Mounting bilge float switch question.-gctid396282

[Mileskb]

I'm going to put an automatic bilge switch in as a secondary line of defense. The bilge I current have is one of those that cycles every 2 minutes and because of that, it's wired so the main power has to be on. I did this because there's not much need to "test" the pump every two minutes while it's sitting in my driveway and while I could have put it on a separate switch, that sounded like a point of failure for me.... so anyway... back the question.

I've been checking out the float switches and they all seem to want to be mounted on the floor of the bilge. Nope, I'm not putting any screw holes into the bottom of the boat. This is a Bayliner Santiago. When I had the fresh water through-hull removed (it used to have an old-school head) and saw how thin it was on the bottom. My current bilge I was able to mount against the bottom of the forward engine mount as it came with an "L" bracket.

I guess I could make an "L" bracket for the float switch as well, but wondered if anyone knew any clever tricks? I was thinking maybe just a dab of 3M 4200 where the screws would go and just "stick" it to the bottom. Thought I would ask first.

[Rocky_Road]

I glued mine in, and it has been fine for years.

You do need to thoroughly clean the area with a solvent first, and then I used some heavy grit sandpaper to give the glue something to grip to.

Happy boating!

[JimMc]

Rocky_Road wrote:
I glued mine in, and it has been fine for years.

You do need to thoroughly clean the area with a solvent first, and then I used some heavy grit sandpaper to give the glue something to grip to.

Happy boating!

I have done this as well. I epoxied mine in place.

[2850Bounty]

My suggestions for installing a bilge pump float switch.

• Mount the float switch at a higher elevation than the pump's lowest draw-down ability. We want the float switch to be able to turn the pump OFF... even if this leaves a bit of water in the bilge.
• Power the float switch from an Un-Interruptible power source. We do not want to inadvertantly turn this power OFF when leaving the boat unattended.
• NO Auto/OFF/Manual bilge pump switches at the helm. :thumb

[itsabowtime2]

Use some 3M 5200 and Starboard to create a place to mount the switch. Then mount/screwthe switch into the Starboard.

[Guest]

itsabowtime2 wrote:
Use some 3M 5200 and Starboard to create a place to mount the switch. Then mount/screw the switch into the Starboard.

+1. Instead of Starboard you can also use an aluminum plate. Makes it easier to remove than a glued down to the hull switch in case maintenance or replacement is required.

2850Bounty wrote:


NO Auto/OFF/Manual bilge pump switches at the helm. :thumb

Rick, you don't want to buy these freshly cleaned boats with light water intrusion into the engine for cheap???? They make good and cheap spare part donors!

[JimMc]

Starboard by it's very nature does not hold well with adhesives. You can use Starboard but it should be mechanically secured.

Seal a wood mount with epoxy or use a metal mount.

[2850Bounty]

........ or perforate the Starboard with holes for the 3M product to grab hold off. Yes/No????

[Mileskb]

I used UHMW (which I believe is StarBoard on the hoof) on the outside for a place to mount the transducer. There were at least 3 sets of holes into the transom already when I removed the old transducer and appearently no one had heard of filler or epoxy or matinetex or anything. I think they just used household caulking. Anyway, I got it all dried up/out, filled the existing holes with epoxy then attached my UHMW block with screws and 5200. Any new or replaced transducers can just go on the block.

While UHMW doesn't hold extremely well to adhesives, I have found that 4200 will hold it in place as long as you don't mess with it especially if you add some scoring to the surface being glued. That said, I think I will go 4200 directly to the bilge floor. It can be pried off if I need to. It's not like anything is gonna bang on it while in the bilge and it should be checked often anyway.

By the way, my bilge is nearly spotless now. When I did my floor repair nearby, I just got tired of looking at all the peeling black paint and such (that also kept clogging the garbard drain and the stupid design that held nearly a gallon of water between the engine and the fuel tank compartment..... so I cleaned and repaired and filled and painted with nice bright white bilge paint. Besides being able to find dropped nuts and washers as they happen, it brightens up the whole engine bay making any task just easier to see.

Thanks for the tips all.

[Mileskb]

2850Bounty wrote:
My suggestions for installing a bilge pump float switch.

• Mount the float switch at a higher elevation than the pump's lowest draw-down ability. We want the float switch to be able to turn the pump OFF... even if this leaves a bit of water in the bilge.
• Power the float switch from an Un-Interruptible power source. We do not want to inadvertantly turn this power OFF when leaving the boat unattended.
• NO Auto/OFF/Manual bilge pump switches at the helm. :thumb

WORDS TO LIVE BY... Literally. (Mine currently has the helm switch, it came that way. That's why I'm adding a 2nd pump just as above.)

2850Bounty wrote:
........ or perforate the Starboard with holes for the 3M product to grab hold off. Yes/No????

Score or perforate. Drill some shallow holes at an angled toward the corners and edges, fill the holes with glue first then coat the rest. It "may" be able to be pried off, but I wouldn't want to try.

JimMc wrote:
Starboard by it's very nature does not hold well with adhesives. You can use Starboard but it should be mechanically secured.

Seal a wood mount with epoxy or use a metal mount.

I used UHMW (which I believe is StarBoard on the hoof) on the outside for a place to mount the transducer. There were at least 3 sets of holes into the transom already when I removed the old transducer and appearently no one had heard of filler or epoxy or matinetex or anything. I think they just used household caulking. Anyway, I got it all dried up/out, filled the existing holes with epoxy then attached my UHMW block with screws and 5200. Any new or replaced transducers can just go on the block.

While UHMW doesn't hold extremely well to adhesives, I have found that 4200 will hold it in place as long as you don't mess with it especially if you add some scoring to the surface being glued. That said, I think I will go 4200 directly to the bilge floor. It can be pried off if I need to. It's not like anything is gonna bang on it while in the bilge and it should be checked often anyway.

By the way, my bilge is nearly spotless now. When I did my floor repair nearby, I just got tired of looking at all the peeling black paint and such (that also kept clogging the garbard drain and the stupid design that held nearly a gallon of water between the engine and the fuel tank compartment..... so I cleaned and repaired and filled and painted with nice bright white bilge paint. Besides being able to find dropped nuts and washers as they happen, it brightens up the whole engine bay making any task just easier to see.

Thanks for the tips all.