[jephotog]

I had some issues earlier this year and had to redo the wiring on my bilge pump setup.
According to the partner the float switch has shorted and is running full time. I am going to replace it but see nothing but bad reviews for the Rule switch I have used in the past. It gets more reviews than any other switch so I assume it is the most popular, but not popular enough to get more than 2/5 stars.

I would never purposely buy something that poorly received. What should I put in for a float switch?

 

[bigdogandy]

I went through about 1 of the P.O.C. Rule float switches a year before someone suggested a Johnson electromagnetic switch. It's lasted over two years now and works reliably.

JOHNSON PUMP 36152 - Electronic Float Switch

 

[eherlihy]

These are the only pump switches that I will install. 5 years, zero problems.

and

I have no affiliation with USS.

 

[Ajax_MD]

I went through about 1 of the P.O.C. Rule float switches a year before someone suggested a Johnson electromagnetic switch. It's lasted over two years now and works reliably.

JOHNSON PUMP 36152 - Electronic Float Switch

Thanks for telling of your experience with this switch. I had one in my hand the other day, and chickened out because I was unsure of the reliability.

This is another electronic, non-float switch that I'm more familiar with:
https://www.waterwitchinc.com/new/SiteElements/Pages/SecondaryPages/Products/BilgeSwitches.html

I do advocate non-float type switches, as I've never seen anything but complaints about them. It's not just that they're poorly made, it's easy to see why they'd be damaged from sitting in frozen bilges during the winter.

 

[capecodda]

These are the only pump switches that I will install. 5 years, zero problems.

and

I have no affiliation with USS.

110% agree. These are the only float switches that I've had that did not cause headaches (no affiliation with anyone making any of this stuff).

I've had switches that use some sort of electrical sensor without a float. When the electrodes get dirty, they don't work.

I've had float switches that jam off. Even worse, they jam on and run the battery dead.

Recently I considered one manufacturer's pump with a "smart feature." Further investigation showed that their "smart feature" would turn the pump on every 2.5 minutes for 1 second, sense if there is any load due to water present, and if so continue to run. They've got to be kidding. Checked into this with my friends in the survey business, and they are pulling them out of boats due to problems.

 

[jephotog]

I do advocate non-float type switches, as I've never seen anything but complaints about them. It's not just that they're poorly made, it's easy to see why they'd be damaged from sitting in frozen bilges during the winter.

Not a concern here. People are bundled up today and claiming its freezing out but it is 60s today.

I saw decent reviews for the Johnson switch but with only 3 reviews did not want to put too much faith in it. The Rule switch with 20+ reviews mostly bad mouthing it confirmed it is junk.

 

[MarkSF]

I've had a few problems with Rule switches, but they have always been caused by something external stopping the switch from moving. Various bits of crap seem to end up in my bilge, and end up jamming the switch. So it seems a switch that didn't rely on mechanical movement would be more reliable.

 

[btrayfors]

Over the past 30 years on two different boats -- as well as on dozens of client boats -- I've seen, installed, serviced, and replaced just about every switch out there.

Here's what I've learned:

1. The mechanical float-switches are junk and have an extremely high failure rate, not only from miscellaneous crap in the bilge but from interior wire flexing as well;

2. The so-called electronic or magnetic switches are better, but they fail also. They are also susceptible to periodic oil contamination as well as electrical failure. On my own boat, I had two fail in close succession. Get this: one failed in the OPEN position, the other in a partially closed position, presenting a high resistance to the circuit.

3. Several years ago I tired of playing with these damned things, bit the bullet, and installed an Ultra Senior with high-water alarm on the primary bilge pump and an Ultra Junior on a second bilge pump.

The result? NO PROBLEMS at all. They're costly, but worth it.

Bill

 

[SJ34]

The Johnson pump was highly recommended to me by two surveyors after my boat flooded last year.
While your replacing the pump maybe consider replacing all wiring to the switch and the pump.
The cause of my flooding was a short in old wire under the sole, halfway between the switch and the terminal block. The wire at both ends looked like new.

 

[Ajax_MD]

Yes, I'll be replacing the wires. It's a short run.

From the sketch on the Ultra ad posted above, it appears to clamp to the pump housing (or can be mounted elsewhere in the bilge). Unfortunately, my bilge sump is narrow and shallow. I have encapsulated ballast, so no keel bolts to check.

I already have a Whale manual bilge pump suction/strainer jammed down there, next to the Rule 500. Mounting the Ultra switch to the larger Rule 1500 (or Johnson) isn't going to work. As it is, I'm going to struggle to fit the Water Witch pump switch down there.

 

[ReefMagnet]

Recently I considered one manufacturer's pump with a "smart feature." Further investigation showed that their "smart feature" would turn the pump on every 2.5 minutes for 1 second, sense if there is any load due to water present, and if so continue to run. They've got to be kidding. Checked into this with my friends in the survey business, and they are pulling them out of boats due to problems.

I've had one of these installed in my engine bilge for a while now and it earns it's keep because my stern gland weeps but that's another story. I didn't buy it specifically as I was somewhere in the back of beyond at the time and needed a small auto pump without mechanical switching and that's all there was. I actually trust it more than I trust my main bilge pump with it's mechanical float switch. It uses max 2 a/h per day from the specs which I can live with. The big pro and con with these things is that they go on for a couple of seconds every couple of minutes and when it's all quiet it can just be heard which 1) let's me know it's still alive and punching away down there and 2) if there is water building up it makes a distinctly different sound and of course stays on longer. The pro and con with it is if the filter clogs up (which mine does as it lives under a grease dripping stern gland) I know about it soon enough. Not sure I'd use one for the main bilge, but as a small auto secondary I reckon they're on the money.

 

[capecodda]

Yes, I'll be replacing the wires. It's a short run.

From the sketch on the Ultra ad posted above, it appears to clamp to the pump housing (or can be mounted elsewhere in the bilge). Unfortunately, my bilge sump is narrow and shallow. I have encapsulated ballast, so no keel bolts to check.

I already have a Whale manual bilge pump suction/strainer jammed down there, next to the Rule 500. Mounting the Ultra switch to the larger Rule 1500 (or Johnson) isn't going to work. As it is, I'm going to struggle to fit the Water Witch pump switch down there.

We've a similar problem in a lobster boat we are refitting. Don't beat me up, I've still got the sail boat and the lobster boat has a keel

The keel is a narrow slot (but long and deep) in this boat, with the drive shaft right down the middle. We are designing a custom bracket, with 2 Rule 1100'a (without the built in "automatic" feature that runs the pump every 2.5 minutes to figure out if there is water). One is low, and the other is higher in the bilge. We could not fit anything fatter. We are designing a second bracket for the Ultraswitches. The top of the brackets will fasten up high enough we can grab it and lift the pumps/switches out of the bilge for servicing, just making it given the narrow bilge and space between the shaft and bilge opening.

Your dimensions might be higher, but maybe something like this would work.

 

[eherlihy]

Yes, I'll be replacing the wires. It's a short run.

From the sketch on the Ultra ad posted above, it appears to clamp to the pump housing (or can be mounted elsewhere in the bilge). Unfortunately, my bilge sump is narrow and shallow. I have encapsulated ballast, so no keel bolts to check.

I already have a Whale manual bilge pump suction/strainer jammed down there, next to the Rule 500. Mounting the Ultra switch to the larger Rule 1500 (or Johnson) isn't going to work. As it is, I'm going to struggle to fit the Water Witch pump switch down there.

Yes, I can confirm that the Ultra switch could be mounted away from the pump, or onto the pump if you wish to do that. I believe (from memory) that the switch is about 1.5" in diameter, and that there is an even smaller one, the "mini" if you want smaller.

Regarding the Water Witch;

What's been your experience with electronic bilge switches? I had bad luck with Witch Switch, and have a Johnson Ultima that works well so far. However I just read about some Ultima failures with the same symptom I experienced with the Witch Switch - sticking on. I recently needed one of the features of the Witch Switch and thought I would give it another try. My supplier told me he stopped carrying Witch Switch because they had issues, and they wouldn't warranty the product for more than a year. This guy would sell his mother for the right price, so they must have had a lot of "issues"! I'm aware of at least one SN member who has a Witch Switch and likes it. I like the concept (as opposed to float switches), however, I'm getting the idea the technology might not be ready for the marine environment. Thoughts?

Do a search on "Water Witch," as there are a bunch of threads that mention them, not all of them glowing endorsements.

I'll say this again; 5 years, zero problems with the Ultra.

 

[Waymar83]

I installed the Waterwitch (101) two months ago. The bilge on the Jeanneau Attalia is very small and a float switch does not install easy. It has worked well (so far).

 

[capecodda]

I've had one of these installed in my engine bilge for a while now and it earns it's keep because my stern gland weeps but that's another story. I didn't buy it specifically as I was somewhere in the back of beyond at the time and needed a small auto pump without mechanical switching and that's all there was. I actually trust it more than I trust my main bilge pump with it's mechanical float switch. It uses max 2 a/h per day from the specs which I can live with. The big pro and con with these things is that they go on for a couple of seconds every couple of minutes and when it's all quiet it can just be heard which 1) let's me know it's still alive and punching away down there and 2) if there is water building up it makes a distinctly different sound and of course stays on longer. The pro and con with it is if the filter clogs up (which mine does as it lives under a grease dripping stern gland) I know about it soon enough. Not sure I'd use one for the main bilge, but as a small auto secondary I reckon they're on the money.

Reef,

Glad it's working for you and given your level of diligence and keen ear I can see why. The reason my surveyor friend has been taking them out is most owners never even look in their bilge and expect these things to just work, if they even know they are there

When the engine's running or the winds up, sometimes is hard to hear a pump running or anything else. So we're also a believer in high bilge alarms as well. One boat back, I didn't even know I had an alarm until I had a last drop "drippless" seal go once under power. I would have kept going until the floor boards were floating if it wan't for the alarm.

 

[JimsCAL]

I installed a Johnson Ultima switch last year. With only a portion of a sailing season of use, I can't comment on its long term reliability, but it functions as advertised. I like that it's sealed with no moving parts and doesn't constantly start the pump to check for water like some of the other electronic switches.

Johnson Ultima Switch