automatic bilge switch replacement

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   My '93 BFN has a "Water Witch" automatic bilge switch, which I guess was OEM.  It doesn't work when I put the boat on automatic bilge.  Can they be repaired or tested?  (it looks like a sealed unit).  What other type of (3 wire) switch could I replace it with that would work with my current wiring and automatic bilge switch? 

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Tomfooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: June-28-2005 Location: Virginia, USA Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tomfooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: automatic bilge switch replacement Posted: June-28-2005 at 6:22pm
	My '93 BFN has a "Water Witch" automatic bilge switch, which I guess was OEM. It doesn't work when I put the boat on automatic bilge. Can they be repaired or tested? (it looks like a sealed unit). What other type of (3 wire) switch could I replace it with that would work with my current wiring and automatic bilge switch?
	"You could buy a cheaper boat, but you would have to ride it"

David F Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770	Post Options Post Reply Quote David F Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-29-2005 at 12:36pm
	Is this what you have? Water witch electronic switch Just in case you do not know, the automatic switches have a delay built in (30 seconds, I think) so that they do not turn the pump on and off while underway. To test, make sure the switch is submerged (or at least partially submerged) and make sure the water stays relatively still for 30 seconds or more.

Tomfooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: June-28-2005 Location: Virginia, USA Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tomfooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-29-2005 at 5:17pm
	DavidF, MY water witch is orange in color and is currently mounted on a verticle plate. It looks similar to the ones on the page shown above, but not exactly. The one shown on the above page looks like the one mounted flat in my friends '94 Ski Nautique, which is mounted flat. I've left the switch on (on mine) all night before, and it never did kick on. I wonder if I could replace mine with this one (and mount it flat)? Would the wiring be the same?
	"You could buy a cheaper boat, but you would have to ride it"

David F Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770	Post Options Post Reply Quote David F Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-29-2005 at 5:28pm
	Yep, my '93 SN has the same switch as your, obviously. I just linked to the first page I saw that had an electronic switch. I am almost absolutely sure you can use any brand switch and that they all are wired basically the same. I also think that orientation probably does not matter and you can mount them in any orientation as the switches probably do not have any moving parts...just a hunce here. I would think they work via the minerals in water conducting enough electricity (through the water) to bridge two contacts. FWIW: pure or distilled water will not conduct electricity, but water with impurities or minerals will conduct electricity. Might be worth a phone call or bit more research.

Tomfooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: June-28-2005 Location: Virginia, USA Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tomfooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-29-2005 at 7:39pm
	The water in my bilge is definately NOT pure! Thanks for your help / input!
	"You could buy a cheaper boat, but you would have to ride it"

guest Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote guest Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: June-30-2005 at 3:10am
	If it is not working I would just replace the pump and water witch with a pump that is both automatic and manual.

jwfergus1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: August-11-2004 Status: Offline Points: 11	Post Options Post Reply Quote jwfergus1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July-13-2005 at 7:30pm
	I had the same switches in my boat (1993 SNOB), one in just in front of the motor and one in the stern near the rudder. When I turned mine on automatic, they turned the pumps on and they would just keep on running. Some how one of them shorted out and kept the ciruit closed at all times. After talking to the guys at Southeast CC and Midwest CC they informed me that CC stopped using the switches in '97 and replaced them with fully automatic pumps. In addition, they had the replacement switches, but they were $20 more than the new pumps that are automatic. Now I hated going from 2 1100GPH pumps to 2 750GPH pumps, but I felt it was easier to do it this way than to try troubleshooting the switches. Good luck.

Tomfooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: June-28-2005 Location: Virginia, USA Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tomfooter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July-13-2005 at 7:54pm
	jwfergus1, What type/brand of automatic pumps are they using now? Did they say? What (brand) did you put in yours? Did it hook up to the existing wiring, and still be able to use the manual bilge, and the automatic bilge switches originally in the boat?
	"You could buy a cheaper boat, but you would have to ride it"

jwfergus1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: August-11-2004 Status: Offline Points: 11	Post Options Post Reply Quote jwfergus1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July-13-2005 at 8:00pm
	The pumps are Rhule (Sp??) and they are the direct replacements for the '97 and newer boats according to Southeast CC. That is where I ordered mine from. They are 2 wire pumps instead of 3 wire pumps so I wired them to the ground wire (black) and the wire that was hot when I pushed the "manual bildge" button. Now, when I push the button, the both pumps come on for about 15 seconds and then turn off unless they feel a resistance. Then they cycle themselves on and off (I'm not sure of the time interval) and stay on only if they feel the resistance of water present. I'm pretty happy with the new set up. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions. I'm pretty new to boating, but I've done so much to it this year that I feel the boat is in better shape than when I bought it and am comfortable tearing the whole thing apart and putting back together. I just finishe putting in a custom fiberglass amp rack for the new stereo I installed.

David F Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770	Post Options Post Reply Quote David F Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July-14-2005 at 12:33pm
	Tomfooter: Well, now that my boat is back together, my autoswitch in my 93SN is shot. Pump runs continuously in auto mode. The Water Witch switch I referenced earlier should work. The switch is vertical mount. You can tell by the picture. The two silver disks are the high and low water sensors. The switch activates when the water reaches the top sensor and shuts off when the water clears the bottom sensor. The switch has mouting ears to allow mounting to the vertical aluminum plate in our boats. Most of the other switches I have seen have the mounting ears on the base of the switch to allow mounting to a horizontal surface only.

automatic bilge switch replacement

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