Bilge Switch Light (High Water Alarm?)

[Grog]

The float switch should put power on the load side of the switch not the supply side. If it's feeding the whole panel, something is miswired and you don't need any diodes and Grady should have reconized that.

 

[LUNDINROOF]

Larry:
I may not be making myself clear. On my 283 Release, there is one orange wire that runs to the plus side of each breaker for all the switches on the panel. This wire jumps "in series" to each breaker. If there is any power in this wire, no matter what the source, all switches receive power and will work if you turn them on. Normally power comes from the battery switch but lets assume that the battery switch is off.
When the float switch comes on, it back feeds power to the manual switch on the switch panel, I assume to light up the indicator light on the manual bilge pump switch. This back feed puts power in the orange wire that runs to all the switches on the panel.
I agree that this is not a good condition but GW did not seem to think it was unusual. They said they had run across it before and that it was normal. They agree that a diode in the circuit would solve the problem but that this would eliminate the indicator light warning that the pump is working on automatic. This light is not easy to see anyway and that is why I am putting an additional LED on each pump.
So, when do you fish for Tuna up there in the frozen north?
Ed

 

[Grog]

Either one of two things will cause your problem; the switch is bad (if the pump only runs when the float is raised or by the switch then it's working properly), or it was wired wrong from the factory. If wired properly, the load side (bulge pump in this case) of a switch should never feed power to the supply when it is off. The fact that GW did not think it was unusal is disturbing.


Now on to the fun topic, for the Yellowin & big eye's normallty you have to go out to the gulfstream is the Summer, Bluefins are in closer (real close in the Fall sometimes). Late August we get the Boinita and false albacore from 5-20 miles out, but we never get blackfin. It's nothing like fishing the oil platforms by you (at least from what I've heard and read).

 

[LUNDINROOF]

I'm going to contact GW again and see what they say. No doubt, I'm electronically challenged and may be missing the point. The only thing for sure is that I had to cut the wire going from the battery to the float switch to stop the pump from running and at the same time, kill the power to the switch panel.

I am going to start working on the boat next week. I plan to fix what ever this problem is and install a motor flush kit so I can flush the motors while the boat is on my lift. Then a quick wax job and hopefully in the water by mid to late February.

The oil platforms do provide us with a lot of fishing opportunities. They make up thousands of man-made reefs, all over the Louisiana and Texas coast. We mostly see black fin schooling around whale sharks and when we do its like a Chinese fire drill until the whale shark dives and the tuna dissipate.

I may be in your area mid to late summer, I'll give you a call when my plans firm up.

thanks for your help.

Ed

 

[Grog]

The oil platforms do provide us with a lot of fishing opportunities. They make up thousands of man-made reefs, all over the Louisiana and Texas coast. We mostly see black fin schooling around whale sharks and when we do its like a Chinese fire drill until the whale shark dives and the tuna dissipate.

I may be in your area mid to late summer, I'll give you a call when my plans firm up.

thanks for your help.

Ed

I'm jealous, there's talk of windfarms going up which will give us great structure but I'm guessing 5 - 10 years before it happens. If you're ever in NJ, send a PM.

 

[LUNDINROOF]

Will do Grog, I don't know what people would do around here if we had to hunt for fish in open water. The oil rigs really concentrate the fish and help promote marine growth.

The down side is the occasional oil spill but the plaintiffs don't blink at multi-billion dollar settlements.