Bilge pump

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:08 pm

It appears that our rear bilge pump has burnt out. In the 28TE, can that be replaced without yanking out the gas tank?

Merry Kate · Post by **Merry Kate** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:09 pm

Mike -

Not sure what your configuration is (v-drive motor box or flush deck?) or how your bilge pump was installed, but on my '97 the aft bilge pump is mounted remotely in the easily accessable space under the helm seat, between the water heater and holding tank. An intake hose leads down to the bilge under the fuel tank. The automatic switch is down in the bilge though, if that turns out to be the problem. Don't have to remove the tank, but it's a bastard to get to.

Poke around a little down there & you'll see how your system's laid out. Good luck with it.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:44 pm

It's a 95 with a motor box.

Double Lucky · Post by **Double Lucky** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:09 pm

Mike, I replaced my aft bilge pump this year. Normal boat contortions but no need to remove tank or anything else. space is tight but project is very doable without moving any equipment. Double Lucky is 1999 TE 28, Yanmar, V Drive w engine box. Good luck. Russ.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:38 pm

Thanks for the info Russ - will be on it this week.

Post by **Denis** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:41 am

My bilge pump is also remotely mounted under the helm seat. I replaced the float switch this spring and it was very easy to get to. There is a piece of aluminum flat stock screwed to the bulkhead that separates the fuel tank from the engine. The float switch is mounted to the bottom of that aluminum. Take out the two screws that hold the flat stock in place and the float switch comes right up and out. The new floats are larger than the origional so you need to face the switch forward rather than back under the tank. Just mount your new switch on the flat stock and put it back to the origional location on the bulkhead. The pump itself is a diaphram pump and you can put in a new diaphram or a new belt to repair it. Check the filter that filters the water before it gets to the pump also while you are down there, that could be clogged. If yours is like mine it should be a piece of cake.

Post by **Russell** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:41 pm

You might check to make sure that your bilge pump power switch on the dash is in the on position. In my 97 Albin there are 3 switches for bilge pumps. The bottom one if for the rear pump, the second from the bottom is the forward pump and the top switch needs to be in the on position for the others to work. If it is in the off position the float switch does not work, so I leave that in the on position all the time.

Saltdog · Post by **Saltdog** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:38 pm

All three pump are up a couple of inches off the bottom. The result is that the boat always has a couple of inches of water in it. At rest it seems to be between the helm seats, and under the sump pump in the cabin.

When I am running the water goes to the stern but the pump and the float switch are such that it does not get it all out.

Has anybody had this problem and do you have a solution?

Thanks

TS

Post by **Russell** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:52 pm

I routinely turn on the aft bilge pump switch just before entering the no wake zone when coming in from a day on the water. This keeps the area under the helm dry even if there is a little water left in the bilge. No pump can get it all out.

Post by **RicM** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:08 pm

The dash switches should be overrides to turn on the pumps manually. If your pumps do not come on with the float switch with the dash switches in ANY position then the wiring is wrong. Most boats have the bilge pumps wired directly to the batteries or power bus with a parrallel circuit to the dash switch.

Post by **JackK** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:44 pm

I saved a Mainship of a dockmate a couple of years back. I went down to check on my boat after a pretty good rain/wind storm. The Mainship was riding way too low. I went on board and found the bilge switches in the off rather than automatic position. I flipped them on. It took about 20minutes for the 3 pumps to clear the bilge. Owner's son was last to use the boat ... not a happy father.

It seems that it was not that uncommon to have an "off" position on the pumps. I believe that is no longer code and that they should be wired directly as Ric described. Mine are wired this way.

I would probably consider replacing the switches to always powered with the switch providing momentary override for manual operation.

Jack

Post by **RicM** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:36 am

I was at the boat yesterday and checked. Mine are momentary switches, you can't leave them in the "on" position without holding them. Float switches are "hot" all the time.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:39 pm

What I think happened - when we had the work done on her before we brouht her up - they mech had said that he raised the hose an inch or two due to the fact that there was debris in the bilge. Don't know why he didn't just clean it out since the gas tank was removed. In hind-sight, I think that by raising the hose the pump would kick on but was running dry and burned itself out. Found this when we were on the way back from the Sassafras get together. Put the bilge switch on and kept blowing the fuse.

Albin Owners Group

Albin Owners Group

Bilge pump

Bilge pump

Aft bilge pump

All three of my bilge pumps are a couple of inches up

Switches

Switches