Tech Talk - What Is A Bilge Pump & How Does It Work?
In today's Tech Talk we are going to discuss the bilge pump and a few of its key features.
Water can find its way into a boats bilge for many reasons; rough seas, excess rain, or any leaks in the boat's hull. This is when an important key boating feature comes into play - the bilge pump.
The bilge pump is simply a pump that is located within the stringer grids bilge. A key feature of the pump is that it has a built in 24 hour float, meaning that once any water reaches a certain level the pump will automatically kick on, pumping any water in the bilge overboard until the bilge is dry.
The automatic float is a crucial component, but if you wanted to work the pumps manually you can always head up to the dash and turn them on by using the bilge pump buttons on your Garmin MFDs.
The bilge pump is also wired to a 24 hour constant power source. Located on the power grid of the leaning post you'll find two 10 amp breakers. Just in case the pumps were to short out, this is where you would access one of those breakers. From that point, whether your battery switch are on or off you will still have power to both bilge pumps.
To wrap up, the bilge pump may sound like a simple thing, but it is a key feature in alleviating any water from your bilge. The more water that sits in there over time can slowly cause excess condensation, molding and possibly damage many components causing rot or rust. So it's important to try and keep your bilge as dry as possible!