How to Install a Float Switch & Bilge Pump

[@anthonyferraro5256]

Captain weekend, Thank you for sharing your expertise on how to install a float switch. I found your explanation very simple and understanding to install. Thanks for sharing with all of us boaters!

[@omcdude64]

Rest in peace, Loye Futch, "Captain Weekend" died in 2017 of a heart attack. He was 54 years old.

[@ksmit]

Thanks for the video. I a newbie and am installing a forward bilge pump and float switch. I completely understood the wiring part too.

[@jerryharrell1231]

Thanks for the clear instructions.

[@3DRundown]

I was so confused by how to get that front screw in. I thought about doing it this way, but wasn't sure if that was acceptable. Looks like a trip back to the boat is in order.

[@joneich1591]

Best example so far man.. Thank you and God bless.

[@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334]

Generally the strainer at the base of the bilge pump restricts debris from entering the pump and ruining the motor. But it's good to clean the bilge because of the fact that leaves do plug the strainer and keep water from entering the pump. I have also had to replace auto bilge floats a lot. Anyone who watches or reads my comments ..... always make sure that you have a working float on your pump if you dock your boat in the water and leave it unattended because you need to know that your pump will kick on when needed. Also, make sure that the switch kicks off the pump when it has removed the water

[@michaeljediny9851]

Followed your advice and had a clean and easy install. Thank you for sharing your video.

[@sf5043]

Thank you for the video. A piece of advice with all due respect for helping everyone out there. Just a suggestion: 1-The double videos are confusing, a single one would be good. 2- When illustrating instructions of wiring or assembly. I would recommend if you could show a zoomed in video of the wire coming out of point A (for example) connecting out of point B. People like me who have no idea what is a negative wire from a positive wire. Once again thank you for your help

[@lgallant]

Just bought this pump and float switch, so very much appreciated! Thanks!

[@kenmorgan9528]

i liked the music. Also clarified some issues regarding float switch wiring...thanks.

[@michaelhptsui]

The video is useful. As a layman, I still have two questions : (a) how to set the levels of the pump and the float switch ? which one should be set higher (less likely to touch water? and (b) I am anxious to drill hole onto my hull/ transom to fix the float switch - May I use super glue like Quiadsa FIJA + PLUS to fix the float switch to the transom switch ?

[@roybm3124]

The floater is just a switch you connect 1 wire to battery negative and other to pump black wire. Red wire from the pump to battery postive. Just match the colors and connect the switch in series with the pump. Manual switch with 12V connect it between switch and pump red/postive wire.

[@petermorton2869]

Hi Captain Weekend I had to do a modification to a Fiberglass 2015 Smuggler 6.20 Sport Cabin boat with a 2014 150 hp Yamaha Four Stroke outboard motor & we had a lot of problems with a lot of water getting into this boat & that my son Regan & I had to do something about it & this this was basically brand New boat & was a demo boat & only had 3/4s of an hour on the Yamaha Four Stroke outboard motor & I found out later the water was getting in through the bilge pump outlet & which later down the track it destroyed the toilet pump 1 day I could not get the boat on the plane & I couldn't understand why I couldn't get that boat on the plane after a few hours fishing & when I got back to the boat ramp & got the boat back on the trailer & drove the trailer off the boat ramp & took out the centre bung you should have seen so much Bloody water coming out of the bung hole it wasn't funny & even my daughter Melinda said Hey Dad that's a hell of a lot of water coming out of the boat especially a near new boat to & said yes that's a lot of water alright & when I got home & thought I would get the garden & put it the bilge pump outlet & turned the tap on just a little bit & you should see the water coming out of the centre bung hole & no wonder the water was coming into this boat & Bloody the bilge pump outlet is in the wrong place & so my son Regan & I decided to something about it & I took the hose off the bilge pump & the bilge pump outlet fitting & I tried to loosen the nut that was holding the outlet fitting but not successful & Regan had to break the outlet fitting with a hammer & chisel to get the fitting out & I had already marked where I want the new bilge pump outlet fitting to go up to the lefthand side of the boat & in that way I will never get any more water to come this way ever again & Regan had brought 2 meters of very good Quality bilge pump hose & 1 new bilge pump outlet fitting & I had marked up to the left hand side of the boat & then Regan put plenty of tape where the hole is going to go & I put plenty of tape up on the inside where hole saw going to go through on the inside of the boat & then Regan made the hole on the side of the boat & it looked good & then Regan cleaned up both inside & outside of the hole where the new bilge pump outlet fitting is going to go & then Regan screwed up the nut & Regan got me to hold the outside of the outlet fitting & once it was tightened up the outside of the fitting wasn't flush with side of the boat & so the washers that came with the side of the boat & so Regan cut one of the washers in half & I had made sure that the 1 half of the washer sitting at the top of the outlet fitting & Regan then retightened the outlet fitting & then found out the outside of the outlet fitting was still not sitting flush with the side of the boat & so Regan had to undo the fitting again & he put on the other half washer on & Regan the retightened the fitting & I made sure that the half washer & the other half of was also facing at the top as well Regan tightened up the fitting & this time the outside fitting was sitting flush with the side of the boat which this time it was sitting dead flush with the side of the & so it took 2 half cut washers to make the outside outlet fitting go flush with the side of the boat & the Regan undone the fitting again & Regan cleaned up the side of the boat where fitting & once it was nice clean Regan then got the silicone gun & got a lot of Marine Silicone on the side of the boat where the new outlet fitting was going to sitting against & Regan said to the to push against the fitting while I will tighten up the fitting & Regan had already had applied a lot Marine Silicone to the inside fitting & tightening up the plastic nut & Regan got it tight as he could & then came out of the boat to what the outside fitting was like & Regan had to do was clean up the excess Marine Silicone around the outside of the outlet fitting & it came nice to & I had a look on the inside of the outlet fitting & it looked really good to & all Regan had to do break the other outlet fitting & he used a hammer & small chisel & that was it & the outlet fitting came out easy & all we had to then was to wait over night for the Marine Silicone to cure & the next day I did the wiring of the new float switch as Regan had already Marine Silicone the base of the float switch & that's not go move all as Regan cleaned the area with White Spirits & wipe up the area with clean paper towels before Marine Siliconed the area where the float switch was going to go & all good now I did the wiring on the float switch I got 1 positive wire & connected to the main positive wire & goes to the dashboard main switch that's to the bilge pump & the other float switch wire goes straight to a waterproof fuse holder & the other end of the fuse holder wire & I have installed a proper clip & screws on to the positive side of the Battery with a 15Amp fuse I used electrical conduit to cover all of the wires & put cable ties around the electrical conduit & it is nice & neat & you don't see any wires at all & on 1 Saturday morning I took the boat to a professional fiberglass expert & got the original bilge pump outlet hole blocked up & then Sunday came the guy Rod who repaired the hole rang me to pick up the boat & wasnt not far from my place where his workshop is & had done a fantastic job of the hole & you can't see where the original bilge pump outlet hole was & Regan put the new hose on the bilge pump & I feed the other end of the hose to the new outlet fitting to the rear up side of the boat & I had to cut about 4 inches off the hose before fitting it the the new bilge pump outlet fitting & I tried it out & I put in the centre bung & I got the garden hose & put in where the bilge pump & float switch are & when the water triggered the float switch turned the 1100 GPH bilge pump on man you should how much force it pumping out the water is amazing & no leaks around the fittings either & when I turned the garden hose off & when the switch dropped down to off position the bilge pump turned off at the same time & there was still some water in the hull & so I just went to the Manual switch on the dash panel to the bilge pump & switch the bilge pump on & pumped the excess water out that was in the hull never again I will water coming into the boat like that ever again & it scary & had already destroyed the toilet pump up at front of the boat NZ $300.00 later for a new toilet pump all because the Bloody bilge pump outlet was put in wrong place & water would come in through the bilge pump outlet & putting the outboard motor in reverse would have been worse it be forcing the water even more into the hull of the boat & now ONE BIG PROBLEM SOLVED Kind Regards Peter & Keep Up With The Good Work Captain Weekend & Wishing You All The Very Best Captain Weekend

[@jw228w]

captain I have a boat that the only time the bilge pump can be activated is when main battery switch is in on positions I think the float for the bilge is not wired correctly, should be going to battery directly.cant see down in bilge what pump it is, but should I look for a brown/white wire at the switch, and route that wire directly to battery? thanks John

[@78silure]

Thanks for your help from france, great tutorial.Thanks.good fishing

[@michaelhptsui]

RIP Captain Weekend

[@jhyacinth]

Very well done. Thanks for posting

[@rohmanndrew4854]

What if my old pump only has a brown and black wire

[@whitleyca]

Great videos... I have a question on bilge pump discharge hose. My Rulemate 27D pump is NOT removing water. I traced the discharge hose down under the motor to locate the pump and float switch. In so doing, I noted there is a vertical loop in the hose at the top of the run, just before it exits the boat. Reminds me of an airvent for a dishwasher drain. Would this cause an airlock that might be my problem? When I take on water, the bilge pump light on the helm comes on, leading me to believe the float switch is working. I have just begun my investigation and have not yet tested anything, but found the loop in the discharge line and thought that might be a start. Thanks for your time.

[@TheDcrocks1]

Yes. The hose is supposed to have a gradual vertical incline. With that loop at the top the bilge will have to work harder and it will have a air lock.

[@123hikick]

hi. great video! did you ever post a wiring diagram?

[@martonlovas7030]

rest in peace Loye!

[@trimireland6541]

No direction on where the black wire of the bilge pump is connected. To the black? wire of the switch ???

[@tonytone2999]

Yup

[@Omy023]

Shoreline Marine Can I eliminate the wire that feeds the manual switch in any case?

[@roybm3124]

Jorge Omar Zayas just leave it unconnected

[@ChipLohman]

My Shoreline Marine 800 GPH Bilge Pump with Auto Switch only drains to 1.5 to 2 inches, leaving the bilge full of water.

[@TIMEtoRIDE900]

You got to move it move it . . . .

[@dirtbikehooligan1945]

When you jump over waves on a jet ski with a float switch for the bilge pump, will the float switch keep activating on and off from the jumping? If it does I guess it doesn't really matter.

[@grandpoobahful]

float switch isnt good for a PWC..... i had a manual switch installed on mine years ago

[@TIMEtoRIDE900]

Jet Skis have a continuously operating pump that runs off 2 stroke engine vacuum pulses.

[@Cornuts1000]

way too confusing. Sorry but not a good explanation of wiring. Im totally lost.

[@Cornuts1000]

Well.. thank you. Shit for brains.

[@troykot4452]

100 guy sux

[@sailingsportsandetc.2081]

I’ve never seen someone wire the automatic directly to the wire

[@mr.mrs.mcgoogle8762]

where does the black wire from the pump go?

[@seeya205]

+the jacobs Negative side of the battery.

[@gsantos612]

Thanks

[@robotusa88]

Black wire off pump????

[@lucid484]

common sense dictates the black wire from the pump is the main 12v grounding wire.

[@speedwakemobile]

you're exactly right and he tells you to connect it to the battery - idiotic.

[@hunteredwards1345]

I wish my bilge access what this big

[@auspicious113]

try repositioning your camera so we can see what you are doing

[@ronmiechkota3636]

Captain Weekend: You're assuming we do this everyday...Video was too fast with poor camera angles.

[@Ecspell]

Black Wire from pump????

[@speedwakemobile]

I must have listened to this guy 30 times over and I have to say this is the most confusing DIY video I have ever seen. He contradicts himself on the 'connecting 3 wires' together...

[@roybm3124]

Jeff Jennings He means if you have a manual console switch you connect it together with the wire from the level sensor to the wire of the pump. So 3 wires together. So you can activate it manually with 12v from center console.

[@joebloe1401]

A truly confusing mishmash of info!!!

[@ytwatcher2021]

Most recent comment

[@jerzeedivr]

That style float switch is Junk! Water Witch is Better! Not endorsed by anyone.

[@mikejohnson599]

totally confusing

[@Hristo2005]

red wire black wire??? wtf dude

[@seeya205]

+Hristo2005 Red is positive and black is negative.