I have been fixing boats for about 100 years and just now and again one's head hurts and you cannot see for the fog of memories!! Just such an occasion yesterday when fixing up a float switch and bilge pump - your video saved my skin. Thanks and love the videos and the no nonsense approach. Cheers Mate.
I am a Charterboat captain/owner. Never cut your wires short because there are other reasons your pump can fail besides pump failure. Low battery, stuck float switch ect. A stuck float switch once the water has been pumped off will air lock and not pump water once it has risen high enough again even with the pump running constantly. Good video...keep up the good work.
i am adding a second bilge pump with a sensor switch and an on/off/auto as you did here. thanks for your great videos. i hope you are having fun with the BRUPEG gang!!
Beyond the "Wiring a Boat Pt1" video, the key thing that helped me that I learned from this video was to prep your wiring harness, connectors, cabling etc before even touching the boat. That way you aren't in a cramped space trying to solder, crimp, strip etc...
A trick I use to make a long wire 'short' for neatness is too wrap a section of the wire around a pen/pencil, making a 'coil effect'. This keeps the wire length short but can be pulled straight, if as you said, need to pull it through the dash.
Another great video mate! Always easy to understand your wiring diagrams, makes it easy for us to get our head around them. The green machine is progressing along quite well!
Thanks Josh, glad you liked the vid. I'm really happy with the Green Machine now, it's getting so close to going back in the water. I've been missing it!
Great video man. I learned a few new tricks. I use the liquid electrical tape also, then heat shrink over it. I always have trouble figuring out those pump switches. Thanks again.
Another excellent video. One thing I've done in the past for folks boats is add a simple push button at the back of the boat by the bilge for those that tend to be a bit more excited about a little bit of water in the and as a test. They'll throw a cup of water at the pump while holding the button down to verify the pump turns on and pumps water with no leaks in the plumbing. Definitely not a necessity however.
How convenient, my boat I just bought has that exact same switch! Having problems with the green light, it doesn't illuminate, but the automatic setting does indeed work.
Really enjoy your presentations! Question: the panel comes with a 10 amp fuse and my pump only specifies a 3amp. Can I just replace the 10amp with the 3 amp and good to go? Also, your diagram has the fuse connecting to the negative side of the battery and pump. I thought the fuse was supposed to be on the positive side. Does it matter??
You can just replace the 10A fuse with a 3A if they're the same format, and that would be the correct thing to do. It's best practice to put the fuse as close to the battery positive as possible as that gives greatest protection against a dead short somewhere along the wiring. Fusing the negative like Stu shows provides you with good protection against shorting of the pump internally (as all current will still have to flow along the wiring) but wouldn't protect much of the wiring itself from being shorted out, say by a dodgy joint that comes into contact with an earthed bracket. Probably less important for a GRP hull where the hull isn't conductive, but pretty important (IMO) for an aluminium hull where it's earthed via the outboard. In that situation any insulation damage to a live wire can easily cause a short.
Subscribed and bought a shirt! Figured I owe you that much for the money you’ve saved me! You gave me the confidence to do it myself. Thanks for the awesome and informative videos. Ben from Florida
Hey Dennis, that's a good idea. Unfortunately I've only owned it a couple of years since a friend gave it to me as an unwanted free boat. I do know the three owners before me though so I should do a bit of research!
Good question. In a ally boat, I thought you never ground to chassis in case of electrolysis? Also, these switches come with fuse wired to negative and a wiring diagram which tells you to wire it this way. I'm interested to know the answer to this one. You could always rewire I suppose.
A fuse on the positive lead does not protect your equipment from a short circuit on the positive lead. If you short a positive lead to ground you have just taken your piece of equipment out of circuit. A fuse protects a piece of equipment from increased current through the equipment (i.e. a bilge pump that has debris stuck in the impeller). Any increase in current will be felt on the negative side of your equipment first. A fuse on the negative side makes perfect sense but if you are uncomfortable about it fuse the positive side or both. One possible bad situation would exist is your equipment has an increased current draw, your fuse blows but the fuse holder or negative terminal is shorted to ground, in this case you would have an unprotected circuit. No matter how you connect it make sure that you use the correct amperage fuse.
Hello, I'm in the process of restoring an old Cutter runabout and your videos are AWESOME! Very helpful. I have one question regarding what gauge wire I should be using in all these applications? Obviously the batter leads are heavier but what about the main lines from battery to the block, block to bus bars and then each individual wire for the accessories? Thanks for the help!
Do you always put the fuse on the negative end of circuit? This could drain your battery if there is a ground. Example is current leak under water in bilge go's to ground. You still have current flow
Always fuse hot, never ground. One wire at fuse connected to center switch and then long wire to ground block. Just a personal, i prefer shrink at all terminals (multiple pita i know) for overall safety.
I have baisicaly the same switch and a new automatic/ manual pump float enclosed.no sensor .how is the best way to wire without a seperate float and no senseor?Thank's for great videos
Hi mate I love your work! Just a question Why did you choose to put the fuse on the negative instead of positive? The reason of my question is a bit of concern in this unfused positive having a short circuit with a unfused negative, Wouldn’t be a better idea having all positives with a fused protected and all negatives without fuses? Just some thoughts!
It was actually the wiring diagram that came with the panel so I just following thinking that must know something I don't but I'm starting to change my mind... ;)
@@DangarMarine I’m not an electrician but , I would say either way would work, You need both to complete a circuit. If in doubt wire it the way that is suggested, Remove, or alter the fuse, then see if it will operate or not, If not ,the fuse is working.
Awesome video! easy explained as always. I'll try it in my boat. Hey.. one thing I'd like to suggest is that probably you could mention or add a link on the parts you're using on the installation on your videos so they're easy to find and buy (and don't mean you do publicity but to help us on how to find them). thanks for all the videos! :)
Hey mate, glad you enjoyed the video. I really should add a link given I get them all from my own shop! I'm not very good at this promotion stuff... dangarmarine.com.au
I meant that you could add in the video's description something like: - Bilge Pump used: dangarmarine.com.au/collections/electrical/products/2000gph-bilge-pump - Automatic Bilge Field Switch: dangarmarine.com.au/collections/electrical/products/automatic-bilge-field-switch - Fuse box: link for the fuse used - some other part used: some other link, etc. Keep the awesome videos, it was just a suggestion. thanks!
As a preference, I use a fused permanent live to the sensor/float switch, and an on/off switched live, also fused. This gives the redundancy of there always being a source for the bilge pump, and it being impossible to accidentally leave the boat without a pump available, if the switch is not moved to auto. I also add a buzzer to the negative side, so that it's easy to test. This helps if the pump is below a deck, or further away, and is harder to see. Perhaps not so important on the Green Machine, but certainly a consideration for bigger boats, like the Trawler. All our boats are dual battery, dual engine, and each has multiple bilge pumps, so they're split between both batteries for greater safety. For the boats I maintain (3 46ft Newtons, various other smaller boats), I use the same circuit for every bilge pump. This makes diagnosis easier, and it's easier for our captains to move between boats. Standardisation in this way lightens my workload :) All our boats live on moorings, so being able to be confident to leave them, knowing they have a small chance of losing bilge pumps, is very important here.
Super useful thanks. I just replaced my old pump and float with an integrated ‘smart’ whale supersub pump that I wired into the old switch panel that was actually designed for separate float switches (mine is integrated in the pump) so I’ve left the panel’s designated float switch wires unattached on the panel. I’m doubting what I’ve done so wondering if the better idea is to go direct to a switch like you have.. any thoughts?
Hi how are you, just wondering how do you choose the appropriate bilge pump for boat size ? Mine is 19ft. If duel pumps were nessasary do you need duel float switches ?
Great video ! Maybe add a Hour Meter to the Bilge Pump circuit ! Then you will know how long the Pump was running when you were away ! Thank you for the video ! tjl
Excellent, yet again. I am worried about you wearing an insulated vest when it's the hottest part of summer (100 degrees here in Texas) you must have the flu. Very satisfied with your videos, I have searched several boat maintenance topics and you keep popping up. Gig 'em Aggies!
Having watched a little bit more, I'd like to suggest something that might be better for your uses than liquid electrical tape - - try self-amalgamating tape. It wraps around just like conventional adhesive insulation tape, but there is no adhesive to turn nasty, and as its name suggests it amalgamates into one rubber piece. When I was in the electronics trade, we used tons of the stuff when installing aerials or satellite dishes, and it stands up really well to water, UV etc.
Yeah, I have used self amalgamating tape a fair bit, but unfortunately it is quite expensive (around $20 for a small roll) I do like it though so I'll need to see if I can find a good cheap source of it.
Hi... I live in Sydney and enjoy your vids..... As backing boards if I don't use plywood I cut up those poly kitchen cutting boards I buy from the Reject Shop. Where do you source the poly board that you mounted the bilge pump onto ?? It looks more appropriate than chopping boards.
Thanks mate. I was trying to think then where we got it from, as we bought a 2.4 x 1.2m sheet and it is almost gone now so I'll have to order another one. Originally I just did a Google search for polyboard but I can't find the same site now. It was a local Sydney company that made it.
I am new to boating but I know electronics. Is there a reason you did not put the fuse on the + side of the circuit, That would seem safer, for the senors and the circuit.
Great video as always! Will the little green light run down the battery if you leave it in auto mode? I have the same switch and I might not be back to the boat for a month at a time, just wondering about the power draw for the led (I am assuming it is relatively small!)
Another great video! Thanks for sharing. I was a bit concerned at beginning of video when "New Engine" wasn't scratched out (lol). The Green Machine is looking pretty awesome!
Is there any way to wire the pump through a fuse block directly to power to be auto while also having a manual switch in addition? Instead of having a switch that does both.
Yes, you can just have the auto wire going to fused power and then the the manual wire going to a switch. The advantage there is that you can't accidentally set the switch to "off"
The closer the fuse is to the positive terminal, the more of the wiring it protects from a short. In this case, I am presuming the design of this panel is to protect the pump itself from an overload in which case it doesn't really matter where it is in the circuit, but yes, I would always have that positive fuse too.
I was thinking the same thing, you want to protect the power from any shorts with the fuse, not just an overheat. You would have saved a wire from dash to stern as well. Power to fuse, fuse to center on switch. Negative from pump to battery at stern. All the rest the same. Too late now, eh? :) Is that twin (and single) lead wire some special marine wire, or just "wire" from hardware/electrical supply? Thanks again for great video. Rich E
Hey William, you definitely could. I usually try to mount everyone onto a single board so I can remove the whole assembly but provided water can flow freely between the two sides of the boat your suggestion would work well too.
Dangar Marine thanks for the quick reply. I've a manual pump in my fuel tank space at rear of my glass boat and am thinking about putting one under the floor which would mean cutting a hole in the floor to fit it. Not too keen on that idea 😡
watching this it reminds me I had a near death experiance. I was out in my boat similar to the green machine in a very cold day with sub zero temperatures and my boat seemed to have a bad leak kilometers from the slip way. Only found out about the leak when there was like 200 litres of water in the boat already and my bilge pump was frozen solid due to the cold weather and water was pooring in FAST. Couldn't get my boat up to plane because of the weight of the water in the back of the boat and I could litterally beach my boat minutes before it was about the go down. So always be carefull when boating in freezing temperatures.
Yes, having a good working bilge pump is great peace of mind. Fortunately it never gets below about 10 deg Celsius here, but cold water can definitely be a big killer.
Good info, going to put new one in mine, im also going to do away with live well for storage, do they make caps for the plastic holes? think they call them skin settings.
Any concern putting a molding on those aluminum holes in the dash to prevent cutting the wires off on their sharp edges? Does the bilge pump plate want to bounce around not being fastened down?
Hey Seth, I should have shown a shot in behind the switch panel once it was mounted, but the wires don't touch the edges at all. The switch and fuse holder protrude in past the dash before the wires start. Because the pump is near the stern it doesn't bounce that much (most of the movement is in the bow), but I would certainly consider Sikaflexing that plate to the bilge. You can always unclip the pump from the base for servicing or replacement.
Hi stu i have 4.6m fiberglass boat with a sealed floor no access to underfloor anywhere and no bilge pump im thinking of cutting access port and installing bilge ,it's an older boat late 80s, any tips for that kind of install
It is a common thing to do with sealed bilges on boats that live in the water and can't have the bungs removed. Just do a small pilot hole first to make sure you aren't going to hit a rib or anything with the hole saw.
When talking about the spade connectors at around 12:30, why bother putting spades on the short wire, when you could just pull wires through the dash and connect straight to the back of the switch with a spade?
I am building a RIB from bare hull. DO you have a suggestion for plumbing the overboard discharge? I don't want to make a hole in the transom. Maybe just some sort of holder for the tubing at the top of the transom? Thanks.
If you don't want to put a skin fitting through the transom then I have seen some plastic u-bend pipe holders than help guide the outlet pipe over the transom then back down towards the water.
Informative video Stu...ready for the next storm I am sure now. Good to see the Mad Max outboard cowling tradition continues...will the stern light be cowl-mounted like before ?
Thanks mate. I really agonised over the stern light. I really do like the cowling mounted system but I ended up going for an all-round white light to make it compliant with the regulations down on the harbour. The exemption for that stern light only applies on our stretch of the river unfortunately.
I generally go by the wires that come from the pump itself to be honest. As long as you don't extend them with thinner wire you should be fine. Length is an important factor too though, here is a good summary: www.rpc.com.au/pdf/Wire_Chart.pdf
Your videos are simply great! Do have a question as you show the Rule 41 3Way switch with the fuse lead going to the negative on bus/fuse box. The old boat I just purchased, has the same switch and fuse connector going to the positive on the fuse box.....What am I missing here?
This particularly switch panel is setup to be fused on the negative side, but if I was making a switch from scratch I would fuse the positive side. I'm not sure why the designers of this switch did it this way.
Not sure if you realised (don't want to read all the comments to find out) but there is a typo in the title for this one. You've got "blige" instead of "bilge". Probably won't show up in searches. Cheers.
why are you fusing negative? just custom from lucas positive ground (earth) systems? here in the states, everything is fused positive side (of course, our "auto standard" is neg ground (earth)). just curious if there was an "electrical engineering" reason (obviously either side breaking is "open" so dead circuit)?
To be honest, I prefer to fuse the positive too, it makes more sense from a protecting from shorts point of view, but the simple answer is I was following the wiring diagram for the switch panel. In hindsight I probably should have just thrown their instructions away and done what I thought was best.
Yep, you can just get a standard SPDT switch (or even just a simple ON - OFF switch if you don't want to be able to switch automatic mode off) and a separate fuse holder.
Wondering if I could get your help. I installed a pump with an internal float switch. The switch on my dash has only a "Manual" and "Auto" mode, no "off". I wired the pump just like it was wired previously but the pump is doing some weird things. For one, it does not come on at all in "Auto" mode, even when i reach down and trigger the float. Two... in "Manual" mode, the pump comes on only when the float is triggered every time (which would be fine with me) if it weren't for this last part. Sometimes, when the pump is triggered, and it pumps the water out, it turns back off on its own. Other times, after the pump gets triggered, it F&*CkiNG STAYS ON. Even when there's no water. It really is frustrating. Sorry for the long explanation. Have a good one.
Just Saying, It sounds like you are having problems with your hook up to or from your battery, I had a similar problem and tightened the nut on battery post, no more problems. Just a thought.
There are lots of ways you can wire them. I've had boats set up with no dash switch at all, just a float switch leaving it permanently in "automatic" mode. Other people have a two way switch: automatic and on, others automatic and off. Up to you really.
the only thing that annoys me by your video is the carb cleaning video, both u and eric edic did not show how to remove the lower carb, was a nightmare to get it off on my engine. :)
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![Wiring the electrics on a boat [Pt 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/p-Yup0OPofk/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been fixing boats for about 100 years and just now and again one's head hurts and you cannot see for the fog of memories!! Just such an occasion yesterday when fixing up a float switch and bilge pump - your video saved my skin. Thanks and love the videos and the no nonsense approach. Cheers Mate.
I’ve watched too many of these videos and this one was hands-down the best. Very straightforward and easy to understand.
Your videos are the best, period.
Hey Stu. I installed my beige pumps x 2 in my boat , I followed your instructions to the letter , and everything works perfectly. Thank you EB .
I am a Charterboat captain/owner. Never cut your wires short because there are other reasons your pump can fail besides pump failure. Low battery, stuck float switch ect. A stuck float switch once the water has been pumped off will air lock and not pump water once it has risen high enough again even with the pump running constantly. Good video...keep up the good work.
these videos are brilliant - nothing more to say other than i love the fact always a cold beer to hand
i am adding a second bilge pump with a sensor switch and an on/off/auto as you did here. thanks for your great videos. i hope you are having fun with the BRUPEG gang!!
Beyond the "Wiring a Boat Pt1" video, the key thing that helped me that I learned from this video was to prep your wiring harness, connectors, cabling etc before even touching the boat. That way you aren't in a cramped space trying to solder, crimp, strip etc...
Hey Peter, yeah, the more you can do on the bench the better I reckon.
Love your videos, your sense of humor, and your ease at self-deprecation. Sail on!
These videos are so helpful. Thanks for sharing your expertise and advice.
A trick I use to make a long wire 'short' for neatness is too wrap a section of the wire around a pen/pencil, making a 'coil effect'. This keeps the wire length short but can be pulled straight, if as you said, need to pull it through the dash.
I like that trick, I'll keep it in mind. :)
Thanx again for an xlnt video. You are a wonderful teacher, cool , down to earth, etc. All the best from Oslo Norway ;-)
I have just started on a restoration of 21 ft savage marlin I have found all your videos so very helpful good to see down to earth tutorials
Thanks Mike, glad the videos have been helping you with your restoration. Good luck with it! :)
Just referred back to this video as your explanation of required wiring was excellent- thanks again! Iooks like your trip up north is going well!
Thanks for the close up of the connections
Love the cowling paint job...And the bilge pump install great job...
Thanks, glad you like it. :)
Wow I really love watching you videos you make learning fun and very educational.
Thank You!
Another great video mate! Always easy to understand your wiring diagrams, makes it easy for us to get our head around them. The green machine is progressing along quite well!
Thanks Josh, glad you liked the vid. I'm really happy with the Green Machine now, it's getting so close to going back in the water. I've been missing it!
Great video man. I learned a few new tricks. I use the liquid electrical tape also, then heat shrink over it. I always have trouble figuring out those pump switches. Thanks again.
Thanks Richard. You really can't seal boat electrical connections too much, I often do liquid electrical tape and heat shrink together too.
Another excellent video. One thing I've done in the past for folks boats is add a simple push button at the back of the boat by the bilge for those that tend to be a bit more excited about a little bit of water in the and as a test. They'll throw a cup of water at the pump while holding the button down to verify the pump turns on and pumps water with no leaks in the plumbing. Definitely not a necessity however.
Having a switch at the back does have it's merits though, particularly if it's a tiller steer. ;)
Good and well explained video. I'd never seen liquid electrical tape before - I'll have to get some.
Thanks mate, yeah, liquid electrical tape is good stuff in the right circumstances.
Thank you Stu for making these videos. They have helped me a lot.
You're welcome. :)
How convenient, my boat I just bought has that exact same switch! Having problems with the green light, it doesn't illuminate, but the automatic setting does indeed work.
Really enjoy your presentations! Question: the panel comes with a 10 amp fuse and my pump only specifies a 3amp. Can I just replace the 10amp with the 3 amp and good to go? Also, your diagram has the fuse connecting to the negative side of the battery and pump. I thought the fuse was supposed to be on the positive side. Does it matter??
You can just replace the 10A fuse with a 3A if they're the same format, and that would be the correct thing to do.
It's best practice to put the fuse as close to the battery positive as possible as that gives greatest protection against a dead short somewhere along the wiring. Fusing the negative like Stu shows provides you with good protection against shorting of the pump internally (as all current will still have to flow along the wiring) but wouldn't protect much of the wiring itself from being shorted out, say by a dodgy joint that comes into contact with an earthed bracket.
Probably less important for a GRP hull where the hull isn't conductive, but pretty important (IMO) for an aluminium hull where it's earthed via the outboard. In that situation any insulation damage to a live wire can easily cause a short.
Subscribed and bought a shirt! Figured I owe you that much for the money you’ve saved me! You gave me the confidence to do it myself. Thanks for the awesome and informative videos. Ben from Florida
Thanks Ben, glad the videos have been helping you with your boat. :)
Thank you. I hope I can wire my boat on my own. Video definitely helped
You can do it!
Excellent vids, thankyou. Clear and clever thinking and some great tips along the way. Gives me more confidence to tackle my own bilge pump wiring.
Thanks Peter, glad you liked it.
How about a quick video about the history of the Green Machine ? I bet their are lots of fun memories ? Great bilge pump video by the way !
Hey Dennis, that's a good idea. Unfortunately I've only owned it a couple of years since a friend gave it to me as an unwanted free boat. I do know the three owners before me though so I should do a bit of research!
Why is the fuse on the negative? what if the pump shorts to ground.... fuse won't do anything
Good question. In a ally boat, I thought you never ground to chassis in case of electrolysis? Also, these switches come with fuse wired to negative and a wiring diagram which tells you to wire it this way. I'm interested to know the answer to this one. You could always rewire I suppose.
That was my first thought. Fire hazard.
I decided to rewire my auto bilge switch fuse to posirive despite the instructions just in case.
A fuse on the positive lead does not protect your equipment from a short circuit on the positive lead.
If you short a positive lead to ground you have just taken your piece of equipment out of circuit.
A fuse protects a piece of equipment from increased current through the equipment (i.e. a bilge pump that has debris stuck in the impeller).
Any increase in current will be felt on the negative side of your equipment first.
A fuse on the negative side makes perfect sense but if you are uncomfortable about it fuse the positive side or both.
One possible bad situation would exist is your equipment has an increased current draw, your fuse blows but the fuse holder or negative terminal is shorted to ground, in this case you would have an unprotected circuit.
No matter how you connect it make sure that you use the correct amperage fuse.
Love the video! Clear and to the point
Glad it was helpful!
Hello, I'm in the process of restoring an old Cutter runabout and your videos are AWESOME! Very helpful. I have one question regarding what gauge wire I should be using in all these applications? Obviously the batter leads are heavier but what about the main lines from battery to the block, block to bus bars and then each individual wire for the accessories? Thanks for the help!
Your videos are grate, I learn a lot from them
Thanks mate. :)
Do you always put the fuse on the negative end of circuit?
This could drain your battery if there is a ground. Example is current leak under water in bilge go's to ground. You still have current flow
Thanks, Stu ,very helpful, plus fun to watch
Thanks Ron, glad you liked it.
Yes it was. I am going to wire my boat soon ,thank you
Very informative as all your videos are,but how did you secure mounting plate to hull?.
What on earth is the feild sensor switch?? It's an auto bilge pump,to the 3 way switch. There is no float. Very confusing
Helpful and interesting bit of how to info.
Thanks mate.
Welcome !!!
Always fuse hot, never ground. One wire at fuse connected to center switch and then long wire to ground block. Just a personal, i prefer shrink at all terminals (multiple pita i know) for overall safety.
I have baisicaly the same switch and a new automatic/ manual pump float enclosed.no sensor .how is the best way to wire without a seperate float and no senseor?Thank's for great videos
Hi mate I love your work!
Just a question
Why did you choose to put the fuse on the negative instead of positive?
The reason of my question is a bit of concern in this unfused positive having a short circuit with a unfused negative,
Wouldn’t be a better idea having all positives with a fused protected and all negatives without fuses?
Just some thoughts!
It was actually the wiring diagram that came with the panel so I just following thinking that must know something I don't but I'm starting to change my mind... ;)
@@DangarMarine I’m not an electrician but , I would say either way would work, You need both to complete a circuit. If in doubt wire it the way that is suggested, Remove, or alter the fuse, then see if it will operate or not, If not ,the fuse is working.
You really are the best out there
Thanks mate!
Thanks again great job on the green machine
Thanks mate, can't wait to get it out on the water now. :)
My first viewing and so impressed......I’m having a go at this and your vid will be invaluable I’m sure! Many thanks from a pure novice👏
Thanks Steve, good luck with the install! :)
love all your videos best online!
Thank you! :)
Awesome video! easy explained as always. I'll try it in my boat.
Hey.. one thing I'd like to suggest is that probably you could mention or add a link on the parts you're using on the installation on your videos so they're easy to find and buy (and don't mean you do publicity but to help us on how to find them).
thanks for all the videos! :)
Hey mate, glad you enjoyed the video. I really should add a link given I get them all from my own shop! I'm not very good at this promotion stuff... dangarmarine.com.au
I meant that you could add in the video's description something like:
- Bilge Pump used: dangarmarine.com.au/collections/electrical/products/2000gph-bilge-pump
- Automatic Bilge Field Switch: dangarmarine.com.au/collections/electrical/products/automatic-bilge-field-switch
- Fuse box: link for the fuse used
- some other part used: some other link, etc.
Keep the awesome videos, it was just a suggestion. thanks!
As a preference, I use a fused permanent live to the sensor/float switch, and an on/off switched live, also fused. This gives the redundancy of there always being a source for the bilge pump, and it being impossible to accidentally leave the boat without a pump available, if the switch is not moved to auto. I also add a buzzer to the negative side, so that it's easy to test. This helps if the pump is below a deck, or further away, and is harder to see. Perhaps not so important on the Green Machine, but certainly a consideration for bigger boats, like the Trawler. All our boats are dual battery, dual engine, and each has multiple bilge pumps, so they're split between both batteries for greater safety.
For the boats I maintain (3 46ft Newtons, various other smaller boats), I use the same circuit for every bilge pump. This makes diagnosis easier, and it's easier for our captains to move between boats. Standardisation in this way lightens my workload :)
All our boats live on moorings, so being able to be confident to leave them, knowing they have a small chance of losing bilge pumps, is very important here.
Super useful thanks. I just replaced my old pump and float with an integrated ‘smart’ whale supersub pump that I wired into the old switch panel that was actually designed for separate float switches (mine is integrated in the pump) so I’ve left the panel’s designated float switch wires unattached on the panel. I’m doubting what I’ve done so wondering if the better idea is to go direct to a switch like you have.. any thoughts?
Hi how are you, just wondering how do you choose the appropriate bilge pump for boat size ? Mine is 19ft. If duel pumps were nessasary do you need duel float switches ?
Great video ! Maybe add a Hour Meter to the Bilge Pump circuit ! Then you will know how long the Pump was running when you were away ! Thank you for the video ! tjl
Hey Tim, that's a great idea, I really like that. I'll have to look around and see what is a good source of cheap hour meters. Nice one! :)
Excellent, yet again. I am worried about you wearing an insulated vest when it's the hottest part of summer (100 degrees here in Texas) you must have the flu. Very satisfied with your videos, I have searched several boat maintenance topics and you keep popping up. Gig 'em Aggies!
Thanks mate. It's not the flu, it's boating, it's a terrible disease. ;) Enjoy your summer, I can't wait for the heat to come back!
Thanks again for a great video. Your a top bloke stu 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Terrence! :)
Excellent video! As clear as a bell!
Thanks Tony. :)
Having watched a little bit more, I'd like to suggest something that might be better for your uses than liquid electrical tape - - try self-amalgamating tape. It wraps around just like conventional adhesive insulation tape, but there is no adhesive to turn nasty, and as its name suggests it amalgamates into one rubber piece. When I was in the electronics trade, we used tons of the stuff when installing aerials or satellite dishes, and it stands up really well to water, UV etc.
Yeah, I have used self amalgamating tape a fair bit, but unfortunately it is quite expensive (around $20 for a small roll) I do like it though so I'll need to see if I can find a good cheap source of it.
love your videos mate, very informative, best ive seen so far, keep up the great work, go the green machine 🤘🤘
Thanks mate, another upgrade to the Green Machine coming soon!
Great vid Bro you would make a good teacher. thanks and Jah Bless.
Thanks make, glad you enjoyed. :)
Hi... I live in Sydney and enjoy your vids..... As backing boards if I don't use plywood I cut up those poly kitchen cutting boards I buy from the Reject Shop. Where do you source the poly board that you mounted the bilge pump onto ?? It looks more appropriate than chopping boards.
Thanks mate. I was trying to think then where we got it from, as we bought a 2.4 x 1.2m sheet and it is almost gone now so I'll have to order another one. Originally I just did a Google search for polyboard but I can't find the same site now. It was a local Sydney company that made it.
love the video... and the e36 in the backdrop:)
Thanks mate!
My brand new whale feild sensor switch just activate as soon as I hook it up to the battery. Did I wired it wrong?
I don't understand why you fused the "ground" side of the pump rather than the positive side. Is the boat wired as a positive ground?
I am new to boating but I know electronics. Is there a reason you did not put the fuse on the + side of the circuit, That would seem safer, for the senors and the circuit.
Great video as always! Will the little green light run down the battery if you leave it in auto mode? I have the same switch and I might not be back to the boat for a month at a time, just wondering about the power draw for the led (I am assuming it is relatively small!)
you deserve more subs these videos are very informative and great
Thanks mate, glad you like the vids. :)
Another great video! Thanks for sharing. I was a bit concerned at beginning of video when "New Engine" wasn't scratched out (lol). The Green Machine is looking pretty awesome!
Thanks Keon. Not much left on the board to cross off now! :)
You found the issue with water pump?
Yes, it just wasn't getting enough water through the muffs. Once I put the leg in a drum of water it pumped quite nicely.
a mate of mine has the same engine that dont pump out on muffs either fine in a bucket
Is there any way to wire the pump through a fuse block directly to power to be auto while also having a manual switch in addition? Instead of having a switch that does both.
Yes, you can just have the auto wire going to fused power and then the the manual wire going to a switch. The advantage there is that you can't accidentally set the switch to "off"
Excellent as usual my friend.
Thanks Will! :)
Thanks for all the info. Cheers.
Why is the fuse on the (-)? Should'nt it be on the (+)? Congratulations on your videos, so far, I like them all!
The closer the fuse is to the positive terminal, the more of the wiring it protects from a short. In this case, I am presuming the design of this panel is to protect the pump itself from an overload in which case it doesn't really matter where it is in the circuit, but yes, I would always have that positive fuse too.
I was thinking the same thing, you want to protect the power from any shorts with the fuse, not just an overheat. You would have saved a wire from dash to stern as well. Power to fuse, fuse to center on switch. Negative from pump to battery at stern. All the rest the same. Too late now, eh? :)
Is that twin (and single) lead wire some special marine wire, or just "wire" from hardware/electrical supply?
Thanks again for great video.
Rich E
The fuse is likely on the negative side so that the indicator LEDs have a source for negative
Great vid mate, Just subscribed! One question. Why not mount pump and sensor on opposite sides of centreline? Equidistantly of course.
Hey William, you definitely could. I usually try to mount everyone onto a single board so I can remove the whole assembly but provided water can flow freely between the two sides of the boat your suggestion would work well too.
Dangar Marine thanks for the quick reply. I've a manual pump in my fuel tank space at rear of my glass boat and am thinking about putting one under the floor which would mean cutting a hole in the floor to fit it. Not too keen on that idea 😡
watching this it reminds me I had a near death experiance. I was out in my boat similar to the green machine in a very cold day with sub zero temperatures and my boat seemed to have a bad leak kilometers from the slip way. Only found out about the leak when there was like 200 litres of water in the boat already and my bilge pump was frozen solid due to the cold weather and water was pooring in FAST. Couldn't get my boat up to plane because of the weight of the water in the back of the boat and I could litterally beach my boat minutes before it was about the go down. So always be carefull when boating in freezing temperatures.
Yes, having a good working bilge pump is great peace of mind. Fortunately it never gets below about 10 deg Celsius here, but cold water can definitely be a big killer.
Good info, going to put new one in mine, im also going to do away with live well for storage, do they make caps for the plastic holes? think they call them skin settings.
Hi Ronald. You can buy plugs like that, they are called skin fittings.
Why not eliminate some of the wiring by putting the fuse inline with the power to the switch?
Any concern putting a molding on those aluminum holes in the dash to prevent cutting the wires off on their sharp edges?
Does the bilge pump plate want to bounce around not being fastened down?
Hey Seth, I should have shown a shot in behind the switch panel once it was mounted, but the wires don't touch the edges at all. The switch and fuse holder protrude in past the dash before the wires start. Because the pump is near the stern it doesn't bounce that much (most of the movement is in the bow), but I would certainly consider Sikaflexing that plate to the bilge. You can always unclip the pump from the base for servicing or replacement.
Hi stu i have 4.6m fiberglass boat with a sealed floor no access to underfloor anywhere and no bilge pump im thinking of cutting access port and installing bilge ,it's an older boat late 80s, any tips for that kind of install
It is a common thing to do with sealed bilges on boats that live in the water and can't have the bungs removed. Just do a small pilot hole first to make sure you aren't going to hit a rib or anything with the hole saw.
Great video, but ensure the fuse is on the POS+ leg. You want that fuse to trip if the line shorts out; otherwise, you'll have a boat fire.
When talking about the spade connectors at around 12:30, why bother putting spades on the short wire, when you could just pull wires through the dash and connect straight to the back of the switch with a spade?
I am building a RIB from bare hull. DO you have a suggestion for plumbing the overboard discharge? I don't want to make a hole in the transom. Maybe just some sort of holder for the tubing at the top of the transom? Thanks.
If you don't want to put a skin fitting through the transom then I have seen some plastic u-bend pipe holders than help guide the outlet pipe over the transom then back down towards the water.
@@DangarMarine I Have done this to two different boats I owned.
*he is such a good teacher awesome keep it up
Thanks the Vid was a great help.
Great videos, thanks. Is there one showing wiring solar panels?
ua-cam.com/video/1xh9l6JiPBc/v-deo.html
wondering if he glues the poly board to the bottom of the bilge?
So I know this doesn't pertain to this video but is it possible to remove a livewell out of a stratos bass boat and upgrade to a bigger one
Informative video Stu...ready for the next storm I am sure now. Good to see the Mad Max outboard cowling tradition continues...will the stern light be cowl-mounted like before ?
Thanks mate. I really agonised over the stern light. I really do like the cowling mounted system but I ended up going for an all-round white light to make it compliant with the regulations down on the harbour. The exemption for that stern light only applies on our stretch of the river unfortunately.
trying to figure out how to change diode on my bilge switch, works but it looks burned up for some reason. ever deal with these?
How dare life get in the way of another excellent video! ;)
Thanks Matthew! :)
What is the best size wire to run to the bilge? I saw somewhere that 10 AWG is recommended but is it really necessary?
I generally go by the wires that come from the pump itself to be honest. As long as you don't extend them with thinner wire you should be fine. Length is an important factor too though, here is a good summary: www.rpc.com.au/pdf/Wire_Chart.pdf
what is the power on the boat? is it just 12 volt battery? or a generator? I would put an engine driven generator 3 or 4 Kw on.
12V battery.
Your videos are simply great!
Do have a question as you show the Rule 41 3Way switch with the fuse lead going to the negative on bus/fuse box. The old boat I just purchased, has the same switch and fuse connector going to the positive on the fuse box.....What am I missing here?
This particularly switch panel is setup to be fused on the negative side, but if I was making a switch from scratch I would fuse the positive side. I'm not sure why the designers of this switch did it this way.
another great and helpful video
Thanks mate. :)
Not sure if you realised (don't want to read all the comments to find out) but there is a typo in the title for this one. You've got "blige" instead of "bilge". Probably won't show up in searches. Cheers.
Thanks mate, well spotted! :)
Homage to Mary J. Bilge!
Where can I acquire some of that black board that you mounted your pump equipment on? I live in the States if that helps. Thanks
Wont the green led on the auto mode draw down a battery?
I think it's better if you put the fuse in positive line
why are you fusing negative? just custom from lucas positive ground (earth) systems? here in the states, everything is fused positive side (of course, our "auto standard" is neg ground (earth)). just curious if there was an "electrical engineering" reason (obviously either side breaking is "open" so dead circuit)?
To be honest, I prefer to fuse the positive too, it makes more sense from a protecting from shorts point of view, but the simple answer is I was following the wiring diagram for the switch panel. In hindsight I probably should have just thrown their instructions away and done what I thought was best.
Do you think there's a way to do this without having to buy that switch panel?
Yep, you can just get a standard SPDT switch (or even just a simple ON - OFF switch if you don't want to be able to switch automatic mode off) and a separate fuse holder.
More star work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks mate!
Wondering if I could get your help. I installed a pump with an internal float switch. The switch on my dash has only a "Manual" and "Auto" mode, no "off". I wired the pump just like it was wired previously but the pump is doing some weird things. For one, it does not come on at all in "Auto" mode, even when i reach down and trigger the float. Two... in "Manual" mode, the pump comes on only when the float is triggered every time (which would be fine with me) if it weren't for this last part. Sometimes, when the pump is triggered, and it pumps the water out, it turns back off on its own. Other times, after the pump gets triggered, it F&*CkiNG STAYS ON. Even when there's no water. It really is frustrating. Sorry for the long explanation. Have a good one.
Just Saying, It sounds like you are having problems with your hook up to or from your battery, I had a similar problem and tightened the nut on battery post, no more problems. Just a thought.
Thanks, very nice video for my wiring job, PS your work bench is almost as messy as mine.
You're welcome. I'll clean it one day!
great video! my brother gave me an leftover bilge punp, is it necessary to have an "main power switch"? or straight to a on/off switch
There are lots of ways you can wire them. I've had boats set up with no dash switch at all, just a float switch leaving it permanently in "automatic" mode. Other people have a two way switch: automatic and on, others automatic and off. Up to you really.
if you look at the wirein you can hace it full auto but not recomended
the only thing that annoys me by your video is the carb cleaning video, both u and eric edic did not show how to remove the lower carb, was a nightmare to get it off on my engine. :)
sensor switch small electric current can set up electrolysis in ally boats in damp wet areas