Bilge Pump

[Lakeside]

My boat has the Attwood bilge pump.  When I flip the switch on the dash, it doesn't turn on.  However, the pump itself gets warm to the touch, so it is drawing electricity. 

Could something have gotten stuck inside, jamming the pump?  Or could it have frozen up in the off season due to lack of use?  It almost seems that a little tweak should get it going again.  Any ideas?

[skiboarder]

Take the hose off at the pump then turn it on if it pumps or airates then your bilge hose is clauged. Mine was acting funny last year and I replaced the hose and everything is fine. When you put a new one on tape the new one to the old one and pull it threw the bottom of the boat otherwise you wont be able to do it without ripping up the floors. hope this helps. Whats up with this crappy boating weather in wisconsin?

[masonlk]

Those pumps just snap in a cup glued to the bottom of the boat. Pull it off and see if the screen is plugged. Mine was full of carpet fibers sucked up over the years. You can test it by putting it in a pan of water after it's clean. You can also bypass the dash with a pair of jumper wires direct from the battery to test it. If it's not working replace it with a Rule or something other than the Attwood. The Attwood products are cheap crap.

[Lakeside]

All I had to do was pull it off the cup glued to the floor.  Now it's back to normal.  I'll be out later today and can test it with some real lake water.  Thanks to both of you for your help.

Skiboarder -
We don't have any wet/dry suits, so all we do at this time of year is go out for a spin.  It's been a bit cold, but it's still great to be out on the water.

[Bitzco]

All this talk of bilge pumps made me think of bilge rats which made me think of Rattatouie. That made me think of food which made me think of the lovely turkey and swiss sub I had the last time I was out boating. That made me realize that while I was eating that lovely sub, I never saw/heard my bilge go on or off. In fact I didn't hear it at all the last time we were out. That made me think that I should maybe check the bilge pump. So I did. It was full of carpet and other crap that smelled and looked like something out of the sewer.

I'm not too handy with my hands, but I asked Jimmy at Marine Products where the bilge pump on an SX is, he pointed me to the space under the floor just in front of the gas tank and under the ballast pumps and hoses. I took off the hose that connected the two (red) ballast pumps together in order to get to the bilge pump (it was a red dealie whacker that said Rule 1100 on it). The pump was seated in a little seat thingamabob and had a dish shaped screen under it. I just pulled the pump off its seat, cleaned the screen off and she works like a charm. There was no way that pump could have worked with the full handfull of crap I dug out of that screen. While I was at it, I greased up the bearings and the steering rod that connects to the rudder. Not bad for a half hours work and one skinned knuckle. So, thanks for bringing up the bilge pumps. I think I'll check mine every year.

Incidentally, I knew the pump was trying to work while it was clogged because it buzzed and vibrated like a cell phone when I had it exposed and turned the switch on.

[ScarabEpic22]

My bilge pump was seized with a piece of paint!  Once removed it worked a little better, then I unhooked the hull output into a bucket and got a huge wad of carpet shaving and random stuff that caused the flow to be only a trickle.  Thought I had it fixed, then at the end of the season it seized completely. I replaced it with a Rule 500Auto pump which I moved to under the engine so it actually pumps more water out, but thats fine b/c the Attwood one has been crap since Day 1.  The Rule has a float switch integrated like the Attcrap one but it actually pumps water. Been a year and no problems.

[toyotafreak]

Bitzy, you're cracking me up dude. Thx, I needed that. Actually twice, cuz in the other thread you were talking about your petcock.

I've always wanted to add a second bilge pump as backup in case one fails or a situation gets really bad (like dodo forgets a the drain plug, knock wood). Until just this moment I always thought it would go up by the existing one. Now I'm sure the right place for it is aft of the engine by the rudder. Heck, there's even a accessory cable run back there. Well maybe it wouldn't be so hot to have it that far aft. Wouldn't ever get used unless things got real bad.

What do you think, second one forward in same location as OEM, or aft to protect the engine if the boat's on plane or otherwise tilted?

[FreeLance]

The previous owner of my S22 put a second bildge pump in the rear right under the belt on the engine.  Seems to work pretty good since I have yet to replace the packing and the drive shaft does more than just drip.  I will see if I can get pics of it tonight.  Plus when you are under way at wakeboard speeds all of the water runs to the back of the boat and this is when the pump usually kicks in.

[FreeLance]

Here is the pic of the bilge pump in the engine compartment.  It has one of those floats on the bottom of it between the pump and the shell that it sits in.

[Bitzco]

Didn't want to mention it and make you guys jealous of my handy wife, but she took care of the seacock while I was working on the bilge.

[ScarabEpic22]

Funny you mention not putting the drain plug in... I have a good story about this.

So about 2 years ago I put my Epic in the water and do the 15 min cruise to where I moored it (now it sits in my driveway).  Got there, throw the cover on and went home.  Come back the next day, and the platform is under ~1.5-2in of water.  Thats weird I think, then I pull the cover and get inside.  Pull the battery compartment access panel (99 E22) and its FULL OF WATER!!!  Hit the bilge immediately, and it slowly starts emptying it.  basically doesnt get anything done, button it up and come back a couple days later.  Take it out and it takes off really slow, like its really heavy (haha) but then all is fine.  Pull the access when I park on the lake, and its slightly full.  Take it back and cover again.  Come back and realize that I didnt check the plug when I put it in about a week or a week and a half ago, so I take it out.  Plug is hanging there and the bilge is just spewing water.  Long story short, you can fill the hull of an Epic 22 and it will still run fine!!  No problems, but I have run a couple batches of biodegradable bilge cleaner in there to hopefully make sure there arent any issues.  Needless to say, I screw the plug in at home and then double check right before it goes in the water.

[westtx]

Could it be another hidden in-floor easy fill ballast system from Toyota?

[ScarabEpic22]

Could it be another hidden in-floor easy fill ballast system from Toyota?

Id love to think so!! hahaha, but seriously I was freaking out when the bilge was pumping and the water was NOT going down at all!  What would be cool is if I could get good enough with a mask to undo the plug in the water for a boarding session/wakesurfing and then let it fill for 5ish min, then put it back in.  After we're done I would just put it on the trailer as it is being trailered all the time now and not sitting in the water (at least in Seattle, in CDA it sits for about a month).

[cyclone]

IF the pump runs but does not pump anything, and you clean the screen and it still doesn't pump but it runs and buzzes and seems like its working, check the wiring. If you see a brown wire connected to a black wire and vice versa, you have the infamous backwards wired bilge pump. I had this problem on my boat purchased brand new. They musta had a color blind retard hooking the stuff up not to notice that at the factory. If it is non-millenium dash you can swap wires at the switch, I'm told. I put a new pump in and wired it correctly, that's just me.

Bitzy, you are completely insane. This site would not be right if you bought a BOO and left. You crack me up and I'm glad you found the ideal profession. I'm gonna go skiing in Utah this winter and visit my sis who lives in SLC, I'd like to hook up if you're around. And not wearing an 'I love me" jacket;)