Testing auto bilge.

pescador

Well-Known Member
Ok. So when I turn on my bilge pump manually they work fine. My worry always is if I’m on the pick overnight will the auto float part of the system start pumping on its own. Ive never seen them in action because my boat is dry almost always. How do I test this feature? Is there a way of doing it without pumping a 100 gallons of water into my bilge? I’ve got Atwood pumps.
 
Mine looks different. The boat was built in 2003 so models may have changed. Its pretty hard getting down into the area where the pump system is to test it. Not sure how I'd do that.
 
Mine looks different. The boat was built in 2003 so models may have changed. Its pretty hard getting down into the area where the pump system is to test it. Not sure how I'd do that.
then you will need to fill with water
 
Mine looks different. The boat was built in 2003 so models may have changed. Its pretty hard getting down into the area where the pump system is to test it. Not sure how I'd do that.

I assume your bilge pumps are not far from the stern, which is typical placement. When the boat is in the slip at the marina we just use the dock hose to pump in a few gallons of water into the boat to test the auto pump float on the small automatic 750 gph’(less likely to kill the battery) rainwater pump. The big main pump is manual. It should not take much water at all but if the water is moving forward, just have two or three big guys stand in the stern and it should take less water to activate/test the pump. You want to hear and see the water pumping out the side of the boat for each pumps outlet .

You still need to physically access the pumps so that you can clean the strainers and impeller compartment and get out all the crap that ends up in them including little bits of mono line trim that can get wrapped around the impeller. Cleaning the pumps and testing them with actual water in the bilge is an annual beginning of season ritual for us. My Rule pumps have release clips that allow you to pull the pump off the hull mounted part to inspect and clean them. Your pumps may be working but may not pump as much water if they are clogged up with bilge crap. It also helps to clean the bilge once in a while as there will be less crap to potentially get sucked in and clog the pumps in an emergency.
 
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If the water runs forward it might be worth noting how much water it takes before the pump(s) turns on. We all assume the transom is the lowest point, but that is only an assumption. Flood alarms on naval ships are tested by physically submerging them in buckets of water, or by physically flooding the sumps they occupy. The only way to know any system works is to make it work.
 
I assume your bilge pumps are not far from the stern, which is typical placement. When the boat is in the slip at the marina we just use the dock hose to pump in a few gallons of water into the boat to test the auto pump float on the small automatic 750 gph’(less likely to kill the battery) rainwater pump. The big main pump is manual. It should not take much water at all but if the water is moving forward, just have two or three big guys stand in the stern and it should take less water to activate/test the pump. You want to hear and see the water pumping out the side of the boat for each pumps outlet .

You still need to physically access the pumps so that you can clean the strainers and impeller compartment and get out all the crap that ends up in them including little bits of mono line trim that can get wrapped around the impeller. Cleaning the pumps and testing them with actual water in the bilge is an annual beginning of season ritual for us. My Rule pumps have release clips that allow you to pull the pump off the hull mounted part to inspect and clean them. Your pumps may be working but may not pump as much water if they are clogged up with bilge crap. It also helps to clean the bilge once in a while as there will be less crap to potentially get sucked in and clog the pumps in an emergency.


Good advice. I’ll do the hose fill process at the dock this week. I’ll need to figure out how to get into the bilge to clean out refuse. The area is visible but not easily accessed.
 
You should have a 3-way switch for your bilge pump: auto, manual, & off. Switch & hold on manual - you should hear it pump and spit a like out the discharge. Also, try lifting the float up for a couple seconds.
 
You definitely need to have an easier way to access your bilge pump (s). On some boats with limited access the pumps are mounted on a stainless or aluminium plate that can be slid about to get an easier inspection or test location. If the pump was installed in an impossible location then you need to fix this. even if it means breaking them away from their present mountings. Obtain a piece of plate aluminium about 1/4 inch thick and mount a new bilge pump and float switch on it on it, making sure the float switch is a little higher then the pump itself and will turn off the pump and not keep running. Be aware that some of the new automatic bilge pumps do not incorporate a float switch, but rather just turn on every few minutes for a couple of seconds to test for water being present. This is fine if you have shore power but over a period of time may drain a battery.
In order to keep the aluminum with the pumps in the desired location, you will need to weight it. Use some lead or a zinc screwed to the plate. Wire it so that you can move the plate to an accessible point and make certain that any connections are 100% waterproof and sealed.
 
Good advice. I’ll do the hose fill process at the dock this week. I’ll need to figure out how to get into the bilge to clean out refuse. The area is visible but not easily accessed.

To clean the bilge you could trying putting in some fresh water a couple of times but not enough to activate the auto pump and then suck out the dirty water with pump clogging crap in it with a large wet/dry ShopVac. If the bilge is dry you could get a long brush in there and scrub and then dry vac. first. It would not hurt to brush even if it is a wet bilge.

I suspect if you can reach the pumps by hand and release them from the attached base they should have enough wire that you can pull them out a bit to make them more accessible and clean them. They should just snap back in place after. Once detached from the basket some have a cover plate over the impeller section you can remove with a screwdriver to clean them.

PS the Marine Surveyor I had survey the boat for the insurance company a few years back did not like the pump wiring down on the hull in the bottom of the bilge and we ended up tying/suspending the excess wire up over top of them in the bilge. You need a little excess wire so you can move the pumps up while still attached so you can work on them without cutting the wire. Obviously you want proper marine water tight shrink wire connectors. not the crap auto type.
 
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Fortunately my bilge is spotless. In any case I know that small pieces can end up in the pump like fish line. I went onto YouTube and have now figured out how to do a proper test. I need to pull out my live bait well. It’s an hours work but plan to do it. Pulling the tank will give me unrestricted access to the area.
 
Sorry Pescador, I might be missing something here, but I just put water in the bilge, stood on the transom and watched it pump out.

Kinda wondering why you would take your boat apart to test. Like I said, maybe I’m missing something.
 
No. You didn’t. I’ll start with filling the bilge and confirm the auto feature works as You suggest. If it doesn’t I now know how to access the area by doing some work.
 
If you made a long skinny sandbag you could probably wrap that around the pump and effectively create a sump. Fill with water and watch float switch trigger the pump.
 
Did the test. Filled the bilge area in the rear with a hose. The auto float activated perfectly as did the manual switch for the pump when I engaged it. All good. Not a lot of work to be honest. It will be though if I ever have to swap them out. Thanks again gents for the tips. Didn’t want to be fishing off the west coast in a few weeks not knowing if it would work.
 
Did the test. Filled the bilge area in the rear with a hose. The auto float activated perfectly as did the manual switch for the pump when I engaged it. All good. Not a lot of work to be honest. It will be though if I ever have to swap them out. Thanks again gents for the tips. Didn’t want to be fishing off the west coast in a few weeks not knowing if it would work.
your GW probably has 2 bilge pumps, divided hull. you should look up front and test that one. do not fill test that one. all the water will not get out. floatation hull design, the front bilge probably most important one to work. i tested mine when i bought the boat then it stopped working........ we almost went to the bottom one day.
 
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