Anyone add their own 2nd bilge pump?

[mboy]

I am thinking of adding a fully auto (integrated switch) bilge pump mounted a bit higher then my current bilge pump.

Anyone ever do this?

Obviously, the most difficult part is cutting a hole in the hull to mount the thru hull to run the out let hose.

Otherwise, just mount the pump and wire to battery?

Is that all there is to it?

Seems like a no brainer @ $75 parts cost.

Now if adding a 2nd raw water/bait pump was as easy

[CapBob]

Did not have to on my present Grady but my previous one I did......no big shakes, snaking the wire was the hardest part......used hole saw for discharge hole, had dash and float switch.......

[Luna Sea 5]

do you think its  necessary.  I have one and even when it went bad, the odds of that much water getting into the bilge to sink the boat is very rare.

[mboy]

Snaking dash wire (if I even bother to have 1) will be no big deal as I already have pull string AND I will be snaking, fuel flo, trim tab, water pressure and engine trim to the dash this spring as well, so 1 more no big deal.

Thanks.

I probably don't need 1, but if I can get a pump at a price I am willing to pay, I may just do it.

Better safe then sorry I guess.

[Luna Sea 5]

true, safe then sorry, but I blew mine while filling up the bilge with tons of water due to a gasket missing in my transom, and it still wasn't enough to sink the boat.  If I was you, save the money and energy.  Most boat, including mine are self bailing.  The only way water gets into my bilge is over the transon, everywhere else just runs out..

[CapBob]

My Grady is self bailing also, I have a Fore and Aft bildge as well as a spare ready to hook up in an emergency.

If a pump goes out you can be overwhelmed very quickly, thru Hulls can leak, you can hit a log, etc and puncture the hull.

It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when the love ones are aboard

[IrishAyes]

I have two pumps on my Parker and I also carry a hand pump, just in case.  If I have a power failure, bad wire connection, I can still pump out by hand if needed.

[makokeith]

2 pumps and a hand pump. I'm looking to wire my pumps in a way that a light goes on for the 1st. If the second goes on I want an audio alarm.

[Luna Sea 5]

2 pumps connected to the batteries is useless if the battery dies... 1 bilge and a hand pump for back up.

[CapBob]

2 Batteries

[ped579]

On our 27' Lures we had two bilge pumps and a spare hand held pump plus a couple of buckets to boot.

The bilge pumps were wired directly to the batteries (2).  Plus we always kept the batteries on charge while docked.  Never had a problem except for debris now and then messing up the float on one or the other, but never both at the same time.

We kept the boat in all year with a bubbler system under the hull so having the two pumps gave us a sense of security when we were not there for a couple of weeks at a clip.

Paul

[Luna Sea 5]

2 Batteries

I had both die on my last season. 

[CapBob]

Nick

How old were they??? I only keep mine 2 seasons............

[Luna Sea 5]

they were on there 3rd.  Since I didn't use the boat to much, not to the extent that most people do, I thought I could get 3 seasons from them.  I was wrong.  My only point is, you never know when they go, and if they go, they both might go at the same time, if thats the case, a second hand pump is a good precaution.

[IrishAyes]

CaptBob, I also keep my batteries for only two years.  I replace one battery one year.  The next year I replace the other.  Third year, I replace the first battery, etc.  This way, I always have one new battery every year instead of two new batteries the first year and two older batteries the next.  Probably more than needed but good sense of security for me.

[Luna Sea 5]

that sounds good and makes sense.  But I heard you should change both batteries at the same time to keep a better charge.  I heard this from a few places already.  Don't know if there is much truth to it.

[mboy]

Only if the batteries are paralleled together.

2 Seasons out of a battery seems way low to me. Should be closer to 4+ if maintained properly.

I am sure my battery is the original and it holds a charge just fine (never had a problem and it is just a starting battery).
I am going to add a group 27 deep cycle as my house battery for all my electronics, etc (everything that is not to start engine). I will have a combiner that combines batteries when alternator is running that charges both at same time, then seperates the batteries when the engine is off. That way if I kill my house battery, my starting will be fully charged. Ca also hook up switch to auto combine batteries in case starting needs jump for whatever reason.

If I go with dual pumps, I will have 1 connected to each battery.

Unless my starting battery goes bad, their is VERY little chance of having that battery run down with my new dual battery setup.

[Treebeard]

I installed a 2nd pump in my 18' Jon as I generally keep it in a slip up here on the Hudson for a couple of weeks during the spring Striper run.. I installed one of the Rule "computerized" pumps.. Which instead of a float switch, turns itself on periodically, and if it senses water (by increased pressure on impeller I guess) it runs until water is gone.. I also had one of these in my old Grumman, which i installed after having a stuck  float switch kill my batteries a few times..  It worked great and has never drained the batteries. It can also be turned on  "manually" .. I did'nt bother cutting a thru-hull in the Jon, as it is already uglier than a can of smashed bloodworms, i just bracketed a tube up and over the transom..