How Much Is Too Much water in engine Compartment

[Joseph Porreca]

Hello to All. I am installing a second backup Bilge pump in the engine compartment on a float switch. It seems like this pump will activate when there is roughly 3-4 inches of water in the engine compartment. This pump will only be a fail safe and secondary to the factory pump. My question is how much water in the engine compartment is too much? In an emergency situation will that much water cause any damage to the engine being that it is in the compartment. Seems like that amount of water is still well below any of the components.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Had an issue with leaking Plugs that this site helped me solve. Now trying to add a fail safe.

 

[Scottintexas]

I'm not sure of the layout of a 19' but I would suggest mounting it just forward the other pump, I think 3-4 inches in your engine compartment would be at the danger level,

maybe 1-2 inch range at the most,

I would also suggest wiring some sort of alarm to it. If your cruising along and for some reason are taking on water you may not see the 2nd bilge working, if that one is going you know you have an immediate issue to address.

you might look in the FAQ for a couple of threads about secondary pumps and where they installed them (but they were on 21 and 23' boats).

 

[Bruce]

Is the float switch 3 to 4 inches high?

 

[Andy S]

Due to the bow typically being slightly higher than the stern of the boat, the water in the bilge builds up aft and moves forward as the water level rises. That is why I recommend installing the float controlled bilge pump aft of the factory bilge pump. Let the float bilge pump become your primary and factory your back up. The float bilge pump will (at least should) activate first minimizing the amount of water in the engine compartment bilge and forward.

 

[Bruce]

@Andy S, I installed my Johnson pump aft of the factory bilge pump under the cleanout plug hatch. It has a water detection sensor that requires more water to trip than the factory pump requires to start pumping. Even though it is positioned aft it has never pumped water except when I have added water to the bilge to test it. The factory pump always pumps the water out before it triggers. But I do feel good about knowing I have a large secondary bilge pump.

 

[tdonoughue]

I put my second right next to the factory one, but the switch is between the engines at the lowest part of the bilge there. I have had about 5 inches of water before, with no ill effects (not that I would recommend that, mind you--it was scary!). I can think of good reason to have either one be primary with no clear winner in my mind.

 

[mraz72]

I haven't had more than a tiny puddle at the bottom and I wet slip my boat. I can hear the bilge polling for water every few minutes.

I've thought of adding a second pump, just haven't gotten there yet, plus, I might upgrade.

 

[Jay Petzold]

I added a second hardwired bilge before I wet slipped for the season so I could turn both batteries off, aways saw a bit of water in the bilge, kicked on a few times for a minute wondering where all that water was coming from (factory bilge but why was there water in the first place) took the boat out of the water last weekend to gas up, pulled the drain plug a lot of water came out, I've not felt comfortable with the drain plug beacause it's a piece of plastic with a very coarse thread, I have had a hard time with the drain plug, looking at it when it was tight, it never looked right, it looked crooked, so Saturday I spent about 5 minutes playing with it and got it to go in straight, been dry ever since