I have a Grady 208. My bildge pump is stuck on and will not shut off. I have two batteries and when I disconnect the pos red battery cable on the aux battery it is the only way to shut off the pump. Its a rule with a flot switch. Does anyone know what it could be? I have the pos cable off the battery for now as soon as I hook it up the pump goes back on? Boat is on a trailer and even with the main switch turned off it will go on with pos cable hooked up.
Another Bildge Pump Stuck Help! Question
- Thread starter jellyfish
- Start date
thanks, how can I tell if thats it? Also what about changing it to one of the rule non flot switches?
Stick with the standard float switch. Make sure you don't have any debris caught inside that may be forcing the float upward to the on position and keeping it there.
The way floats are wired is this. There are two gray leads coming off the float. One goes, through a fuse, directly to your batt, or to a wire in your main accessory harness (usually brown w/red stripe) that is "constant hot". The other is spliced with the brown wire coming off the pump itself that runs forward to the switch on your helm switch panel.
The way floats are wired is this. There are two gray leads coming off the float. One goes, through a fuse, directly to your batt, or to a wire in your main accessory harness (usually brown w/red stripe) that is "constant hot". The other is spliced with the brown wire coming off the pump itself that runs forward to the switch on your helm switch panel.
jellyfish said:
I personally have the internal mercury float Rule pumps. I bought one of the non-float switch pumps before, which uses sensing technology by turning on every 10 minutes to 'sense' if there's any water there, and then shuts off. I found it drained my battery after a few weeks. Threw that out!
So either an external or internal float switch. But not the non-float type.
Wow, Thanks for that. Those pumps are $$$ $59 and up. So I will check out the float and stay with it. Thanks Guys!uncljohn said:
Make sure there are no wires that are laying or hanging by float.
If you were there when it was running and the float was down and manual switch was off, replace the float.
It is possible some wires are shorting, but very unlilkely. By the manual on switch or it's circuit wiring.
If you were there when it was running and the float was down and manual switch was off, replace the float.
It is possible some wires are shorting, but very unlilkely. By the manual on switch or it's circuit wiring.
Thanks Bob. I will check it again, I pulled the rocker panel and the switchs look okay. It must be the float.BobP said:
spray it down with a degreaser and take a hose and wash it down if by hand if you push it down shuts it off. I get alot of stuff stuck in mine, and have to clean out the crap all the time. wd-40 works well as a cleaner/degrease and it's made from fish oil.
seabob4 said:
Only if the fish came out of the Gulf...then its chock full of petroleum distillates......
There should be no binding at all, it should be loose on it's pivot and fall fast when droping it.
Make sure no small pieces of floation foam got loose and are floating around back there. You can have nothing that floats in the bilge water.
And you are welcome !
If it still acts up, get a new manual switch up front and purchase 3/C #16 AWG or larger bilge pump cable and run new cable, make all new connections, then there is nothing left original not replaced with new.
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After this is fixed, you may at time want to do a functional test, if sitting at the dock hanging around, take the dock hose and open it full bore into the bilge.
Do not touch float, as water rises pump should start and you should see water flying out the thruhull, close dock hose, and watch the pump clear bilge and shut off, all by itself. Then you can be sure all is well. Checking it by lifting float is better than nothing, but not as good.
Make sure no small pieces of floation foam got loose and are floating around back there. You can have nothing that floats in the bilge water.
And you are welcome !
If it still acts up, get a new manual switch up front and purchase 3/C #16 AWG or larger bilge pump cable and run new cable, make all new connections, then there is nothing left original not replaced with new.
---------------------------------------------------
After this is fixed, you may at time want to do a functional test, if sitting at the dock hanging around, take the dock hose and open it full bore into the bilge.
Do not touch float, as water rises pump should start and you should see water flying out the thruhull, close dock hose, and watch the pump clear bilge and shut off, all by itself. Then you can be sure all is well. Checking it by lifting float is better than nothing, but not as good.
THANKS, i plan on doing all this this weekend. I will report back what I find was the problem. Thanks again to everyone.
jellyfish said:
Which obviously doesn't make any sense. I would venture to say there is an internal problem with the wiring and the mercury switch inside the float...
Time for a new float!
jellyfish said:
Remember, one lead will come off the float (fuse it with a NEW inline fuse holder!) and go straight to either post 1 or 2 on the batt switch. The other lead will be spliced together with the solid brown wire coming off the pump, which goes forward to the switch on the helm.
When you do the install, note the condition of the existing bare wiring in your boats harnesses when you strip back...you'll probably see the dreaded "black", which is corrosion...
Seabob, wouldn't a tinned wire turn black normally just from tarnishing/oxidation? If it were corrosion, it would get past the tin and attack the copper and turn green, no? Just asking, not an EE, but have seen this discoloration for many years of boating...thought the "dark" was still OK, green was bad.
Uncljohn...just blew beer through my nose after reading your comment..thanks!
Uncljohn...just blew beer through my nose after reading your comment..thanks!