ACR & Bilge Pumps

[Big Zeke]

So I'm planning to put an ACR in my boat, it has a group 24 starting battery and group 27 house battery, my plan is to run a couple downriggers plus the usual house loads (stereo, lights etc) off the house battery. I have 2 bilge pumps, one is switched and the other is auto (float activated). My question is where should I wire the float actived pump to? I'm thinking it should be fed directly from the starting battery but then I got thinking the house battery is bigger; I don't think I want both pumps fed from the same battery. In any event, I'm set on direct wiring the auto pump (ie not fed thru any panel, that is what the switched pump will be fed from).

Looking for guidance on this as I don't want to have issues on this...

Thx
Zeke

 

[gungadin]

If you are using a battery isolation switch, l don't think it matters, if you are taking on enough water to kill either fully charged battery, you are in deep trouble in any event. I would however like to suggest that rather then run it direct from the battery, you include an automatic resetable circuit breaker instead of a one time fuse in the power lead. This way in the event of a large unexpected current draw the pump would recieve power after a short interval, whereas with a fuse or just a wire, it will blow, or heat up the wire to melting point, perhaps with disasterous results.

 

[Big Zeke]

The ACR kit I bought comes with a newer version of the 3 way battery disconnect (1, 2, both & off). It is more of a disconnect for both batteries simultaneously with a seperate position to combine both batteries in emergencies. I like the idea of a resetting breaker rather than a fuse...I'll look into adding this for the auto pump.

 

[sly_karma]

Zeke, I have the Blue Seas add a battery system and two bilge pumps like you describe, installed two years ago. Turning the battery switch to the Off position only shuts off the start battery; it still leaves the house battery connected to all circuits. After that I have two breakers, one each for separate helm and aft fuse blocks. The auto bilge pump is powered from the stern block and the manual one is fed from up front. Unlikely there'd be load surges big enough to pop off both breakers, so I always have at least one pump powered.

 

[Sr SQ]

IMO straight to the house, the bigger deep cycle will run much longer with the load of a bilge pump than a starting battery will.
All devices need a fuse/breaker regardless of the battery that supplies the current.
With bilge pumps generally a high load that will pop a breaker/fuse is when a piece of flotsam plugs the impeller of the pump

 

[ziggy]

Like the idea of a breaker as opposed to a fuse. I am looking at installing a second pump and have been reading up on ideas that avoid drilling holes to hold down the pump. I have a sterndrive and want to get back under the engine as far back as possible due to the boats trim. One suggestion I saw was attaching the pump to a stainless piece of plate and not attaching to the hull at all. This would allow the pump to be pulled out into the open for cleaning, but also be pushed back under the engine. Anyone try a similar method, if so any pro's or con's?

 

[pescador]

I just went through this. The advice I got was connect bilge pumps to house side of switch direct to battery power source post. That way when the battery switch is in "off" postion, the bilge pumps are still drawing power. When your battery switch is in off, it means off other than bilge. Thats the way it was explained to me and any research I did.

 

[gungadin]

Like the idea of a breaker as opposed to a fuse. I am looking at installing a second pump and have been reading up on ideas that avoid drilling holes to hold down the pump. I have a sterndrive and want to get back under the engine as far back as possible due to the boats trim. One suggestion I saw was attaching the pump to a stainless piece of plate and not attaching to the hull at all. This would allow the pump to be pulled out into the open for cleaning, but also be pushed back under the engine. Anyone try a similar method, if so any pro's or con's?

This works just fine providing it doesn't move around or tip over. This can be prevented by augmenting the weight of the plate with a couple of pieces of lead bolted to each end of the plate. Those flat weights used for bar fishing work well. Make sure you mount the float switch in front of and a little higher then the pump; or use a pump with a built in switch .

 

[gungadin]

Like the idea of a breaker as opposed to a fuse. I am looking at installing a second pump and have been reading up on ideas that avoid drilling holes to hold down the pump. I have a sterndrive and want to get back under the engine as far back as possible due to the boats trim. One suggestion I saw was attaching the pump to a stainless piece of plate and not attaching to the hull at all. This would allow the pump to be pulled out into the open for cleaning, but also be pushed back under the engine. Anyone try a similar method, if so any pro's or con's?

This works just fine providing it doesn't move around or tip over. This can be prevented by augmenting the weight of the plate with a couple of pieces of lead bolted to each end of the plate. Those flat weights used for bar fishing work well. Make sure you mount the float switch in front of and a little higher then the pump; or use a pump with a built in switch .View attachment 17612

 

[Sir Reel]

I just went through this. The advice I got was connect bilge pumps to house side of switch direct to battery power source post. That way when the battery switch is in "off" postion, the bilge pumps are still drawing power. When your battery switch is in off, it means off other than bilge. Thats the way it was explained to me and any research I did.

That's exactly how it should be done. With a fuse or circuit breaker of course. I don't think anything other than the engine should be attached to the start battery.

 

[Sir Reel]

Zeke, I have the Blue Seas add a battery system and two bilge pumps like you describe, installed two years ago. Turning the battery switch to the Off position only shuts off the start battery; it still leaves the house battery connected to all circuits. After that I have two breakers, one each for separate helm and aft fuse blocks. The auto bilge pump is powered from the stern block and the manual one is fed from up front. Unlikely there'd be load surges big enough to pop off both breakers, so I always have at least one pump powered.

On my Blue Sea install when the switch is off everything is off except the bilge pump. In the on position both batteries are attached to their loads and both will charge if there is a charge current above 13 volts for more than 2 minutes on either side. The combine position combines both house and start as long as one bank is not below 10.8 Volts.

I also ran a wire from the LED out at the ACR to my rear helm and inside dash so I can have an Green LED and know that I am charging both battery banks when running on main or on the kicker. The Main engine charge gauge only shows me that the start battery is getting charged.

the Blue Sea LED is only a few dollars and easy to install.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/8172/LED_-_12_24V_DC_Green

 

[Big Zeke]

So I generally understand the post above and I wil plan to set mine up the same way. When you mention that the bilge is stil powered when the switch is "off"...how is this pump fed? I'm guessing direct wired from upstream of the switch (ie fed direct from the battery), otherwise how would the switch know to kill power to some loads (stereo etc) and not to others (the bilge pump). I'm totally OK with a smallish breaker feeding both bilge pumps as compared to a fuse (all othe house loads are fused from a panel anyways)

 

[AlK]

On my Blue Sea install when the switch is off everything is off except the bilge pump. In the on position both batteries are attached to their loads and both will charge if there is a charge current above 13 volts for more than 2 minutes on either side. The combine position combines both house and start as long as one bank is not below 10.8 Volts.

I also ran a wire from the LED out at the ACR to my rear helm and inside dash so I can have an Green LED and know that I am charging both battery banks when running on main or on the kicker. The Main engine charge gauge only shows me that the start battery is getting charged.

the Blue Sea LED is only a few dollars and easy to install.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/8172/LED_-_12_24V_DC_Green

That is pretty well the same as mine.

 

[casper5280]

So I generally understand the post above and I wil plan to set mine up the same way. When you mention that the bilge is stil powered when the switch is "off"...how is this pump fed? I'm guessing direct wired from upstream of the switch (ie fed direct from the battery), otherwise how would the switch know to kill power to some loads (stereo etc) and not to others (the bilge pump). I'm totally OK with a smallish breaker feeding both bilge pumps as compared to a fuse (all othe house loads are fused from a panel anyways)

The switch is a auto floatswitch. I rises if there is water in the bilge and turns the pump on.

 

[Big Zeke]

That picture is pretty much exactly what I was expecting...the bilge is fed from the starting battery (input lug on the #1 terminal of the 5511e). I'm going to guess a separate ground bus isn't necessary as long as there is a wire run between the 2 neg terminals (guessing 4ga or heavier). Yes, Casper, my question was about how the auto pump is fed, not how it's actuated.

I've got this one cased, thanks for the input.

 

[Big Zeke]

That picture is pretty much exactly what I was expecting...the bilge is fed from the starting battery (input lug on the #1 terminal of the 5511e). I'm going to guess a separate ground bus isn't necessary as long as there is a wire run between the 2 neg terminals (guessing 4ga or heavier). Yes, Casper, my question was about how the auto pump is fed, not how it's actuated.

I've got this one cased, thanks for the input.

 

[Sir Reel]

In my case the bilge pump is on an auto switch and connected direct to the house batteries via circuit breaker.
It looks like in the diagram above the bilge is connected to the start battery? I would put on the house side #2.