Bilge wiring

RiverRat232

I am finally getting around to putting in a new bilge pump in my 232 and I have a wiring choice to make. The new pump has a built in float switch and my old pump was wired to on on/off switch at the helm. The shop where I bought it said he would wire it directly to the battery (fused) so it's in auto mode at all times which would eliminate the need for the helm switch. The pump instructions also say this is the "preferred" method but it also shows how to wire it to the switch. How have you guys done it? Something about having a switch on the helm that does nothing goes against my nature.

TonyG13

Mine is wired - and I believe they came this way from the Rinker factory - so that it can be activated with the float switch automatically AND switched at the helm to active it manually if desired/needed. That's how I'd do it if I were replacing mine.

PickleRick

Your new bilge is wired black to ground and your red is wired + to float and then float to fuse at + battery terminal?

If so run helm switch power wire into + wire between the bilge and float. 

When you hit the power wire she will get 12v + no matter what the float is doing. 

LaRea

No matter what, it needs to be wired so that you can't accidentally turn it off.  The helm switch is used to manually turn it on (for example to pump the level down lower than it gets from just the float switch).  

aero3113

I have an auto in my mid bilge, I wired it to the switch so I can turn it on if the auto function doesn’t work for some reason.

RiverRat232

LaRea said:

No matter what, it needs to be wired so that you can't accidentally turn it off.  The helm switch is used to manually turn it on (for example to pump the level down lower than it gets from just the float switch).  

My current switch is either on or off. So you are saying make sure the built in float always has power but the helm switch can turn on the pump as well?  

RiverRat232

aero3113 said:

I have an auto in my mid bilge, I wired it to the switch so I can turn it on if the auto function doesn’t work for some reason.

That would require a 3 position switch, on/off/float, correct? Right now I have a 2 position switch on/off.

RiverRat232

PickleRick said:

Your new bilge is wired black to ground and your red is wired + to float and then float to fuse at + battery terminal?

If so run helm switch power wire into + wire between the bilge and float. 

When you hit the power wire she will get 12v + no matter what the float is doing. 

This pump has a built in float. It has 3 wires. Positive, negative and a wire to the switch, according to the directions. Man, I wish I better at electrical stuff.

PickleRick

RiverRat232 said:

PickleRick said:

Your new bilge is wired black to ground and your red is wired + to float and then float to fuse at + battery terminal?

If so run helm switch power wire into + wire between the bilge and float. 

When you hit the power wire she will get 12v + no matter what the float is doing. 

This pump has a built in float. It has 3 wires. Positive, negative and a wire to the switch, according to the directions. Man, I wish I better at electrical stuff.

I miss understood, i thought you said external float switch. Here is a standard 3 wire diagram.  


Unless your original pump had an external float switch you will be plug and play with this style. 
Just make sure you remove the fuse and turn the helm switch off before messing with the wiring.  It's a tiny wire but she'll spark pretty good.


You don't need a multi meter to verify your work on this one.  It can be done, carefully, with a test light with the helm switch on and fuse installed at the battery you will have 2 hot wires and 1 ground.  

Once you've crimped and optional heat shrunk your wires(i don't heat shrink bilge wires I just put on electrical grease but that's just my .02) you can now install your fuse and test.

Twist or push the test button, if she hums the automatic feature is working 

Now have your lovely assistant hit the bilge button on the dash, she should hum.  Your manual over ride is now working.

You'll now be a certified marine electrician!

RiverRat232

Thanks guys. I think I have this now. I will give this another shot later on today. I now have a better understanding of the boat's original wiring.