Bilge Pump: Any recommendations?

[Downhilldai]

My Rule bilge pump (crap ) has packed up after around 14 months, mostly spent in a nice warm dry garage

I'm fed up with buying Rule pumps - has anyone tried any different brands with successful results?

[Mollers]

I use a big hole in the back and length of floppy hose. It's never 'packed-up', but doesn't work too well when not moving.

[chewy]

I've got a Rule 360 (I think) wired to a rule float switch. Has it installed for 2 years now and never had any trouble.
My boat is left on it mooring all year and doesn't have any covers fitted.

Can't fault it so far.

[Mollers]

Perhaps it's a wiring issue.

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by Mollers

I use a big hole in the back and length of floppy hose. It's never 'packed-up', but doesn't work too well when not moving.

I'm glad to hear your floppy hose hasn't let you down. Didn't you need to get it lengthened, after you cut a bit too much off the end?

Originally Posted by chewy

I've got a Rule 360 (I think) wired to a rule float switch. Has it installed for 2 years now and never had any trouble.
My boat is left on it mooring all year and doesn't have any covers fitted.

Can't fault it so far.

Thanks for the advice, but I'd like to hear of peoples' experience of different brands, because I've got a large bin full of scrap Rule pumps

Originally Posted by Mollers

Perhaps it's a wiring issue.

Wiring? What's that?

You haven't found your 'spare' pump yet then?

[BruceB]

I have had no real problems with Rule pumps but I always install them on a bracket an inch or two above the well bottom. This means only water gets through the pump as all the other c**p settles out in the well.
I will now probably have multiple failures one after the other but until now the only problem caused has been by size 10 feet standing on the pump and physically breaking it.

[chewy]

My mate fitted a cheap copy of a Rule pump, think it was branded a mariner or dolphin and that failed after 6 months.

Which pump do you have fitted? Is it fitted at the stern of the boat where the trunk exits?

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by chewy

Which pump do you have fitted?

500gph automatic

Originally Posted by chewy

Is it fitted at the stern of the boat where the trunk exits?

Aft end of the deck, alongside the trunk hole.

[chewy]

Is it the pump or the switch that is failing on your pumps? It might be worth trying a pump and separate float switch with an overide so you can manually turn the pump on.

If you fancy trying a different make Johnson are meant to be decent?

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by chewy

Is it the pump or the switch that is failing on your pumps?

Pumps.

Originally Posted by chewy

It might be worth trying a pump and separate float switch with an overide so you can manually turn the pump on.

All the others had float switches. I've only had one float switch fail, but loads of pumps.

Originally Posted by chewy

If you fancy trying a different make Johnson are meant to be decent?

They don't look too clever - a bit cheap & nasty, but they may be reliable. Has anyone else tried them?

[chewy]

Can't you just leave the trunk down?

[K&S]

Originally Posted by chewy

If you fancy trying a different make Johnson are meant to be decent?

We used a Johnson and it lasted a lot longer than our rule pump. it was very cheap on an ebay auction

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by chewy

Can't you just leave the trunk down?

Damn - I never thought of that

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by K&S

We used a Johnson and it lasted a lot longer than our rule pump. it was very cheap on an ebay auction

Is it still ok? How long have you used it for?

[chewy]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Damn - I never thought of that

I take it the boat fills up then? Do you have a small well that fills up or does it flood the entire boat?

[Downhilldai]

I need something to get rid of water when the boat's at rest, eg on a mooring and also to get rid of small amount of water coming on board without having to drop the trunk.
There's a small area adjacent to the trunk outlet which is around 1" lower than the main deck, so no well as such to catch any deck water. For some reason, the manufacturer won't provide a full depth well at the transom.

[K&S]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Is it still ok? How long have you used it for?

It was still working well after a year (which was longer than our rule pump lasted) then the boat was sold

[BogMonster]

I have an Attwood 1250 in the boat, ordered a new one when it started making a funny noise months and months ago and then I found out it was just a bit of kelp in it now it really is making a funny noise (last 3/4 months) but I haven't bothered to change it until it does actually go pop, it only makes the noise when it is running dry and I think that was what damaged it as I accidentally left it on for about an hour running dry when I was out one day can't really blame the pump for that!

It has been in the boat since I bought it (March 06) and was far from looking new when I got the boat so I would guess it is a few years old.

Apart from the fact I could just pop it onto the existing base plate one of the things I liked was that the Attwood only draws 2.6 amps while I seem to remember most of the others I looked at were more like 4 amps for the same size pump. It's a manual pump not an auto though, and was about £35 IIRC.

[geoffs]

Make sure that any pump you buy is a "run dry" version. Most of the failures I have come across have been due to being left on after the bilge had emptied (even on auto), resulting in internal melt down. Nearly all manufacturers do both types, so it pays to check the label.