bilge pump FYI

[Peter]

I thought I would pass on something I learned this fall about the bilge pump wiring setup in the ? older Trojans. The background is that my battery charger died. After about two weeks, my starboard-side battery went dead from the slow drain of my fume detector and flat screen TV. During troubleshooting I found that [when the battery was charged] if the battery selector for the starboard battery was turned in the off position, the bilge pumps would not work.

Apparently in newer boats, it is common practice to wire the bilge pumps direct to the battery, bypassing the selector, so that if you turn the battery off, and the boat was not attended, and you spring a leak, the bilge pumps would still work off the battery. In the spring, I am going to rewire the pumps, to work off either battery, and bypass the switch.


[I did have an experience once, fortunately sleeping aboard, where I had neglected to turn off the shore water supply. The cold water pipe in the galley burst, and the bilge pumps kept up with it until I discovered the problem, if the boat was unattended, with the battery issue, could have been a disaster]

OK, back to Chapmans....