Auto Bilge Question

[NantucketTexas]

Hello. I've got two new batteries in my Albin 25 De Luxe... the main engine battery and the accessory battery are less than a year old. The accessory was found run down last week when I arrived to my boat. I figured it had been drained down by something but unsure as to what was left on. I'm pretty methodical about turning all switches on my board off and leaving nothing on. So, it was perplexing as to what could have drained it. With the accessory battery down, this means that the auto-bilge was not pumping out excess water. Backstory: The boat is moored in a lake suffering from drought and so many boats are forced to be pushed further out into higher waters on their docks to get through this tough time. Of course, it's in choppier waters than usual. It's also taking a beating out there and I've had to add major protection to the slip to help it weather the conditions. So, I rely on the auto bilge to take out any excess waters from storms and more movement than normal. When I found the battery down, I charged it up (sat plugged in for three days, have batt charger on boat too) and so, after the charge up of the accessory battery, the bilge was pumped out by pressing the manual pump switch immediately. So, the battery and the bilge are working. AND the auto bilge is kicking on. We could hear it kicking on throughout the day, once charged up or on elec. But to test it out, I left the auto bilge on for a few nights (still plugged into elec) and came back to too much water in the bilge again. Usually, there is a little line of water in the drain channel in the cabin bilge. This time, the water was almost up to the cabin floor. So, the auto bilge IS working (we hear it working) but it's not pumping out the excess water in its usual efficiency. I have two bilge sensors in the boat that are new so that shouldn't be an issue here. The boat is in a covered slip usually year round, so we are not dealing with rain waters except when we get a harsh storm maybe. But while I was testing it at the marina's ships store dock area, there were no heavy rain storms. So, incoming overhead water is not an issue. The water drained right out of the cabin area bilge, once the battery was charged and the manual bilge pump was activated. I think this is an auto bilge issue... BUT.... as I trouble shoot this, has any of my fellow Albin 25 or 27 owners ever contended with this issue? Anyone had a similar series of events to share or do you have any ideas to suggest checking. Thank you in advance for your ideas and any brainstorming/troubleshooting.

[Don from Mystic]

I presume that you have previously had the boat in similiar conditions and things worked well - this would confirm pump placement and sensor placement are fine. I had the experience of having a sensor float with a tiny crack that allowed water into it. Man, did that mess up its operation. Goes without saying pump screens etc are routinely checked.You may consider putting in a pump cycle meter (I made one once from a small relay and dig pedometer) which will tell you if theres a leak or unreliable sensor. Good Luck

[denchen]

Not sure if this will help but I had a similar thing on a previous boat but not an Albin. Anyway I finally sorted the problem by turning the float switch 90 degrees. What I concluded was that the mercury in the float switch was washing back and forward as the boat rolled, in effect making the contacts every time but not having contact long enough to kick the pump in but draining the battery slightly every roll. By turning the switch with the high part forward, the roll was not enough to cause the mercury in the switch to touch the inner contacts, the pitch being a lot less than the roll. I put the high point forward, reasoning that when cruising and the bow lifting, the mercury again would not touch the contacts. Hope this might help.