Bilge Pump/Float Question.

[spikeitaudi]

So I have 2 bilge pumps w/ auto floats. Had a second one put in last year while I had the engine out. I went to test the bilge pump on the auto floats and one of them (The older on that came OEM) the circuit breaker kept kicking off every 3 second the float would kick it on. The bilge pump seem to work fine off the rocker switch on the dash. Is this an indication the pump is going bad or do I just maybe have a short somewhere on the auto float as it will only trip the breaker on the panel with the autofloat?

Thanks All.

 

[Bob & Sue]

From my limited knowledge of how these are wired the pump is wired directly to the battery you should see two red wires on your main battery one goes to your pumps the other goes to your stereo memory the switch on the helm is an over ride with a different fuse on it not sure on yours but mine has a separate fuse on the direct wire to the pump. I would definitely find out why your fuse is blowing maybe a short on the pump side if your boat is moored you may only have one pump if there's a short in the OEM pump. Be sure and check all your pumps screens they may be clogged. You might also have a 3rd pump for your shower and head find that one and check it also.

 

[spikeitaudi]

Yeah I checked the Shower/head pump and that is working perfectly. If it was a screen causing the fuse to blow won't that also happen if I turned it on from the helm? I would just replace it but it isn't an easy task of getting to the bilge pump and auto float as it is kind of beneath the engine in the front. Also the 240 Engine room isn't the biggest as it is. The batts are hard enough to get in as it.

 

[Bob & Sue]

As long as your down there you might as well clean the screens my guess is a bad float but it's only a guess. You could try turning off the batteries and activating the float to see if the direct wired fuse is blown also or if the pump runs.
Good Luck

 

[spikeitaudi]

That is exactly what is going on. I had the batts turned to off. Filled the bilge alittle with water as I was cleaning it and the auto float was activated then 3 seconds later the breaker would trip.

 

[Bob & Sue]

I'm not sure how to trouble shoot this much more it sounds like a bad float can you switch floats from your new one to the old one and see if it still trips? I would just go ahead and put a new pump and float in it if it were me I would replace it with the largest GPH pump your wiring will handle. Your going to need to get in that small space one way or another.

 

[spikeitaudi]

Yeah I am just most likely going to replace them, but was wondering if anybody had better ideas then what I had about the issue. Sounds like the float. I heard before that if the breaker keeps going off that is a sure sign the pump is going.

 

[moparlvr4406]

if it were a pump problem the breaker would trip when the switch is on also
sounds like a float circuit short to me

 

[spikeitaudi]

That what I would think. So either the Float switch is bad as it is not built into the pump. Or I have a short circuit somewhere. Maybe water contact.

 

[duckmnn]

when I replaced one of mine I went to a Rule 1000gph .It as a built in float no need for remote float.Real easy to hook up.