With all the hurricane and tropical storms this season many folks have been spending some extra time at the dock checking on their boats ensuring that everything is secure. When it comes to these storms the primary concern is always wind and waves, but what about the rain? Rain? That right rain! With many of these storms dumping a foot or more of water if your boats bilge pump and not working up to par your boat could fill with rain water in a matter of just a few hours. Combine heavy rain with some chop and wind spray over the transom and you are looking at a potential for sinking at the dock.
Adding a secondary bilge and float switch is a relatively low budget and easy process that may help saved your prized possession at the dock, or you and your boat offshore. Provided herein are just a few tips to keep in mind as far as installing a back up bilge pump.
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Isolate the electrical hook up. Most problems with bilge pumps are going to be electrical. Therefore to avoid having problems with both primary and secondary pumps run separate wires, use separate breakers or fuses, separate power terminals if possible and separate float and control switches. Note: Speaking of fuses, keeping spare fuses for bilges and other critical electrical equipment on board can really save you in a time of need.
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Water proof your electrical connections. Most bilge pumps come equipped with less than two feet of power cable and therefore you must splice the cable. There is a good chance this connection will end up under water soon or later, and most likely when you really need it to work. Anchor Marine Grade Products now makes a butt connector with heat shrink insulating ends. After you crimp the connections a heat gun can be used to seal both ends of the connector. For added protection I usually slip a piece of shrink tubing over the top of this connection to add another seal.
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Anchor Marine also makes a marine grade, UL listed, double insulted, oil resistant, 2 conductor wire that is well suited for bilge hook ups. Remembe