Constantly Running Bilge Pump

[SereneWarrior]

So....the admiral walks onto the boat (1970 53MY) yesterday to check on some work finished up by a contractor. In the master stateroom, she hears a "constant buzzing sound" and calls me at work to see if I know anything about it (like I know anything...). I lead her through the various things I think it might be and we discover that the aft bilge pump is running. The bilge is bone dry and doesn't look like it had water in there to trigger the float switch (which is flat down in the off position). The toggle switch on the console is set on automatic (as are all the rest of the bilge pumps). She tries to reset the switch with no success. No matter the position of the console switch the pump just runs. She notes that the pump is very warm to the touch (not unexpected given the absense of water to be pumped). I instructed her to trip the breaker for that pump and the pump stopped, of course. My question is: What would cause this malfunction to happen? My thought is that the switch on the console is somehow shorted into the manual mode. Will be working this one this weekend as I'm a stickler for having safety items functioning properly. Any thoughts from the assembled experts on this forum?

 

[captddis]

What did the contractor do?
A few weeks ago a friend called me with the same problem. After some tracing I found that the valance that was installed three days earlier was installed with a 2 1/2 inch screw. The screw went into the wire run and hit the bilge pump cable going to the bridge dead on. Pierced all three wires.

 

[hibanx]

If yours is like mine thenthe bilge pump and float switch are wired to a terminal strip. Maybe something metal laying on the strip jumping the hot lead from the float switch to the pump? Bad switch like you said, or shorted wiring like mentioned above. There are not too many scenarios that would cause it.

 

[Will]

Can you disconnect the lead to the float switch in an attempt to determine if the problem is with the float switch, the manual switch or ???
Will

 

[MikeP]

It's probably the float switch though I suppose it could be the helm switch. Putting the helm switch in the "OFF" position on any of the 4 bilge pumps on our 53MY does not actually shut off power to them. They work normally via the float switch in either the auto or "off" position. I don't really understand the logic behind that but...

As pointed out, I'd like to know what the contractor was doing and where he was doing it. THe fact that it started after he did whatever work means that''s the first place I'd look.

Normal float switches, especially Rules, don't seem to last very long. I put in all new switches when we bought the boat and have had to replace several of them twice in the 6 years since then.

 

[DLCameron2]

Hi:

Make sure the switches on BOTH the bridge and the pilothouse are set to "off". It is possible your bridge switch is still in "auto", if so the pump will continue to run. The Rule mercury switch for that pump should be readily available.

Let us know how things work out.

DC

 

[SereneWarrior]

Still working this one...It'sw not the float switch. changed that out with a apare I had...no change to symptoms. Moved to rocker switch on the console and found a broken wire from the light bulb in the switch, but not much else that was notable. Removed the switch and abegan hunting locally for a replacement. In the state of Maryland there must be 728 different types of rocker switches in stock in dozens of marine, automotive and hardware stores around the Bay, but none of them match mine (Carling 24V, 9633, five lead, three position). Guess I'll call Sam's or check online. Doesn't look complex.

 

[SereneWarrior]

Got the rocker switch from Sam's and replaced the old one....no change. So, I've replaced the pump and the float switch w/ spares and the rocker switch as well. Nothing left to do now but start tracing the circuit inch by inch to find a short....

 

[SereneWarrior]

And, finally, resolution..... It seems that my contractor was part of the problem, but only part. He had sanded and painted the flybridge and in doing so had removed the bilge pump switch. I doing so, he inadvertantly put it back in incorrectly so that the switch operated in reverse. Auto was "on". On was "auto" and Off was "on". Confused? I was. Well, after tracing out the entire circuit today, I rewired the switch. It was a longshot, but the connections as they were made no sense to me (not that that's an uncommon situation). Anyway, once I reconnected everything is a way that made electiracal sense to my mechanical brain the bilge pump now operates exactly as it should. Thanks all for your helpful thoughts, suggestions, hints, etc.!

 

[Skip]

Nice job on figuring it out! Someimes it take a while - especially as we get older!