Bilge pump switch

[plorette]

I checked on my boat today, e29 (1972), and had a problem with my bilge pump switch. It has an "auto" setting for the float switch, off, and "manual". It is always left on auto, but today, after I switched it to manual to get rid of some water, when I set it back to auto, the pump came on. The float switch was down. I fiddled with the float switch but could not get the pump to stop while on "auto". My boat is now without a working bilge pump until I can figure it out. Any suggestion? I am new to this.

Much appreciated.

 

[rwthomas1]

Float switches are notoriously unreliable. Test the float switch, but a meter across the leads and see if it turns on and off. If its fine, the problem may be in the manual-off-auto switch. Test that too. RT

 

[Loren Beach]

Float switches are notoriously unreliable. Test the float switch, but a meter across the leads and see if it turns on and off. If its fine, the problem may be in the manual-off-auto switch. Test that too. RT

Ab-so-lutely Agree!
If still no resolution, and you have either an original wiring run or something dubious from a prior owner, replace that circuit with modern size 10 (or maybe 12) tinned wire.

As a precaution I have replaced the pump & switch wiring a long time ago on our boat with modern "boat cable" and have probably been through 3 of those Fricken Rule Float switches. For being such simple devices they sure are very poorly built or the QC is very poor...

LB

 

[plorette]

Ab-so-lutely Agree!
If still no resolution, and you have either an original wiring run or something dubious from a prior owner, replace that circuit with modern size 10 (or maybe 12) tinned wire.

As a precaution I have replaced the pump & switch wiring a long time ago on our boat with modern "boat cable" and have probably been through 3 of those Fricken Rule Float switches. For being such simple devices they sure are very poorly built or the QC is very poor...

LB

Thanks for the tips. I took the float switch out, cleaned it off, and played with it a bit... it may be that there is some gunk inside. It is working now but, the problem is certainly the float switch itself. Time for a new one.