extend the pump’s operation time to rid the bilge of the remaining water.ĭisadvantages. Float switches tend to leave a small amount of water in the bilge as they reach the end of their travel before all the water has been pumped out. You can switch on the bilge pump independently from the float switch with this system. This will disable the float system, and consequently, the bilge pump will not function. The biggest drawback of this system is that you may forget to switch it back on again when leaving the boat. You can switch the bilge pump off in situations where it is not required, which will preserve the battery power.ĭisadvantages. Fitting a manual switch and a fuse from the battery to the float switch gives you more control over the system. In addition, if the pump is run for long periods, it may drain the battery. The system has no warning function to alert you that the pump is running. The bilge pump is always on, ensuring that any water entering the bilge area will be pumped out automatically.ĭisadvantages. A fuse is fitted to the live feed for safety, and the float switch is always powered on.Īdvantages of this system. The float switch is connected directly to the battery. Let’s go through each one to see what suits you.
So let’s get to making bilge monitoring a little less painful by going through the essential elements of an efficient Bilge Pump Float switch system. They typically require a lot of kneeling and contortions that human bodies were not designed to make. There is an adage in boating that maintenance is proportional to the ease of access, and bilges are a prime example.īilges are generally unpleasant places.
#FLOAT SWITCH HOW TO#
Here we will investigate the pros and cons of various Bilge Pump Float Switches and how to fit them to ensure your boat’s bilges are efficiently monitored.
0 kommentar(er)
