Fuse for Shower Sump Pump?

[Dean Vermeire]

Hi All,

This is just a sanity check for me.  I replaced the shower sump pump (Rule 1100B bilge pump) yesterday, and, lo and behold, the new one didn't work!  I didn't bother checking the voltage to the pump before replacing, since the old pump was really nasty.

After installing the new pump and seeing that it did not work, I checked the voltage across the breaker in the panel.  Nothing.  Zero volts across the connectors of the breaker switch.  I would expect that to be 12V when switched on.  I've ordered a new breaker from Catalina Direct, believing that was the culprit all along.

Just to check to see if I am still thinking correctly in my old age, there would not be another fuse along the way, would there?  If there is, I don't know why or where.

Thanks,

Dean Vermeire

S/V Encore (C-355 #83)

[bill pittore]

Hi Dean,

 When you say you checked the voltage across the breaker did you literally connect your voltmeter to the two terminals on the breaker? That will not give you a valid reading. You should put one voltmeter lead on the negative bus bar that is typically mounted on the hull wall behind the panel. The other lead should be on the output side of the breaker. The output side is the one not connected to the copper busbar that connects all the breaker inputs. Flip the breaker on and you should see 12V there. If you don’t then it’s a bad breaker. Better yet, check the wires right at the pump connection to see if there is 12V there. If there is then perhaps the pump float switch is not working or the pump motor itself is dead. I don’t think there is another fuse for the shower sump. 

Bill

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[Dean Vermeire]

Hi Bill,

I checked from the positive terminal of the breaker to the ground busbar connection of the breaker.  I can see that was a mistake. If the switch is on, the voltage would be the same on both sides.  Mostly, I figure that the breaker must be the problem, since I just replaced the pump.  I should have checked the voltage across the wires to the pump, but I was pretty convinced that the nasty old pump was the obvious problem.  I did a great job wiring in the new one, so I have to believe that the breaker is the problem.  I will find out soon!

Thanks!

Dean

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[bill pittore]

I was just looking at the schematic in the Catalina 355 manual and it does show an inline 5A fuse on the shower sump positive line after the circuit breaker. I’ll have to see if I can find it tomorrow when I’m at the boat. I know there are a bunch of inline fuses behind the panel. One of my projects is to clean up those inline fuses into a fuse box.

Bill

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[bill pittore]

I did not find the inline 5A fuse that the manual shows in the schematic. The line from the breaker goes directly  into a wire loom and comes out in the bilge where it connects to the shower sump pump wires. 

Bill

[Dean Vermeire]

That makes sense. I would expect the breaker/switch to be the fuse.

Thanks, 

Dean

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[Dean Vermeire]

Closing the loop on this one, using a voltmeter, I did a continuity test across the breaker switch for the sump pump. The switch tested out fine. The new pump works like a champ.
I hooked the old pump up to a power supply at home and the pump just would not run.
I never found a fuse for the pump on the boat, but would not expect one, other than the breaker. None the less, the new pump is working well.