Bilge Pump Continiouslly switches On & Off.

[kapnkarl]

I'm not sure if this is your situation but here's what I encountered with the Rule 1100 Automatic pump. The 1100 Automatic and the Rule 2000 Automatic (and maybe other Rule pumps) have a built in switch. They are designed to turn on automatically about every 2 1/2 minutes, test for load and then either continue pumping or shut off depending on the presence or absence of load. I've attached the pump description from their website.

In my case, my helm control switch for my forward bilge w/an 1100 automatic was in the auto position and it would light up every 2.5 minutes showing the switch turning on. The problem was, the pump itself was not powering up! I was testing the pumps in my new to me boat. So it seems that I may have a fried pump but a good automatic switch. Surveyor missed it. Needless to say, that pump is going in the electronics recycling (trying to be eco friendly . I do not care for a pump that is designed to automatically turn on 24 times per hour / 576 times a day to check for water... maybe. I'd rather have a "normal" switch that turns the pump on when it's needed. Wasn't cheap but bought a non-automatic Rule 2000 Gold (5 yr warranty) to replace it along with an Ultra Safety Systems switch. I'd rather try my best to be safe, rather than sorry. Your mileage may vary.

[Tikka]

non return valve is simple solution, but it must be permanently submerges, as low as possible. Air block can kills the pump, the pump will run untill burns.

[Mike Banks]

There is no simple solution to this problem. All I can recommend is there be a shallow
baffled sump in which the float switch or electronic sensor is located (stops water slopping around when the bilges have only a small amount of water, but if a leak develops is quickly flooded.

Unless there is a sump built into the keelson itself, it is almost impossible to get all of the water out of the bilges unless one does it with a mop and bucket.

I have often wondered how this problem could be overcome by some sort of aerated absorptive material mopping up the last of the bilge water, so far nothing has come to mind as to how a constant stream of dry air could be cheaply pushed through a synthetic oil-resistant sponge to eventually dry out that last half inch of water. Maybe a solar-powered fan could supply a ducted stream of air for the purpose--

[HopCar]

The OP said that he had a Rule Mate 1100. The current versions of this pump have a field effect sensor that turns the pump on and off. This pump uses a 1-1/8” id discharge hose that can hold quite a bit of water. I think Cheechako nailed it. The water left in the hose when the pump turns off is enough to turn the pump back on when it runs back to the bilge.

It is not one of the pumps that turns on every few minutes to measure amp draw.

The fix is as Cheechako recommends, add another pump and switch. I like his suggestion of a diaphragm pump mounted out of the bilge that comes on before the water gets high enough to turn on the Rule Mate.

I don’t like check valves in bilge discharge lines. They usually don’t cause problems, but eventually they do. That said, Rule and Whale are putting joker type valves in their low profile pumps to address this very situation. So replacing the Rule Mate with a Jabsco Low Profile would also solve the problem.

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by kapnkarl

I'm not sure if this is your situation but here's what I encountered with the Rule 1100 Automatic pump. The 1100 Automatic and the Rule 2000 Automatic (and maybe other Rule pumps) have a built in switch. They are designed to turn on automatically about every 2 1/2 minutes, test for load and then either continue pumping or shut off depending on the presence or absence of load. I've attached the pump description from their website.

In my case, my helm control switch for my forward bilge w/an 1100 automatic was in the auto position and it would light up every 2.5 minutes showing the switch turning on. The problem was, the pump itself was not powering up! I was testing the pumps in my new to me boat. So it seems that I may have a fried pump but a good automatic switch. Surveyor missed it. Needless to say, that pump is going in the electronics recycling (trying to be eco friendly . I do not care for a pump that is designed to automatically turn on 24 times per hour / 576 times a day to check for water... maybe. I'd rather have a "normal" switch that turns the pump on when it's needed. Wasn't cheap but bought a non-automatic Rule 2000 Gold (5 yr warranty) to replace it along with an Ultra Safety Systems switch. I'd rather try my best to be safe, rather than sorry. Your mileage may vary.

That’s not the type of pump the OP has. The ones that turn on every couple of minutes are actually pretty reliable and the folks at a Rule told me they sold a lot to commercial fishermen. Like you, I don’t care for them. It’s distracting when that damn thing comes on every few minutes.

I think you’ve got the Gold Standard of bilge systems. The Rule 2000 is a very reliable pump and the Ultra Safety System switch is generally considered the best.

I’ve often wondered if the Rule 2000 Gold was any different from the regular Rule 2000. Maybe it’s just a sneaky way of selling you an extended warranty.

[danielamartindm]

I've seen this happen when the arm of the float switch is orientated forward, instead of aft. Then, when a wave lifts the bow, a wave of water runs aft in the bilge and pushes the float switch arm up to actuate it. Pretty rare, but I thought I'd mention it.

[Capt. Ray]

What is the ideal bilge pumping installation? I have 1, 3 and 6 but plan to install the entire "best practice" on next haulout... then I'll truly be able to sleep!

Objective: dry bilges.

1. A standard main bilge pump at the lowest level of the bilge activated by a level switch. I think the Groco AS-100 are the best, very sensitive and the electric switch is always above the water. Install an Auto and Manual switch. All recommendations I have read are NOT to install a non-return valve in the hose, so yes, water can come back down and re-activate the sensor, so...

2. A "sipper" style pump like the LVM Amazon with a pickup at the bottom of the bilge to leech out the last of the water, on a manual switch. Of course, this works best if there is a depression or "v" at the bottom to get the last of the water out, on my boat though the bilges are wide flat steel bottoms which is a major pain.

3. A "High Level" alarm switch a few inches higher than the main pump with an alarm loud enough to wake up the sleeping dead or people outside the boat if docked and you are away. On my boat I have a school bell in my engine bilge and a car horn in the salon bilge which make crew jump out of their skin when testing. It's a good idea to test alarms with a low voltage to see they operate even if the pumps have given up...

4. A manually operated backup bilge pump preferably on a separate hose and outlet though in my engine room I have a manually switched Y-valve. I really need to move the pump switch to the valve location with an instruction placard.

5. Where possible, have a "catchment area" where water regularly intrudes, such as the stuffing box, with a small automatic pump in its lowest point. This would be intended to catch intruding water before it actually overflows down into the bilge. I'd really love to have a completely dry flat bilge!

6. If your boat is large (mine is 78-feet on deck) a generator-powered crash pump is a good idea for emergencies, I have one in each main bilge.

7. Manual bilge pumps (like the Whale) in each main area, or a movable pump on a board with a hose that can reach down each bilge.

[SeaSon]

Use a seperate switch for the pump. Mount it to a 1/2 " thick piece of starboard to get it higher than the pipes drain volume.