Boating New Zealand - May 2018

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lowest point of the sump where the electrolysis had occurred), we

now have a system that will eliminate considerably more water

than previously. We also have the peace of mind of two pumps,

which mean we have no single point of failure and ensures the

bilge level will always remain at a safe level.

Installing the new pump and sensor was easy while the

engines were out of the boat. A suitable spot at the end of the

engine bay was found, where the pump will not be obstructed by

the engine but is also at the lowest level of the bilge. he Water

Witch unit can be attached either vertically or horizontally, and

for ease of installation we used a small wooden block to attach

it to the hull. he Water Witch has a convenient wiring diagram

printed on the side of the unit, and we wired it up using the same

power feed to the existing bilge pump.

he last step was to it a new through-hull itting for the

outlet and install a skin itting in this. A 30mm hole saw was

used to cut a hole well above the waterline but still below

the cover of the engine compartment. he skin itting was

installed with suitable amount of Sikalex sealant, and lastly

a length of 19mm bilge hose joined the pump outlet to the

skin itting.

We tested the new pump setup and have conirmed that

it keeps the water level to below 2cm in depth. An automatic

delay in the switch keeps the pump running for 14 seconds

after the water drops below the sensor level, and it has a built-

in 8-second delay before kicking in. his prevents the pump

cycling on and of as water sloshes around the bilge, and also

drops the water level to below the 2cm which triggers it to turn

on. Because the top of the pump’s water inlet is about 1.5cm

above the bottom, there is also no risk of the pump running dry

and burning out.

he boat goes back in the water in a few weeks’ time, and we

look forward to never having this problem again! BNZ

BOATINGNZ.CO.NZ

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THESE PRODUCTS?

TOP The engine had been correctly bonded with a heavy cable Call 0800 349 666 or visit http://www.marinexpress.co.nz

–- but water in the bilge stymied its efect.

ABOVE The new Water Witch keeps the water level a lot lower.

For over 20 years

Water Witch has been

the electronic float

switch replacement

of choice and is

the worldwide leader

and supplier of Automatic

Bilge Pump Switches

http://www.marinexpress.co.nz

free ph: 0800 349 666 • e: [email protected]

ELECTRONIC BILGE CONTROLS