Weird Bilge Pump Wiring

[Chris & Dale]

As you may have read in another post of mine, I'm dealing with a fairly good amount of water in the forward bilge and under my A/C unit. Well after extensive cleaning and shop vac removal of all the bilge water, I came down today (after a 9 hour fishing trip yesterday) to find a lot of water in the forward bilge area where the shower pump is located. Like other posts I've read, my 750 Rule automatic sits on a ledge well above the lowest point in the bilge, and it was almost submerged. I'd just cleaned it thoroughly but it was dead. My best friend was an Instrument & Control Technician and owns a 45' Jefferson so he jumped in there and we tested all the wiring. This is where the weird part comes in. I have 3 bilge pump switches on the lower right side of my control panel on the dash. They're marked top to bottom: Bilge Pump, Bilge Pump Fwd, and Bilge Pump Aft. I was told by the previous owner to always keep the top one on to keep the other 2 active. When we tested the wires the automatic wire (according to the rule pamphlet) worked, but the manual did not. Anyway, here's my questions:

1. Does everyone have 3 seperate bilge pump switches labeled as I do?
2. Do you have to keep the top one on?
3. What is that hose running down the center of the bilge for?

I'm going to go get a new bilge pump tomorrow and will install it, but like so many others, I'd like to get it lower and more forward.

That's it for now. As always, thanks for all you insights and sharing.

[RobS]

Seems all of the 28's have those 3 pumps. I and others have added a smaller pump in the lowest part of the fwd bilge but leave the big higher capacity pump on its platform. All of the original 3 pumps should be wired independent and hot. The hose down the center is likely the seawater supply from your a/c pump to the a/c unit. But why all the water? Have you figured that out? That is quite a bit of water to get to that height? Did you check to see if it was salt or fresh?

[Nancy]

We only have two bilge pumps. One is located under the hatch in the cabin sole. It's a Rule 500, which we consider inadequate and inferior, and it's the type with the electronic sensor that comes on every 2.5 minutes whether there's water to be pumped or not. We will probably replace this pump sometime. This pump sits quite low in bilge. When I've pumped it dry, it's only about 3/4 of a bucket.

The other one is a diaphragm pump located in the mid-ship bilge forward of the holding tank. Hmm, I don't think I know where the float switch is, but the end of the hose is somewhere under the engine.

Does the water level in the bilge increase when the boat is at the dock? Or only when under way? Is it rain water?

[RobS]

We only have two bilge pumps. One is located under the hatch in the cabin sole. It's a Rule 500, which we consider inadequate and inferior, and it's the type with the electronic sensor that comes on every 2.5 minutes whether there's water to be pumped or not. We will probably replace this pump sometime. This pump sits quite low in bilge. When I've pumped it dry, it's only about 3/4 of a bucket.

The other one is a diaphragm pump located in the mid-ship bilge forward of the holding tank. Hmm, I don't think I know where the float switch is, but the end of the hose is somewhere under the engine.

Does the water level in the bilge increase when the boat is at the dock? Or only when under way? Is it rain water?

Nancy,
You don't have a 3rd pump in the aft most section of the bilge? That is an important pump for when on plane. And it is best to have it wired to trigger a dash mounted LED or an alarm, because if that pump needs to come on when you are underway you would never hear it or see it discharging. With the bow high ride of these boat that is an effective pump on the run.

Also, the mid switch remote mounted pump should have a float switch located just aft of the stern tube along with the suction hose.

Chris,
Here's a shot of the smaller fwd pump.

[Bluewater]

Ours is a 1994 28TE with engine box and also has only 2 pumps - one in the forward bilge and a diaphram pump on a raised tray with a pick up under the engine. The forward pump was a combined pump and water level sensor - but its not a good pump and the sensor doesn't operate and so I've wired in a float switch on the same mounting pad. The midships pump is supposed to have a float switch but this is inoperative and the pump only works on manual. No sign that a third, aft, bilge pump has ever been on the boat - and only 2 three-way switches on the dash.

[Russell]

Chris and Dale: There seems to be a lot of variations in the bilge pump arrangements but I have the 3 switches on the control panel. The top one powers the float switches and is always switched on. The bottom is the aft and the middle is the forward pump manual switches. In my 97 model the bulkhead at the companion way separates the front bilge from the rear and water does not get into the forward bilge. The aft pump is located next to the holding tank and a hose extends down the center to the deepest part of the bilge with a strainer on the end. It also has an in-line screen filter just before the pump that needs to be cleaned from time to time.

[Nancy]

Rob,

>>You don't have a 3rd pump in the aft most section of the bilge? <<

No, and we were just commenting yesterday how strange that is. Interesting that later models seem to have shipped with three.

Russ,

>>In my 97 model the bulkhead at the companion way separates the front bilge from the rear and water does not get into the forward bilge. <<

Are you sure that there isn't a limber hole at the base of the bulkhead that's plugged with crud?

[RobS]

That aft pump saved me last year. I was heading offshore when the aft pump LED came on. Engine room inspection revealed a fractured oil cooler cover was spewing seawater into the bilge. Without the aft pump lighting the LED the problem would not have been so quickly detected.. When I built my new dash this winter I was sure to include a new set of LEDs.

[Tuxedo]

I came down today (after a 9 hour fishing trip yesterday) to find a lot of water in the forward bilge area where the shower pump is located.

If it was salt water it is quite possible you are siphoning sea water back into the bilge through either the shower discharge or the forward bilge pump discharge. Check that you have vented loops in those lines and install them if you don't. If not, and your bilge pump dies, bad things can happen. Albin did not always install those loops. I know from experience.

[jointventure]

Ifyou have a hot water heater? check that it is not leaking . I spent a season looking for the source of water in the forward compartment and mid bilge - cause, corroded tank.

[Marcy K]

Last year, we too had a mysterious slow leak in the engine compartment and this spring found the source to be a corroded hot water heater - it was leaking from the bottom. Good luck fining the source - usually a little detective work and sprinkling flour around after you dry out the area will point you in the right direction.

Marcy K
A 34 Paumanok 1986

[Chris & Dale]

As usual, this site has been invaluable. I removed the table, carpet, and access panel and found the source of the smell I thought I'd dealt with. It was filthy, maybe never properly cleaned. In addition, I found the other end of that tube from up forward under the A/C. I used a stiff cable snake and was actually able to break up the wad of crud that had the tube clogged. Once open, the water drained. Also, when I went back under the A/C I found that 98% of the entrance had been inadvertently glassed over. When I fully opened that I found that it's nothing more than a piece of reinforced hose that was laid in and glassed over. Anyway, we're clean and we're draining fine. Next project is to relocated the new bilge pump lower. I'll include pictures when complete. Again, thanks to all!

[Nancy]

Chris,

Glad you found it and that it solved the problem! Not that complicated once you know where to look, but that table base has too many screws IMO.