Bilge pump problem

[Claymar]

My bilge pump stopped working on my 2120 PH. When I flip either the panel switch or the float switch a red light comes on the panel and a little horn sounds at the helm but no pump. Not sure if the horn noise is there by design or something is about to blow up.

I've checked the pump, float switch and one 5 amp fuse that I could find and all work. Also when I flip the panel switch it lights up the raw water pump switch but I cant tell from the 2120 schematic where they are connected in any way.

Every thing electrical is all stock and all my electronics are on a seperate circut. The only other thing that has changed recently from the factory was to replace a dead battery.

Any one have any ideas before I have to pay someone 75 bucks an hour and find out there is a fuse I missed?

Merry Christmas to all by the way.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Some bilge pumps are wired directly to the battery, are you sure you hooked up all connections when replacing the battery?

 

[Claymar]

Double checked that one, is wired to the batt still dosnt work. thanks for the response Bryan.

I went so far as to take the pump and float switch out and wired them directly to a 12V source to check tat both function and they do. I'm thinking a bad ground somewhere but sure cant find it.

It would be simpler if I had a clue as to what I'm doing electrically.

 

[jeffnick]

The switch, float and pump are wired in series, but the indicator light has it's own ground (as does the horn if it's an indication that the pump is running). I'd look for a pump to ground failure. This would be a wire from the pump that needs to find it's way back to the battery negative terminal. If you can't find it, $75/hr might be better than a refloat?

 

[Bryan 2530]

Another simple one, how about the breaker next to the switch? Is that pressed?

 

[Claymar]

Jeffnick, quess I owe you my $75.

Butt connector at the aft grounding bus was pulled out. Looks like the wire was cut short and did not crimp properly. It was making contact, I'm assuming, but not crimped as it has worked for the last 4 years. I'm thinking that when I changed out the battery I pulled it out so that it was only held together with the heat shrink. New connecter and it pumps away.

Man I love this web site.

 

[Bryan 2530]

 

[Mokee]

Waytogo Jeffnick.

 

[SBH2OMan]

You migh want to consider replacing the fuse(s) on your bilge pump(s) with breakers. I recently had an outing where the fuse to one of my bilge pumps kept blowing and I ran out of spares. Luckily I didn't really need the pump other than to get rid of some rain water, but if I'd been at sea and in trouble, it would have been ugly. My next project (after installing my kicker and BEP Marine VSR battery system) is wire all three of my bilge pumps to a panel with breakers instead of fuses. (the one original pump in the stern is on the main breaker panel)