Bilge Alarm

[NB Willawaw]

We have a bilge alarm fitted.

 

The benefit of it to me is that it will tell me if the weed-hatch hasn't been put back properly, if there is excessive rain in my bilge, if the stern gland is leaking, if the bilge pump isn't coping with water ingress.

 

I'm curious as to how many boats have them and if people who don't have them, have ever considered fitting them ??

 

This is not a market survey and I'm not setting up a business to make bilge alarms.

 

For the purpose of the poll, please assume they cost under £50, operate from your 12V domestic batteries via a fuse and will give you an audible and visual alarm on a small remote display panel, if you have water in the bilge.

In reality, the amount that it triggers at can usually be varied by moving the sensor, so it can either tell you there is a little water if thats what you are interested

in (if you have a very dry bilge usually), or it can be set at several inches, so it won't suffer from false alarms and will tell you if your bilge pump isn't coping.

Similarly, the audio alarm can usually be either something that will alert you at the tiller or if you are asleep onboard, or it can be so loud, your marina neighbours won't fail to notice.

Again, variable, not restrictive.

 

If you wanted it to text your mobile and tell you, that is also possible, but the devices that do this would be extra money.

Edited November 21, 2010 by NB Willawaw

[canaldrifter]

Without wanting to be crass, why do we need one again?

 

The weed-hatch, rear gland and level of water in the bilge should all be regular checks anyway. If you start relying on an alarm, and it fails, what then?

 

I check all of these things on a daily basis, at the same time that I'm checking engine oil and water levels, placing beer and mobile phone within reach on the rear deck-shelf and pre-opening the biscuit packet.

 

I do use texts anyway. Usually to ask Mrs Drifter in the cabin to bring up a full bottle when needed.

 

If you insist, a simpler way of testing for depth of water in the bilge is to fit a ball valve that actuates a line around a pulley, the other end of which is tied around your big toe. (You may have to adapt a boot in cold weather.)

 

Tone

Edited November 20, 2010 by canaldrifter

[blodger]

If you have automated a bilge pump by adding a (mercury) float switch you can have it also feed a buzzer or siren which stays on while pumping ensues.

 

I have two such pumps and used redundant 12v fire alarm sirens; had to silence them a bit by wrapping a duster around them.

 

This reminds me that one no longer does sound so need to check the wiring or fit a replacement buzzer. As luck would have it, its the one with a manual switch by the morse controls that I sometimes catch inadvertently. The audible bit served to tell me that I had done

[alan_fincher]

Poll wording is possibly slightly flawed, as poll insists you answer all 3 questions.

 

What answer do you want me to give to question 3 "If You Voted Yes to Q2, Would You Be Prepared to Pay £150 More for Something That Would Text You When Alarm Activated??" if I voted "No" to question 2 please ? It will not let me leave the question unanswered !

[NB Willawaw]

You're right you can, but my bilge is normally bone dry.

 

My float switch on the bilge pump will activate after the depth has reached an inch or two. This is okay if the boat is sinking, but personally, I would like to know when there is any water in my bilge.

My particular alarm will activate at 5mm of water.

 

I once put the weed hatch back and the seal didn't go back properly - I shipped a fair bit of water before I noticed and that was more through good fortune.

After that, I fitted the bilge alarm.

 

I actually did connect mine up to an SMS unit which texts me when the alarm activates, but its not connected at the moment.

 

It was covered on my blog back in March here:

 

http://nbwillawaw.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-boat-has-just-sent-me-text.html

 

If you have automated a bilge pump by adding a (mercury) float switch you can have it also feed a buzzer or siren which stays on while pumping ensues.

 

I have two such pumps and used redundant 12v fire alarm sirens; had to silence them a bit by wrapping a duster around them.

 

This reminds me that one no longer does sound so need to check the wiring or fit a replacement buzzer. As luck would have it, its the one with a manual switch by the morse controls that I sometimes catch inadvertently. The audible bit served to tell me that I had done

 

In that situation, I would say NO.

 

If you wouldn't want to fit a bilge alarm, then you wouldn't want to spend £150 on a text device.

 

Poll wording is possibly slightly flawed, as poll insists you answer all 3 questions.

 

What answer do you want me to give to question 3 "If You Voted Yes to Q2, Would You Be Prepared to Pay £150 More for Something That Would Text You When Alarm Activated??" if I voted "No" to question 2 please ? It will not let me leave the question unanswered !

[alan_fincher]

In that situation, I would say NO.

 

If you wouldn't want to fit a bilge alarm, then you wouldn't want to spend £150 on a text device.

So question 3 should actuall read....

 

If You Voted "Yes" or "No" or "Already have one" to Q2, Would You Be Prepared to Pay £150 More for Something That Would Text You When Alarm Activated??

 

then ?

Edited November 20, 2010 by alan_fincher

[blodger]

You're right you can, but my bilge is normally bone dry.

 

My float switch on the bilge pump will activate after the depth has reached an inch or two. This is okay if the boat is sinking, but personally, I would like to know when there is any water in my bilge.

My particular alarm will activate at 5mm of water.

 

My bilge was always wet until I renewed the boss and sterngear earlier this year. Since then there has not been enough water in for the float switches to operate; still would not call it dry though

[NB Willawaw]

My 5mm one was one I made myself using a probe idea. I'm making another solid state one at the moment for a friend - different design idea and that triggers at 15mm depth.

I still think it will trigger before the float switch type which I've discounted for alarm use.

 

By using one float switch for the bilge pump and one solid state switch for the alarm, hopefully, I've got some redundancy there.

[saltysplash]

Without wanting to be crass, why do we need one again?

 

The weed-hatch, rear gland and level of water in the bilge should all be regular checks anyway. If you start relying on an alarm, and it fails, what then?

 

I check all of these things on a daily basis, at the same time that I'm checking engine oil and water levels, placing beer and mobile phone within reach on the rear deck-shelf and pre-opening the biscuit packet.

 

 

You dont need one, but they are an excellent early warning device that something is wrong.

Your right that bilges get checked everyday when stationary but how often do you check your bilge while underway?

Its while your cruising that problems are likely to occur with failures to either stern gland or skin fittings or at othertimes when your away from the boat.

On my old sea boat the bilges were checked every hour coz its a long way to the bottom of the north sea.

 

Like I say, not imperative but a useful safety addition

[blackrose]

I've got a few of them in different positions around the boat, including under the shower drain, in a square washing up bowl that my water pump sits in and under the stern gland.

 

They cost £5 each from Maplins and run of a 9v battery. I've only ever had 2 go off, once when my water pump leaked into the bowl and once when the gutters under my deckboards were blocked with leaves and rainwater had flooded the bilges.

 

They are very loud! Useful little gadgets, but not for £150 or even £50!

 

Edit: It doesn't look like Maplins sell them anymore (apart from the assemble yourself kits), but there should be plenty of other cheap units available elsewhere. http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/bathing/water-level-indicators-p/overflow-water-level-alarm-0105274-574-information.htm

 

Here's the same thing for a fiver. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bath-alarm-water-level-indicator-/140480112128?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item20b5446600

 

Mine have a sensor attached with 1m of cable so I can put the sensor where I want and position the alarm elsewhere, but I can't find any with a google search.

Edited November 20, 2010 by blackrose

[romarni123]

I've got a few of them in different positions around the boat, including under the shower drain, in a square washing up bowl that my water pump sits in and under the stern gland.

 

They cost £5 each from Maplins and run of a 9v battery. I've only ever had 2 go off, once when my water pump leaked into the bowl and once when the gutters under my deckboards were blocked with leaves and rainwater had flooded the bilges.

 

They are very loud! Useful little gadgets, but not for £150 or even £50!

 

Edit: It doesn't look like Maplins sell them anymore (apart from the assemble yourself kits), but there should be plenty of other cheap units available elsewhere. http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/bathing/water-level-indicators-p/overflow-water-level-alarm-0105274-574-information.htm

 

Here's the same thing for a fiver. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bath-alarm-water-level-indicator-/140480112128?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item20b5446600

 

Mine have a sensor attached with 1m of cable so I can put the sensor where I want and position the alarm elsewhere, but I can't find any with a google search.

 

They sound like the ones I have,one behind washer,one by shower pump one under califorer and one for the water pump I got mine from Lidles about £6.00 each.

[blackrose]

They sound like the ones I have,one behind washer,one by shower pump one under califorer and one for the water pump I got mine from Lidles about £6.00 each.

 

They go off so rarely that when they do I'm like "WTF is that?" but on both occasions it's happened I was glad that I had the early warning.

[DeanS]

 

I do use texts anyway. Usually to ask Mrs Drifter in the cabin to bring up a full bottle when needed.

 

Tone

 

 

I installed a ding dong wireless doorbell to call crew from the comfort of the galley, to the tiller

[romarni123]

They go off so rarely that when they do I'm like "WTF is that?" but on both occasions it's happened I was glad that I had the early warning.

 

So am I they are simple and cheap but do the job. Mind you I have so many alarms if they all went off I could drown out the local fire station The only trouble is when one has gone off I run round like a headless chicken trying to find it as they all sound the same.

[NB Willawaw]

I've amended my original description to provide more detail i.e. the device mentioned as the basis of the poll, operates from the 12V boat battery via a fuse (can bypass the battery isolator if required) and has a remote display which includes an alarm light and sounder. All cables included for self-installation.

I'm not moving the goalposts, but I didn't communicate enough details in the interests of brevity.

 

There are lots of other ways of detecting water, from the cheap battery powered fridge alarms through to the expensive units that graph bilge pump activity.

 

For the purpose of the survey, the unit in question is as described.

Edited November 20, 2010 by NB Willawaw

[NB Willawaw]

Although its not directly related to the basic unit in question at <£50, the optional SMS unit that I'm experimenting with (its not on my boat because it currently uses a T-Mobile SIM and I need to fit another SIM with better coverage) will text me when something alarms (its currently set up as BOAT on my mobile and comes up as such, with a text telling me that the boat is taking on water).

It can also be used to switch two different things on like lights, fridge, heater etc just by me sending a simple text to the BOAT number.

Unfortunately, this brand is no longer in production.

 

However, I believe I can make my own for a similar cost (£150) which will do this, giving me more alarm parameters and also tell me the battery voltage on demand (quite useful) and also the temperature in a certain part of the boat (maybe

not quite as useful). Like all things, technology can be made to do lots of things and its not difficult to introduce a GPS sensor to this for tracking and position reporting, as an anti-theft device.

 

I realise that most canal boaters aren't interested in this, but a lot of higher GRP coastal boaters are, so I might just make it anyway. At worst, I can fit it on my own boat for those awful times when we are separated..

Edited November 21, 2010 by NB Willawaw

[alan_fincher]

Have to admit to being genuinely surprised that over two thirds of respondents already do have a bilge alarm.

 

It's not something it would occur to me to have on my shopping list.

 

But, if I'm honest, our bilge pump packed up sometime ago, (I suspect though disuse), and I haven't got around to replacing that either.

[Timleech]

Have to admit to being genuinely surprised that over two thirds of respondents already do have a bilge alarm.

 

It's not something it would occur to me to have on my shopping list.

 

But, if I'm honest, our bilge pump packed up sometime ago, (I suspect though disuse), and I haven't got around to replacing that either.

 

I haven't answered the poll, as nothing really fits for me. It would never have occurred to me to fit a bilge alarm, to an ordinary pleasure boat, except as something which could send a signal when the boat is unattended.

 

Tim

[NB Willawaw]

Thats probably, NO, NO, NO then.

 

I haven't answered the poll, as nothing really fits for me. It would never have occurred to me to fit a bilge alarm, to an ordinary pleasure boat, except as something which could send a signal when the boat is unattended.

 

Tim

[Timleech]

Thats probably, NO, NO, NO then.

 

Indeed, but that wouldn't mean I had absolutely no interest in a bilge alarm

 

Tim

[NB Willawaw]

Yes, but that wasn't my question.

 

Indeed, but that wouldn't mean I had absolutely no interest in a bilge alarm

 

Tim

[Timleech]

Yes, but that wasn't my question.

 

Fair enough, I read your comments as suggesting it was (part of) your question

 

I'll give the appropriate answers!

 

Tim

[Colin Smith]

I've got one of these: http://www.celectron.co.uk/

 

It monitors the 3 bilge pumps I have and is connected to two alarm buzzers (one in the saloon and one in the bedroom). I can do a quick check on any 'pump activity' from the helm - where it's mounted - without having to lift boards etc.

 

IMO well worth the £80!!

 

Colin

[carlt]

I've got one of these: http://www.celectron.co.uk/

 

It monitors the 3 bilge pumps I have and is connected to two alarm buzzers (one in the saloon and one in the bedroom). I can do a quick check on any 'pump activity' from the helm - where it's mounted - without having to lift boards etc.

 

IMO well worth the £80!!

 

Colin

Me too great bit of kit.

 

It monitors switch trigger patterns, rather than being just an alarm and, whilst it claims to be able to monitor up to 8 bilge pumps, it can actually monitor any kind of switch so it can check lpg, CO, smoke or even intruder alarms.

 

I've got mine attached to an autodialler to give me a ring, if anything untoward happens.

 

I think it's great, having an old wooden boat moored 130 miles away, but I wouldn't bother if the boat wasn't 78 years old, or if I was a liveaboard.

 

Johnson do a simpler bilge alarm, for about £40, if you don't trust the lidl/maplins ones.

[NB Willawaw]

Iirc the Celektron is a display only that has to be connected to existing sensors ?

 

Concerning the Johnson unit which comes just with a standard very loud alarm (no softer option) for when you are onboard and moored amongst other boats, I cant find this in the UK for less than fifty odd pounds. Do you have a link for a cheaper source?