Easy/Novice Bilge Question

[Hack]

Do you always keep the bilge button on the dash turned on while you're operating the boat? I have a 2001 Sport and it only kicks on when there is water there. It's not running all the time but I didn't know if you were just supposed to keep it on through out the day. Thanks, and yes I know this is a dumb question. Or, as I've heard, there are no dumb questions just dumb people that ask questions. :lol:

[AbunDiga909]

I have never had to use the manual bilge button. The auto-bilge should do the work just fine as long as it is working. I don't think your supposed to be keeping it on throughout the day anyway even if it wasn't working, partly because of the fact that the auto-bilge-sensor is towards the front of the engine compartment, so all the water would flow to the back and the boat would think that there is no water in it.

BTW, try looking at some of my previous posts, I'm sure you'll make yourself feel better when you see how dumb some of them are! :lol:

[skinautique]

Hack,
My question to you is why are you getting so much water in your boat that would cause you to have to run the bilge pump so often? You don't want to keep taking on water because it could ruin your starter and stiffen up your steering cable as well as cause other things to go bad. Do you have a shaft packing leak? If so, that can be corrected in 10 minutes or less. I wouldn't leave the bilge pump running all of the time though.

[ag4ever]

On mine, there is no "manual override switch". My switch in the electronic module turns on the float switch operated bilges. The main power switch that is on, off, and bilge also opperates the bilge trough the float switches. I have no control of the bilges without the floats.

I leave the bilge on all the time, unless it is in my storage unit on dry land. I leave the pumps on any time the plug is in the back of the boat.

[Hack]

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll try to answer your questions individually. There was a lot of water in there because I had two 200 plus pound guys in the bow on a windy day. That and poor driving of course. :oops: I think the packing is OK but I will have it checked if water continues to come in.

My switch (looks like a metal light switch) under the dash has on, off and bilge. I have a bilge button on the dash that lights up and bilges automatically when pressed. It is different than the light switch setting that manually keeps the bilge running. It does not run all the time just when enough water is in there. If I don't push the button on the dash the automatic bilge doesn't run automatically. I think the person (can't remember the call sign now) right before my response here hit it on the head.

If the bilge should go on with out me having to push the dash button, please let me know. Thanks again.

[JMark]

I think it is a good question!

I leave my bilge dash button on all the time when I am operating the boat. Every 30 minutes or so it pumps out some water. I don't want that water accumulating in my boat. Does that mean I am leaking too much through the packing? I don't know. We are not taking in that much water over the bow... I haven't heard a definitive answer to this question.

Mark

[NautiqueJeff]

If your boat is pumping out water every thirty minutes, you have something going on that shouldn't be. I had a similar situation with my '94, and it turned out to be that the pitot tube had come unhooked from one of the speedos, and water was entering the boat through the speedo pick up. I had to move the gas tank to fix that one...

[crotchrocket]

I think your orginial question. The metal switch is a 3 way switch. The middle turns off all power to the boat. IF you flip it up. It gives your power to everything. Which means powers up your keypad if you have the keypad ignition. And if you flip it down its for the bilge pump. I think the reason that is wired up that way is. If you store your boat in the water then you want to turn it downward so that if you happen to get some water in your boat via from rain or packing leaks then the bilge will be operating. And your boat wont sink. And it wont draw any unnecessay current from the battery.

As for running the bilge button once you are driving the boat. I always have it on. I read the owners manual. It says if you turn the bilge on then it will start up and pump out any water in the bilge after that is turns off and runs automatically. So keep the bilge on. If you want to start it manually then you just turn it off and on again and it will start again til the bilge is pumped out then it will automatically start running of the float built into the pump.

[FatBoy]

My dealer said to leave the switch on the dash on all the time and it would work automatically. He told me that if you didn't cut the dash switch on that the bilge wouldn't work.

[Rick]

The switch on the dash provides power to the pump. The other switch that is manual or automatic is a switch that overides the automatic float if you put in manual or runs only when the float switch is actuatedif you leave it in auto If there is a center position it turns the power off to the pump even if the dash switch is on.

[ag4ever]

Rick,

I think your setup is different than most others. The "toggle" switch is the master power switch. It controls power to everything. In the up, you can use the boat. In down the bilge works off automatic floats. In center, there is no powere to anything. I know I don't have an automatic override switch on my boat.

I try to always have my bilges switch on (automatic float switches activated, either by the dash swith or the master switch) whenever it is in the water or the drain plug is still in the boat.

[Rick]

This is the switch I'm talking about It allows the pump to be set on Manual to run all the time or auto to run using the float switch. However the power to this switch is controlled from the dash.

[ag4ever]

I don't have that switch, but if I did I would just leave it on auto all the time.

[Hack]

Thanks again for all the information! That is exactly what I was looking for.