Bilge pump alarm..…and you thought the horn sounded bad

[Presentation]

In my quest to get to know my boat better I have been playing with the bilge pumps and float switches.

In the engine compartment there are 2 rule brand pumps and two float switches, one float switch mounted directly over the other. Each pump has its own hose to pump the water overboard. Also there is a bilge pump switch / button at the dash. Finally, there is a pump inside a plastic box under the step in the cabin.

This plastic box under the cabin step has a hose running to it from the head/shower drain and the A/C condensation pan. Finally it has a 3rd hose connected to the pump so the pump can pump the water out of the boat.

You can raise the float inside the float switch by turning a dial on the side of the float switch.

Here are my observations:

- If I press the bilge pump button at the dash, one pump in the engine compartment comes on.

-If I turn the dial on the lower float switch in the engine compartment, the same pump comes on.

- If I fill the bilge with water, the float switch is about 2/3rd of the way under water before it comes on.

- Both bilge pumps will work regardless of the setting on either battery switch. You can have both battery switches set to off and it does not matter.

- If you turn the dial on the higher float switch in the engine compartment both pumps come on plus you hear an odd sound, I mean a very odd sound from the helm area.
It’s this odd sound that I am posting about.

I have tested these float switches a bunch of times. I always thought that odd sound I was hearing from further forward in the boat was the 3rd pump under the cabin step coming on.

By having one of my kids turn this second, higher float switch I have determined it’s a alarm at the helm area. It’s the dumbest sounding alarm I have ever heard. It does not sound like a beep at all. It’s more like the moan a man would make if he stubbed his toe, aAAAAAAAAAAAH!

The alarm is so pecking loud I can not tell if the pump under the cabin step comes on with the alarm or not.

I have put water down the drain in the head shower drain to determine that the float and pump in this plastic box under the cabin step do work. It will work independently, I’m just not sure if its linked to the other two pumps.

I’m glad I figured this alarm sound out because now if I hear that stupid sounding alarm I’ll know what’s wrong right away, I have a lot of water in the bilge.

Again, this odd sounding alarm only comes on when the higher float switch is raised.

 

[chris41483]

The alarm is simply to tell you that the water is high. This can be because your lower pump is not working, or because the leak is too big for it to handle. The switch at the helm is simply to give you the ability to manually operate your main pump. As a general rule (pun intended), all boats will have a main bilge pump that can be operated manually or with a float switch. The automatic function is always energized regardless of ignition or battery switches (unless tinkered with), and the manual function is only energized by power at the helm.

 

[quality time]

It's your "high water alarm", mine beeps it doesn't groan.

I also have another bilge pump that beeps at the helm when going off, it's in the same compartment as my shower sump.

 

[bport]

The pump under the step is for greywater from the shower and A/C. I would not view it as a bilge pump.

 

[Groucho]

I agree!!
My pump was plugged and the alarm was going off...I thought I was going to dive overboard.

 

[Presentation]

The pump under the step is for greywater from the shower and A/C. I would not view it as a bilge pump.

I think you are correct.

I had just figured Sea Ray was smart enough to put a check valve on that plastic box under the step so if water was coming in too fast you would have a 3rd pump working to keep you afloat.

I guess I only have 2 bilge pumps unless the water gets so deep that the water in the cabin flows over the threshold of the head door and down the shower drain.


Anyways, my point was I am now familiar with what my high water alarm sounds like. Before doing this tests and learning, if I had heard my high water alarm I would have wasted time trying to figure out what that odd sound was. I’m not even sure if I would have associated the sound with an alarm, it’s that odd.




But then again, my horn does not sound like a horn to me either. If a bird was trying to swallow a frog and the frog had a choke hold around the birds throat, that is what my horn sounds like.

 

[Groucho]

Don't feel bad about not knowing what the alarm was. I brought it to the DEALER while it was going off and he thought it was an low oil outdrive alarm. They disconnected it and the next week I discovered the sump was plugged.:smt009

 

[bport]

I'll be checking mine this weekend so I will know the sound! Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Presentation]

Don't feel bad about not knowing what the alarm was. I brought it to the DEALER while it was going off and he thought it was an low oil outdrive alarm. They disconnected it and the next week I discovered the sump was plugged.:smt009

Thank you.

I'm not the only one.

 

[Groucho]

You would think it might not be too hard to make the alarms sound different. :huh: