Bilge Pump Recommendations

[robtheplod]

Hi Everyone

 

Our soon to be acquired boat could do with a new bilge pump - the existing one is very tatty and I don't think it runs when needed. Rainwater gets into the engine area (I need to investigate the gutters etc) and I'd like it not to sink so quickly after buying it so I've looked around. The price varies greatly but the quality *appears* to be similar.... are there any known 'best' brands that fail the least?  I keep reading how when needed the bilge pump fails....  I like the automatic ones if possible....

 

This one looked well thought of - any recommendations for it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rule-LP900S-Bilge-Pump-Automatic/dp/B00FM26P3M/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=rule+bilge&qid=1566739614&s=automotive&sr=1-6-catcorr

 

any other recommendations?

 

thanks!!!

Edited August 25, 2019 by robtheplod

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

any other recommendations?

Get the biggest (highest Litre per minute) that you can.

It is no use saving 'a couple of quid' when you have a 1000 litre per minute leak and a 500 litre per minute pump.

 

Rule are a good brand.

[Arthur Marshall]

And never trust an automatic pump. I've always had one, reputable makes, as I don't live on, and every one has failed in a crisis. 

[trackman]

On 25/08/2019 at 15:15, Arthur Marshall said:

And never trust an automatic pump. I've always had one, reputable makes, as I don't live on, and every one has failed in a crisis. 

Mine's an auto Rule & works fine if cleaned when it gets very mucky. However it's also wired to a manual switch that bypasses the auto switch.

It came with 3 wires to permit this to be done easily, & means that in emergency the pump can be started manually.

The usual problem when it gets dirty is the auto switch sticking on, I've found. This is very infrequent, & need never happen if an eye is kept on the state of the bilge.

[rusty69]

Two here. Whale gulper and seaflo cheepie. 

[ditchcrawler]

On 25/08/2019 at 14:38, Alan de Enfield said:

Get the biggest (highest Litre per minute) that you can.

It is no use saving 'a couple of quid' when you have a 1000 litre per minute leak and a 500 litre per minute pump.

 

Rule are a good brand.

and how long could you power a 1000 lt per minute pump from your batteries

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

and how long could you power a 1000 lt per minute pump from your batteries

It was simply an example - I could have said a 100 litre a minute leak and a 50 litre per minute pump

 

 

(I actually have a 625 litres per minute pump).

[jonathanA]

On 25/08/2019 at 14:38, Alan de Enfield said:

Get the biggest (highest Litre per minute) that you can.

It is no use saving 'a couple of quid' when you have a 1000 litre per minute leak and a 500 litre per minute pump.

 

Rule are a good brand.

I found that when you went much beyond the 900 gph/lph or whatever you needed to upgrade the hose and skin fitting (to get any benefit) so check the required outlet size 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, jonathanA said:

I found that when you went much beyond the 900 gph/lph or whatever you needed to upgrade the hose and skin fitting (to get any benefit) so check the required outlet size 

Yes you do which is why I said :

 

 

On ‎25‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 14:38, Alan de Enfield said:

Get the biggest (highest Litre per minute) that you can.

But if starting from 'scratch' it is not difficult to install hull fitting and hose to suit.

[jonathanA]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

(I actually have a 625 litres per minute pump).

Wow that must be some pump....

 

a typical 2” petrol pump can shift about 500 LPM  with a 5-6 HP engine...  

 

might it be litres per hour ? 

 

Oh and the op stated clearly that he was replacing existing so he does need to consider the existing pipe/fitting sizes 

[ditchcrawler]

I suppose it depends on what you expect to fail on your boat, If you set off with the weed hatch cover off you need a big one if its the leak through a stuffing type stern gland then something much smaller or the rain in a cruiser stern, A wooden boat may require a bigger one but a steel boat in good condition is unlikely to spring a plate, and old one may pop some rivets. I don't know what the inrush would be if a vetus style stern gland failed.