Bilge pump wiring question

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RPowers's picture
RPowers
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Joined: 7/16/11
Posts: 135
Bilge pump wiring question

Hi all,

I have now turned my attention to the bilge pump, having noticed that the float switch wasn't working.

I understand the idea of having the float switch wired directly to 12v with no panel switch, so it can turn on in an unattended boat.

My question centers around the Catalina fuse panel switch.

What I see behind the three position switch (1.Auto 2.center off, 3.Manual) is the power supply coming in from a fuse, then only one output wire that is activated in the 1. Auto position.

From the front of the switch, if I flick it to 1. Auto, the pump runs and the little red light comes on. Move the switch to 3. Manual and nothing happens.

Now if I look down in the bilge, I see two red wires and one black coming out of the conduit, ready to connect.

One red wire goes 12V with the switch flicked to 1) Auto. The other red wire never gets hot in any switch position.

Q: Should the 3. Manual position on the switch do anything?

Q: Where is that other red wire connected, and why no 12V?

Q: Can I just run a new red wire from the 12V battery source (big red power switch) down to the new float switch?

Thanks!

.

Captain Rick Powers
(USCG OUPV)
1999 Catalina 36 mk II
Hull#1745
Std Rig, Fin Keel
Palo Alto, California

San Francisco Bay

Whispering Eye's picture
Whispering Eye
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Joined: 2/12/11
Posts: 30

I had some questions about the bilge pump wiring and here is what Catalina sent.

I hope this helps.

Marc Nachman
Whispering Eye
2004 Catalina 36 MK II #2201
Std RF Mast, WK, M35B

s/v Whispering Eye

2004 Catalina 36 Mk II  #2201

SRFM/WK/M35b

St. Petersburg, FL
 

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RPowers's picture
RPowers
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Joined: 7/16/11
Posts: 135

.

Thanks, that is a big help.

I took another look and found the third switch terminal.

The "auto" had fallen off the switch, and the PO just moved the "manual" wire to the "auto side, then incorrectly wired the float switch.

If I restore the original wires to the original positions, all is OK.

Glad that's all sorted out!

-Rick

.

Captain Rick Powers
(USCG OUPV)
1999 Catalina 36 mk II
Hull#1745
Std Rig, Fin Keel
Palo Alto, California

San Francisco Bay

EricH
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Joined: 2/7/16
Posts: 33

I'm working to fix the mess of wire splices and lack of fusing on my bilge pump wiring and I'm wondering about a few things:
1. Is it okay to splice the manual and float switch to bilge pump all into the same heat shrink splice connector? It seems like two wires coming into one side and one into the other might not lead to good crimps on both sides.Or do people still use the silicone filled tubing shown in the Catalina drawing?
2. Is it a good or bad idea to wire the float switch to the start battery instead of the house battery.? This is how it was wired on my boat. I can see how it might be nice to have a way to run the pump from either battery, but it could also lead to connecting the batteries together if the float switch and manual switch were both on at the same time. (Note that I dont have a manual/auto switch, just a switch for "manual on" on the panel.)

Eric Howell
Take Five
Seattle, WA
1989 MKI Tall Rig #1013
C36/375 IA Webmaster

LeslieTroyer's picture
LeslieTroyer
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Joined: 3/13/16
Posts: 533

I would not wire auto and manual to two separate sources.  I have a separate fuse panel for 24x7 circuits fed by a dual post MRBF right on the house batteries.  Both the auto and manual are fed from this source and have a A-O-M switch on the panel - an amber light indicates it's in auto and a red led whe the pump is running either in manual or via float switch.  

If you want. Some redundancy wire a second pump to the start battery 

I would put two wires into one side of a butt connector  and nice long heat shrink over it.  

 

Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo 
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor. 

Commodore

 

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