Bilge Pump Wiring

[DKong]

I had my bilge pump replaced before this trip. It will not turn off even with the key out. It has a brown and black wire coming off of it, and there are 2 brown and a black coming from the boat, 1 marked "bilge pump". There is a black box beside the bilge pump that says "vent cover" on the top of it and it has 2 brown wires coming off of it, 1 marked "attach to bilge pump lead". The 2 marked wires were not connected to each other. Does anyone know how this should be wired? There are are 3 wires from the boat and 4 from the bilge pump and mysterious black box. Thanks for any help!!!

[NCSUmoomba]

I am not exactly sure how to wire it, but the "mysterious black box" is the float switch, which actually turns the bilge pump on. The power for the pump should run through the float switch, not straight to the pump, that way if there is no water in the bilge, the pump won't come on. It sounds like your pump is direct wired to the power, thus it runs all the time.

It sounds like from your description that the brown wire going to the pump should be removed and attached to one of the brown leads on the float switch. Then attach the other brown wire from the float switch back to the pump where the other wire was removed. Make sense?

Just make sure the float switch still works properly too. If you have it on the trailer, put the plug in and then run a garden hose into the bilge to test. It will take more water than you think to trip the float switch though, like 2" of water, so it will take probably 10 gallons of water or more.

Good luck.

[DKong]

Thanks! I think that makes sense, wire the float in-line on the positive wire to the pump. But that still leaves a brown wire from the dash unattached...?

PS sorry for posting this twice for those that may have noticed, iPhone hung up on the submit page so I refreshed and submitted again :s

[Texan]

You're going to need the wiring diagram from the bilge pump and a voltage tester. After you get the wiring diagram chase out the boat wires, it's really easy. One will be hot all the time, one will be the switch and the other will be the ground. Two of the pumps wires will hook together (I think it's one of the brown wires from the float and another brown from the pump) *Read your wiring or buy a new pump with the wiring instructions included, you don't want your boat to catch fire*

I just installed an Attwood it has the exact wiring as you described but I wouldn't be comfortable doing it without the original directions.

[MLA]

I had my bilge pump replaced before this trip. It will not turn off even with the key out. It has a brown and black wire coming off of it, and there are 2 brown and a black coming from the boat, 1 marked "bilge pump". There is a black box beside the bilge pump that says "vent cover" on the top of it and it has 2 brown wires coming off of it, 1 marked "attach to bilge pump lead". The 2 marked wires were not connected to each other. Does anyone know how this should be wired? There are are 3 wires from the boat and 4 from the bilge pump and mysterious black box. Thanks for any help!!!

Does your new bilge pump have an internal float? Im guessing not, as you state the pump only has two wires, a brown and black.

The black box sounds like an external float.

Black wire off pump = GND
Brown wire off pump = Power in.

If your bilge pump only has two wires and needs an external float, wire this way: B+ (hot all the time) from battery goes to side A of float. Side B of float goes to pumps brown wire. This makes the pump automatic as water will lift the float and the pump will run. To wire the bilge switch so you can manually turn on the pump, connect the switched B+ wire from the switch to the pumps brown wire between the float side B and the pump. This puts power to the pump AFTER the float from the switch.