[bakdraft]

Finally I decided to just get in there and find out how to silence that battery sapping bilge pump!

First I lifted the dashboard to expose the circuit breaker. - see photo - I disconnected the spade connectors from the circuit breaker only to find the pump still kept running It seems the circuit breaker next to the bilge pump is only for the switch and not the auto function.... - keep hunting.

Then I investigated the inline fuse on the battery switch (right hand side) . - see photo - Removing the 5A Fuse on the Battery side of the switch did the trick

This stopped the auto pump running, BUT the switch on the dashboard would still work for manual operation.

However, as I do not want to take the fuse in and out all the time, I will have to fit an inline switch - but for now at least it is quite

Dave

[dudders]

Awesome work Dave, I will pass this on to the other guys with the newer Mariahs.
Thanks for all your work and sharing with us. Top stuff.

[MariahMan]

What it looks like here is Sea Fox - Mariah installed a cheapy bilge pump not equipped with a float switch. Rather than remove the fuse or install a toggle switch you have to worry about, i would install a float switch next to the bilge and use the circuit that the 5 amp fuse you removed was protecting. This way you still retain the automatic feature incase water does come in the bilge and don't have to worry about flipping a switch; it's completely automatic with no "searching" for water by coming on every 5 minutes.

Here's an example of the switch i'm talking about:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...5&classNum=304

[bakdraft]

Originally Posted by MariahMan

What it looks like here is Sea Fox - Mariah installed a cheapy bilge pump not equipped with a float switch. Rather than remove the fuse or install a toggle switch you have to worry about, i would install a float switch next to the bilge and use the circuit that the 5 amp fuse you removed was protecting. This way you still retain the automatic feature incase water does come in the bilge and don't have to worry about flipping a switch; it's completely automatic with no "searching" for water by coming on every 5 minutes.

Here's an example of the switch i'm talking about:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...5&classNum=304

Funnily enough... the float pump you listed is made by Rule... the same company that supplies the pain in the a** drain your battery pump. Rule advertise it as better than a float switch and it is advertised on the same website at nearly twice the price of the float switch.. but I would much rather have the float switch model!

The problem with fitting it is that the current pump is exactly dead centre under the engine... absolutely impossible to reach...

So I guess it will have to be a switch, bearing in mind that the dashboard always works... fuse or no fuse

Dave

[dudders]

I asked the guys at SeaFox about this Bilge Pump system. Here is the reply and attached PDF's for the pumps.
If you have any queries regarding the newer Mariahs, Stewart has always been very helpful. Just send him an email, I am sure he will help you out.


Attached you will find the information you are looking for on our bilge pumps. Overall, I would say our response to the pump has been very positive. We made the change about two years ago because we noticed a lot of warranty claims for the replacement of float switches and bilge pumps. Our engineering department found that debris was clogging the float switch and shorting the switch and pumps. Since the change, the claims have been dramatically decreased and we have found the once boat owner's understand how the pump works, they are generally pleased. If the boat will be taken out of the water for an extended period of time you may want to consider removing the in-line fuse from the pump.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thanks,

Stewart Mitchell
Sales Manager
Sea Fox & Mariah Boat Co.
(843) 761-6090 x 23

[bakdraft]

Originally Posted by dudders

I asked the guys at SeaFox about this Bilge Pump system. Here is the reply and attached PDF's for the pumps.
If you have any queries regarding the newer Mariahs, Stewart has always been very helpful. Just send him an email, I am sure he will help you out.


Attached you will find the information you are looking for on our bilge pumps. Overall, I would say our response to the pump has been very positive. We made the change about two years ago because we noticed a lot of warranty claims for the replacement of float switches and bilge pumps. Our engineering department found that debris was clogging the float switch and shorting the switch and pumps. Since the change, the claims have been dramatically decreased and we have found the once boat owner's understand how the pump works, they are generally pleased. If the boat will be taken out of the water for an extended period of time you may want to consider removing the in-line fuse from the pump.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thanks,

Stewart Mitchell
Sales Manager
Sea Fox & Mariah Boat Co.
(843) 761-6090 x 23

Hi Dudders,

I have spoken to Stuart a couple of times... and he also sent me the same information which I had placed into the owners manual section. he also posted me an addtional leaflet that explains the 3 minute run on time. Additionally he sent me a wiring diagram... that was not much use, but I will add it to the manual section.

What frustrates me is that the clear priority is to boats in a marina. If you boat is out of the water when not in use, the remove the fuse option is a real pain. It is awkward to reach, difficult to remove, easy to drop AND very easy to forget to put back in. The switch on the dashboard is a rocker - the backside of the rocker is not used, so maybe that would be a better solution. Failing this an illuminated inline switch by the fuse would have been an easier solution.

I am sure their warranty claims maybe down, but my battery charge status is also down - not much good when the boat is stored where there is no nearby power.

[dudders]

Ah, didnt realise that you had already sorted this and posted it. Sorry for doubling up on the info, teach me for not reading the forum eh??
I agree, it is a real pain, and yes directly focused on moored boats, there really must be a better option. I bet Jimmy Faulks wouldnt have let this go as it is....

[Cliff_Haskins]

Couldn't help but reply to this one. Not sure of the model battery switch Sea Fox is using, but it is a matter of which terminal the power for "auto" is attached to. A typical Perko 2 battery switch would have a 1 2 and all, i believe (common, maybe, been awhile). Switching the ring terminal from the "battery" terminal to a "common" would kill power to the auto side when the battery switch is turned off. Understand, however, that the automatic feature of a bilge pump must be active from a manufacturer, due to obvious liability. RV manufacturers have faced the same dilema with voltage draw from 12 v CO Detectors (Was told they cycle every 90 sec. at a miniscule amperage). Anyway, somewhere in the fine print is where they will tell you that they are not responsible for water ingress due to a modification of the automatic system. Just my 2 cents.