Automatic Bilge Pump

[Bene281]

Hi - The electric bilge pump on our Bene 281 does NOT have a a float switch. The electric pump needs to be turned on/off manually via the electric panel. Wondering if any of you has a float switch added, and how you wired it? How many of you also do NOT have a float switch?Thanks!

[sven finnis]

No automatic bilge pump on Tradition either. You’d have to wire it in parallel with the switch on the panel, and make sure the manifold lever under the bathroom sink is set to pump out your bilge. It would also only work if your batteries are turned on. 

Others have added a second bilge pump/float switch. Search the 281 Facebook page (or google group) for bilge pump.. adding a second pump would probably be best option in my opinion.. would probably require a separate through hull to discharge.

On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 6:48 PM Bene281 <ke...@privweb.com> wrote:

Hi - The electric bilge pump on our Bene 281 does NOT have a a float switch. The electric pump needs to be turned on/off manually via the electric panel. Wondering if any of you has a float switch added, and how you wired it? How many of you also do NOT have a float switch?Thanks!

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[Bene281]

On Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 6:55:16 PM UTC-4, Tradition (Sven) wrote:

No automatic bilge pump on Tradition either. You’d have to wire it in parallel with the switch on the panel, and make sure the manifold lever under the bathroom sink is set to pump out your bilge. It would also only work if your batteries are turned on. 

Others have added a second bilge pump/float switch. Search the 281 Facebook page (or google group) for bilge pump.. adding a second pump would probably be best option in my opinion.. would probably require a separate through hull to discharge.

Thanks Sven! The two points you make (manifold lever would always have to be in proper position, and battery would have to be turn on) are the reasons we haven't considered adding a float switch (yet)...

[Persistence (David)]

Persistence does not have an automatic bilge pump either, although frankly the boat has (touch wood) been so dry that we have had to put the current pump in a bucket of water to see if it still worked.  We did have to replace the one-way valve that stops water coming back into the bilge from the line.  The issue I have had is finding an automatic pump that will fit into the bilge area as there is not much room height wise.  I'll check out other posts to see what others have done as noted below.