How much water is okay in the bilge?

The bilge pump should draw down water to about 1/2" depth or less, so if you're ending up with that much water in the bilge you have two problems, the source of the water and the fact that the bilge pump is not kicking on. It's easy to test the bilge pump.

Should the bilge be dry?

A dry bilge may sound like a mythical creature that will never be encountered by mere mortals. With some careful planning, any bilge can be kept dry! To keep a bilge dry, you need to keep water from getting in, and get the present water out.

Why is there so much water in my bilge?

Bilge water enters from an array of different sources, including but not limited to Prop and rudder shaft packing, a weak or rusty hose clamp, dry rotted or damaged hoses, old and worn out thru hull fitting, mast drip, window or port hole leaks, air conditioning condensation sweat, engine exhaust leak, hatch leak, or a ...

Why is there water in the hull of my boat?

Water can enter your hull through the rear drain plugs, especially if they are older and the rubber has lost the elasticity to complete a good seal. Sometimes the drain plug tube or receptacle fitting has become loose or the silicone around the tube-to-hull seal has become weak.

Can you fully submerge a bilge pump?

A bilge pump can be completely submerged as long as you bought and installed a submersible bilge pump. There are a few other options for getting bilge water out but they go by different names and cannot be completely submerged. A submersible bilge pump is the simplest option.

All about boat bilge pumps. How and why to do a quick check to make sure it's working.

How often should my bilge pump run?

It should check for water every two minutes. Nothing should come out of the bilge unless it has been raining or you have been in rough water.

Can bilge pumps run dry?

The filter-free design is self-priming to 9.5' (3 m). It is able to run dry without damaging the pump. The backflow protection reduces water coming back into the bilge. The connections are 3/4" (19 mm) hose barbs for the pickup and discharge hoses.

Is it normal to have a little water in the bilge?

This is normal and should not be a cause for concern as long as the water does not keep entering the boat. As long as the bilge pump is not running often, the amount of water in the bilge should be safe.

Should there be water in the hull?

Even if the Bilge happily carries on being bailer for your boat, water constantly in the hull is not a good thing. Boats cores are made of wood, the meat filling in fibreglass sandwich. Over years the water will find its way into the tiniest of pin hole in that sandwich and once in it is trapped.

What happens if bilge pump fails?

If a bilge pump fails unwanted water can fill up the hull of the boat. This could cause long-lasting damage or even cause a boat to if enough water were to come aboard the boat. Bilge pumps are a critical safety device on your boat, and it should frequently be checked for proper operation.

What does a bilge do on a boat?

The bilge is the lowest inner part, or bottom point, on a boat, and is designed to collect excess water. On vessels of virtually any size, a pump inside the bilge performs a very important function: to remove accumulated water by creating pressure or suction so that the water can be removed.

Why is my inboard boat taking on water?

There are a few things that could cause it. Bad seal on the prop shaft is one of them. It could be a thru hull fitting, leak in cooling system, crack in exhaust outlet through transom, missing o-ring on drain plug(s), leak through surf system. Those are probably the main ones.

How do I know if my bellows are leaking?

If it is leaking badly, you'll hear a roaring sound coming from the back of the boat. That's a sure sign. It's basically water getting into the bearing grease and rusting the bearing. The bellows itself is the beefy rubber boot that goes from the transom assembly to the upper drive housing.

How much water comes out of a bilge pump?

The bilge pump should draw down water to about 1/2" depth or less, so if you're ending up with that much water in the bilge you have two problems, the source of the water and the fact that the bilge pump is not kicking on.

Should I leave my bilge pump on?

Because the bilge collects water, a bilge pump there to draw the water out. It will use pressure or suction to do this. Without a functioning bilge pump, your boat will be subject to flooding. Additionally, if you don't maintain your bilge pumps the bilge water can get dirty and polluted.

When should I turn on my bilge pump?

How and When Should You Turn on a Bilge Pump? The pump may have a float or switch to turn it on automatically when water collects in the bilge. This is especially important if the boat is kept in the water, as you'll want the pump to activate after a heavy rain storm, for example.

How long should a bilge pump run?

Depends on how full your ballast is, how full your gas tank is, it will get totally under water though and you wont be able to see it, I do know that much as I have seen it happen. Mine prob. pumps out about every 20 to 30 minutes. Shaft is dripping as it should, about 10 drops/minute.

Can a bilge pump drain a battery?

If the switch activates the pump and then fails to turn it off, continued operation of the pump motor can drain the boat's battery, eliminating the protection assumed to be provided by the automatic bilge pump system. Bilge pump switch problems often occur when the liquid in the bilge is not just water.

How much water should a boat have a day?

How much water do you need on a boat per person? For day trips and races, you need between 1.3 - 6.5 gallons (or 5 - 25 liters) per person per day. For cruising, you need about 20 gallons (or 75 liters) per person per day.

How do you maintain a bilge pump?