www.iFourWinns.com

Bilge issue; we arrived at our boat late Saturday night to the sound of the bilge pump running. The switch was off, there was not enough water to trigger the autofloat but yet here it is running. I noticed that though the switch was “off” the light on the switch was on. I removed both the pump and the float switch and checked to see if the were clogged and if the float was stuck; I could find neither. Being Mothers Day I didn’t have time to dig into the problem further but as of tonight it is still running. Does anybody know that if the bilge is running from the float switch does the switch light come on too. I did not have the schematic to trace the switch back to the sending unit. If no it may be a faulty switch an not the float sending unit.

Thanks

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
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2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

"Does anybody know that if the bilge is running from the float switch does the switch light come on too."

On my '02 the light does come on.

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2002 Horizon 190 5.0gl

Bilge pump switches are notorious for failing. Which is why they're often separate from the pumps themselves. Which is also why many folks have more than one main bilge pump, should the switch fail in the off position that 2nd pump will help...

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

On our '07 H180 the light does come on as well when the float switch triggers the pump.

We struggled all of last summer with bilge pump switch problems. The switch would stick in the on position just enough when triggered by rainwater or acumulation. But, if you tried to re-create a "sticking" situation(pouring water into the bilge), the switch would work just fine. Every couple of weeks after a good rain storm, we would arrive at the marina and jump onto the boat to find the pump running dry with the switch stuck in the on position again (yes luckily we didn't run the battery flat, mostly because I am anal about checking the boat out after any kind of stormy weather).

At the end of the season, I bought one of these guys to replace the faulty switch:

http://www.johnson-pump.com/JPMarine/products/bilge/ultimaswitch.html

I will be installing it this week, so unfortunately I can't tell you anything more about it other than I think it is a great idea. I was planning on posting a few pics of my install once it is done, so if anyone is interested, keep your eyes on the forum for my post.

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2009 H180 w/3.0 Merc
Homebuilt Minimax Hydro
2011 Zodiac Cadet 310

I have to agree with you Bill, The float switch simplistic in its design is built as a yearly replaceable part. This one died one year after taking delivery of the boat; in the past if I keep the bilge clean used a good cleaning agent they have lasted for several years.

I never noticed if the toggle switch light would illuminate if the bilge was auto pumping. We had just recently “splashed” the boat and the owner’s manual was not on board where I usually keep it. The schematic does show that the switch is a three way so the light will indeed come on when the bilge is auto pumping. My concern was that the toggle may have been faulty and created a short that would not allow the pump to turn off especially after I attempted to manually lower the float while it was removed from the bilge bottom. I guess I need to start carrying a volt meter in my emergency repair kit too.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

Yes, definitely. A cheapie from radioshaft works fine, and is inexpensive enough you don't worry about it getting lost/wet.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

When we got the 88 Horizon it had an 1100 GPH bilge pump but no auto switch, I went to a local marine store and they recommended that I use the Sure-Bail, which has been in there for 7 years and works great, it is a bit on the large size so you might have to make a bracket for it. I took a piece of aluminum stock and bent it into a 90 degree angle, and mounted it to the bulkhead at the rear of the gas tank compartment. Both the pump and the switch are mounted to this same bracket. The Sure Bail is ruggedly constructed and uses a mercury switch (although the newest ones may have changed this). What kind of auto switch does FW supply from the factory?

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II