How does a float switch fail?

[savoir]

The usual cause of failure is water getting in causing the switch innards to eventually turn into green mush.

I can recommend this product which I recently replaced at 12 years old. Can't complain.

TEF-GEL - Ultra safety systems - Home page

[HopCar]

It's been at least twenty years since Rule last made a Mercury float switch. They failed often and I took a bunch of them apart. They all failed the same way. One of the wires broke inside the switch. The wires were attached to the mercury switch and had to flex every time the switch moved.

I had much fewer returns on the new Mercury free switches. The wire in the new switch is very high quality. I never took apart one of the new ones but I understand the switch doesn't move so the wires don't flex.

[nhschneider]

I wish I had a dollar for every Rule bilge pump switch that has failed. I wouldn't be rich but I would have a lot of dollars. The mercury switches lasted longer than the non-mercury switches but I've seen a lot of non-mercury Rule switches fail within a week - including one on my own boat.

I installed the Ultra switch and haven't had any problems for 5 years now. I also like that it has a small LED on the top of it, confirming at a glance that it's getting power.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[JDOradio]

Two summers ago I had 4 Rule switches fail during the season itself. This on a wooden boat waiting to be hauled for a rebuilt.

The first time it failed i just assumed the switch was old and replaced it. Two weeks later the new one failed, and it was an exciting surprise. I took that one apart and there were no visible signs of any corrosion or defect.

I bought two the next time, installed one and kept the other as a backup. They both failed before October.

On the package there was some kind of warranty or guarantee but the proprietor of the chandler would not honor it and said i had to seek recourse through Rule itself. I never tried. Just too much hassle and I usually needed a float switch rather quickly.

At certain moments I have had some choice words for Rule. It just seems inconceivable to me that a company would sell to boaters a piece of equipment so essential to safety and so obviously unreliable. It's like selling lifelines made of dental floss. Almost diabolical.