Auto bilge??? I'm a jackass...

[Zeusmotorworks]

So my 2019 210 FSH has an auto bilge, right? I don't have to have the bilge switch on?

Reason I ask is I was a jackass and didn't put the plug in the other day... boat was in the water 30 sec's before I rememebered and had the Wife pull us back out almost before she came to rest. However, I didn't hear the bilge come on. When she pulled the boat up maybe only 2 gallons of water came out. Was that enough water to trip it?

I come from an aerospace manufacturing back ground and have had my own Rally car company. However, this is my first boat 12 mos before retirement.

 

[Bdog]

Your boat is obviously different than my 2019 AR 195. Dealer said it didn’t have auto bulge but not trusting the dealer either. I am wondering the same thing for my model do you have to have it on? When the switch is on I hear it running but it’s not doing anything which is good.

 

[dlkhmk]

On my 2016 190 FSH the house battery switch and bilge switch must be on for it to function. It is auto sensing based on how it checks for water every minute or so, but not automatic like you’re thinking.

 

[TommyB]

I have a 2018 190. I didn’t realize it was automatic either. The other night while I was cleaning the boat I could hear it kicking on and off every few minutes. I had the batteries shut off so it made me curious. But I guess that’s a good thing. I think someone told me that they didn’t start bypassing the battery switch for the bilge on the FSH until after 2016. I could be wrong.

 

[Dixie Highway]

I asked my dealer, because if you read the manual closely it says:
I cut off the pic, but it goes on to tell you when the switch is on it cycles when needed. However, doing this runs the pump constantly, water or not. I emailed my dealer (who is freaking awesome) and he said:

You are correct, when you turn the switch ON it runs constantly – which you don’t want because it could burn out the pump. Even when the bilge switch is OFF it is still cycling every 2 minutes to check for water in the hull (via the float sensor) and will pump out any water if there is any. The only way the bilge won’t cycle is if the battery switches are turned off.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Here’s the whole section.

 

[Zeusmotorworks]

When I turn the bilge switch on, it seems to run continuous. However I've yet to get it to spit anything out the port. Didn't have the switch on for my "almost" mishap as the boat was pulled out almost immediately. Didn't hear it come on by its self either though.

 

[Dixie Highway]

I think the bilge isn’t in the very bottom of the boat. My first journey, I ran the pump on the switch and off, never saw any water out. Upon pulling out on the trailer, the plug open drained a couple gallons out that never made it to the bilge. If you look at the hull, the plug is in a valley at the very lowest point, engine room isn’t quite the lowest part of the hull.

 

[Zeusmotorworks]

That makes sense... I'm still unclear on whether my bilge is supposed to come on on it's own (float switch or the like) or if it is only a manual solution.

 

[Dean P]

When I purchased my 192 the dealer said to always keep the switch on. Don't believe I ever turned it off. The pump will turn on when needed.

 

[Bdog]

Hmmm, the mysterious bilge...mine runs all the time when switched to on. I could hear it while breaking in the boat and sitting with engine off. Is there any danger of it really burning out with no water?

 

[Dixie Highway]

I’m going with my dealer’s advise, as mentioned the switch on runs the pump all the time. A little plastic pump will eventually heat up, so I’m going to leave switch off and battery switch on. Next chance I’m going to run a hose in the bilge until it hits the pump, and see what happens. Better on the trailer than on the water.

 

[Elliott]

As the excerpt from the manual indicates, you need the battery and the bilge switches in the ON position for the bilge pump to work. If either are off, it will not operate. When the bilge pump is powered up, it will periodically turn on to sense for water. If no water is present, it go back to sleep for its preset amount of time. If water is present, it will run until it pumps out all of the water.

The reason for the switch is to keep from running the battery down, over a long period of time, with the bilge pump cycling on to sense for water. It should not run all of the time, unless it is pumping water.

 

[Julian]

Hmmm, the mysterious bilge...mine runs all the time when switched to on. I could hear it while breaking in the boat and sitting with engine off. Is there any danger of it really burning out with no water?

The pump should not be running continuously. Have you pulled the pump off its base to check to see if there is something obstructing the pump? These are pressure sensing pumps (on most models).

 

[Bdog]

I haven’t yet. It’s a new boat not sure what would be obstructing it. When I say running I mean more of like a low hum type sound coming from it when switch was on last weekend. I even vacuumed some excess debris up from the compartment I found a little bit of leftover fiberglass and some metal shavings from what I assume would be assembly of the boat.

 

[Zeusmotorworks]

Guess I need to get down in there and see whats what.

 

[Grassman]

On my 210 FSH the bilge pump is automatic as long as the house battery is on. It is activated by a float switch. If the switch is turned on it will run manually and could burn up the pump. If the switch is off it is only activated by the float switch and you should see the red light on the switch come on when it activates. To test just start filling the bilge with the garden hose and wait for it to turn on

 

[highanddryinco]

You are correct, when you turn the switch ON it runs constantly

Unless Yamaha has changed something over the last few years which is certainly possible, this dealer statement is incorrect.
As others have mentioned and the manual seems to corroborate, the battery and bilge switch must be on. Then the pump will only "test" cycle at a predetermined interval and will only continue to pump if water is detected.

If yours runs all the time with the bilge switch on, you better make darn sure that it starts automatically with the switch off. Start filling your bilge with a garden hose and see what happens.

There's a possibility that the pump's load sensing circuit is bad which is causing your pump to run all the time when the switch is on.

Never been a big fan of this setup. Since I'm rarely tied up at dock for days on end, I just live with it.
Ideally though if a boat is unattended and sitting in the water, a bilge pump should be hooked to a battery, always hot, and controlled by a float switch. It takes the human error out of the equation if you should walk away and forget to properly set the battery and switch. Many on this site have done this mod.

 

[BigAbe75]

That makes sense... I'm still unclear on whether my bilge is supposed to come on on it's own (float switch or the like) or if it is only a manual solution.

It’s not a float switch. So, it doesn’t detect water then start immediately. Their version of “auto” is it cycles every couple minutes, attempts to detect water, if found then pump, else try again in a few minutes.

So, if you launched and retrieved all within a couple minutes you easily could have done that between cycles... resulting in no pump action. Switch on, means it is actually running... if running dry because there’s no water, that’s bad.

I believe the new boats finally have the pump wired direct, so the battery switches can be off and the bilge will still cycle. Myself, I’m not sure how I feel about that last part. I don’t need it cycling in my driveway, draining my battery. I may install another switch just for the bilge... but then there would be yet another switch to remember and complicate things.

 

[highanddryinco]

Looks like we all chimed in at the same time with the same advice.