Bilge Pump Wiring

[sailmaster]

2001 2520 cutout transom
I have two bilgepumps
Larger aft pump directly wired and smaller forward pump wired through panel

I would like to direct wire the forward pump to the battery.

Does anyone know if I can get a wire under the centermounted built in fuel tank?
possible as the cabin and vberth drain into bilge so it may be possible there is a path under tank.

 

[TimC2520]

I saw a 2320 once with the floor cut up and the tank removed. The tank sits in a sealed "box", with a drain chase molded into the glass along the keel. I'd say no but I guess anything is possible if you want to figure out a way. Problem is, there will be no way to secure the wire inside that chase which could have water in it at times. My 1999, 2520 forward bilge pump is wired to the batt in the stern. It came from the factory like that, goes into the starboard v-bunk compartment, then up and out the top right in front of the helm bulkhead, then behind the helm and under the gunwale with the rest of the rigging...back to the battery switch. Sounds like a lot, but I think that would be a much simpler and quicker install. I can get you some pics this weekend if you want.

 

[sailmaster]

Thanks

No need for photos

 

[Megabyte]

If the forward pump is wired through your switched panel, it should be easy to bypass the switch and wire the forward pump direct.
Make sure that your bilge pump(s) are not fused. You don't need a fuse to fail when a pump is needed.

 

[1801Steve]

Make sure that your bilge pump(s) are not fused. You don't need a fuse to fail when a pump is needed.

Gotta disagree with that one. Every piece of wiring on your boat should be protected by a breaker or a fuse. Common sense, ABYC standards etc.

 

[Megabyte]

Many marine surveyors would disagree with you.
It is a "Ford vs Chevy" discussion in the boating world.

 

[1801Steve]

Well then they would be wrong! :>) I am a marine surveyor... 28 years and counting. I found it hard to believe that any marine surveyor would advocate eliminating overcorrect protection for any circuit. The ABYC standards are very specific about it. For those who don't know them, ABYC = American Boat and Yacht Council. The publication is Standards and Recommended Practices for Small Craft. These are the voluntary standards that boatbuilders use to build boats and surveyors use to evaluate boats. Very detailed standards, especially for fuel and electrical systems. And they say that every non-ground conductor (with a very few exceptions) shall have overcorrect protection.

 

[sailmaster]

I use ATC inline fuse holders for all of my direct wire bilge pumps and tape a spare fuse to the holder. I have had great success with this. I use the computer ones for my old whalers skiffs and dropin pumps for our moored sailboats and waterwitch switches in place of float switches.

 

[Megabyte]

Here is my logic. I don't profess to know it all, but this is my logic, and I'm sticking with it.

1.) Fuses don't come with alarms. If a fuse blows on a lighting circuit, you don't have lights. No big deal.
If a fuse blows (for whatever reason) on a bilge pump, you will not know about it until that pump gets called into action.
By then, it's too late.

2.) My bilge pumps, both the primary and the backup, are within about 24" of the batteries.
The primary is wired to battery #1, the backup to battery #2.

3.) A couple of years ago, I was doing my spring commissioning maintenance which includes flushing and cleaning the bilge to exercise the pumps.
At some point I noticed that the pump that was operating was the backup pump. The primary was OOS.
A circuit check showed that the electronic float switch (a very early design from a company no longer in business) on the primary had failed.
How long I had been running without a primary pump is unknown, but all of those old switches were replaced with Water Witch 101's.

4.) I worked in risk/emergency management for much of my career.
I believe that the risk of loosing a fuse in a time of need far outweighs the risk of an unfused wire on a critical system.
After all... how quickly could you locate and replace a fuse in an emergency?

Think about it.
Not saying my way is the only way, but it is the right way for me on my boat.

Being a surveyor, I'm sure you have heard of David Pascoe.
Scroll to the bottom of this link to see his opinion of wiring bilge pumps.
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/bilge_pumps.htm

 

[TWOBOATER]

I understand the disagreement, but we had a 37' sailboat catch fire in our marina from an unprotected automatic bilge pump circuit.... :roll:

 

[Megabyte]

From Pascoe:

Wiring Pumps

The common mistake in wiring pumps is to wire them after the shutoff switch or the main circuit breaker on the panel. It happens often that someone turns off the main power without realizing that he is also shutting of the bilge pumps. To test whether your boat is wired wrong (and many are) turn all the power off and then test the pump by lifting the float switch. If it doesn't go on, then you know what the problem is.

I do not agree with the ABYC standard that bilge pumps must have circuit protection. Far too often, the circuit breaker or fuse is the cause of a boat sinking. If you want to eliminate circuit protection, try to keep the wire run as short as possible. While its not good practice to wire anything direct to the battery, I'd say the lone exception would be bilge pumps. If there's no other practical way, go ahead and do it. This applies to submersible pumps only. These pumps have no history of burning up and starting fires.

When adding pumps, the easiest way is to purchase the small Rule three-way switch panel which has an indicator light too. Where to find a power source can be one of the more difficult tasks, especially if you're adding a pump up forward. Don't make the mistake of tapping off some other equipment or bus. Take the time to string the wire right. Your options are to go to the main panel, direct to the battery, or from the terminals on the back of the battery switch, making sure that you get the one that's always energized. In most cases, going direct to the battery will be easiest.

No doubt someone will send me an e-mail saying "How dare you recommend violating the rules," but I am not telling you that you must go to the main panel because with many panels that is nearly impossible to do.

Related reading at Dockside Reports:
Bilge Water Blues - Solving the Problem of Leftover Bilge Water

Marine Investigations: Chapter 5 - Bilge Pumps & Batteries