While I was cleaning the boat today my automatic 1000gph bilge started smoking. I have my two floor fish boxes and my livewell all drain into a sump box and it gets sucked out with that pump. Scared the crap outta me cause I was in the front scrubbing the boat and went to grab the hose looked back and my false transom was smoking lol. Ran back and opened the doors keep looking around checking my batteries and cables and looked at the pump and there was a penny size hole in the top of the pump. What would cause this to happen? I have it wired to a switch and also straight to battery along with my other automatic 2000gph bilge. So Im gonna take it back to walmart and return it. Ive never had this happen to me before and the pumps new bought it in may. I was cleaning the boat with diluted purple power but have always used that stuff cleaning my boat and never had a problem before. Any Ideas as to what would cause my bilge pump to do that. It doesnt run all the time every now and then it will cut on from all the rain but it cuts off as soon as it gets low enough.
Fishin; have you put new batteries in the boat lately? With all the electrical problems you have been having burning things up you might have gotten something wrong.
No easy I havent put any new batteries in the boat since Ive owned it. The guy I purchased it from said he put new batteries in the first of the season. They look pretty new and hold charge good. I have to say when I bought the boat I went thru every pump, switch, cable, terminal block, both battery switches, fuel lines, motors, lower units, scuppers, lights, brakes none lol, Installed a Cd player/stereo, installed new VHF radio/antenna, Garmin 545s with transducer, bennet trim pump(Had the boat leveler system). Ive gone through this entire boat top to finish. 1. My family will be riding in this boat,2. I will be taking it offshore. I replaced both bilge pumps and used good shrinkwrap terminals. I mean Ive been around boats all my life. Ive worked on mostly my own motors and have done all my own electrical. Ive never seen a new bilge pump start smoking like that and burn a penny size hole in the top of the plastic case.
2503 Trophy
W/ Merc 115s
Gotcha Fishin! Just a thought.
The main problem is highlighted in blue. See if you can spot it in your original post.
Then go get two new rule pumps and forget about those attwood pieces of junk. I’m not trying to be a smartass, but if you are going to trust your boat and your life to something, then don’t trust it to something you bought from wallyworld cheap.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Yes I have to agree with you tigerfin walmart has some cheap things not to mention there crappy customer service. I read online that the reason a bilge pump catches fire or smokes like mine did is because the motor was locked up and the float was still telling it to pump. I did have a inline fuse that blew, but it wasnt the right size for the amps I had a 15 amp inline to the battery and Im thinking it shoulda been around 6-10 amps. Also to help with that problem I could install screens inside the fishbox and livewell to keep trash out of the sump box. To be totally honest with everyone Im going to do a good overhaul of the entire boat again this winter. Theres alot of things that ive been reading and following in different forms that I wanna do to my boat. 1 being Phins livewell bilge pump system. I really like that setup. I was looking in the insides of the boat and was really surprised the space that was wasted upfront and am gonna add some extras to my boat. So with that being said if I can get it running and enjoy the rest of the season with my walmart pumps lol thats what Im going to do. Plus I leave to head to cape cod june 20th for Bluefin Tuna season super stoked about that. Ill be mating on my buddys boat the rest of the summer. Look out TUNA.COM this southern boys comming to get paid.
2503 Trophy
W/ Merc 115s
quote:
Then go get two new rule pumps and forget about those attwood pieces of junk.
Amen 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Originally posted by FishinPhysician843Yes I have to agree with you tigerfin walmart has some cheap things not to mention there crappy customer service. I read online that the reason a bilge pump catches fire or smokes like mine did is because the motor was locked up and the float was still telling it to pump. I did have a inline fuse that blew, but it wasnt the right size for the amps I had a 15 amp inline to the battery and Im thinking it shoulda been around 6-10 amps. Also to help with that problem I could install screens inside the fishbox and livewell to keep trash out of the sump box. To be totally honest with everyone Im going to do a good overhaul of the entire boat again this winter. Theres alot of things that ive been reading and following in different forms that I wanna do to my boat. 1 being Phins livewell bilge pump system. I really like that setup. I was looking in the insides of the boat and was really surprised the space that was wasted upfront and am gonna add some extras to my boat. So with that being said if I can get it running and enjoy the rest of the season with my walmart pumps lol thats what Im going to do. Plus I leave to head to cape cod june 20th for Bluefin Tuna season super stoked about that. Ill be mating on my buddys boat the rest of the summer. Look out TUNA.COM this southern boys comming to get paid.
2503 Trophy
W/ Merc 115s
Not saying that Attwood pumps are any good - or that walmart stuff dosent suck. But this goes along with a thread we had a few months ago that not everyone agreed on.
Proper fuse sizing is one of the most important aspects of electrial installations. The correct fuse would have stopped the smoking and potential fire, saved the bilge pump and saved a bunch of trouble.
Yes jughead I agree with you now. Ive grown up on folly an been around boats all my life, never relized how important it really if to properly size my fuse. Also noting that the isssue was caused by some trash that had gotten into the rotating assembly I will be installing a screen or strainer into the system. Also when I update my system this winter I will be running new and bigger drain lines. Check out Phins system he has drawn up on his MOJO rebuild thread. I will incorporate his system maybe tweak it some to my likings, but overall it looks to be a bullet proof system.
2503 Trophy
W/ Merc 115s