When's The Worst Time to Have a Broken Bilge Pump?

[chpthril]

Wow, how did two things break at once?

It makes me wonder if it was cracked earlier in the year and I have been slowly taking water for a few weeks and just didn't know it.

More shockingly, I'm quite surprised that nobody knew the bilge pump was broken...especially with the de-winterization, fluid changes, and impellar change performed just a month ago as a part of the 75 hour service.

Here's the answer I'm sorry to say

[Jeff T]

I had a ballast pump break the same way. It of course was the emptying pump on the bottom of the bag, so water was flowing out of the bag as fast as it was being pumped in. LUckily my bilge was working fine, so I could not figure out why the water was coming out of what I thought was the overflow, even after I shut off the pumping in. Of course it was coming out of the hole next to the overflow. It was one of those Oh SHIITE moments for sure.

I have to think there was someone or something that broke the bilge pump a long time ago and it was never detected until the bilge was full of water.

Maybe. The boat is barely a year old. Is this something that would occur easily (if not careful) during an impellar change? I have never done one so I wouldn't really know for sure. The impellar was changed for the first time last month.

[hoopykat]

This post serves as a good reminder for me to go check my bilge to make sure everything's OK...glad things turned out OK for you.

-Mike

[dogbert]

I'm actually going to add a second bilge for just this reason.

[Fast1911]

To answer the title of this thread:

When there is water in the boat?

Did I win any prizes?

[dogbert]

To answer the title of this thread:

When there is water in the boat?

Did I win any prizes?

Bzzzt, but thanks for playing. The correct answer is:

When there is water coming into the boat!

[chadster2]

When your taking on water and don't know.

[jwanck11]

Bzzt. Insert .25

Anytime!

[loudelectronics]

LOL. My brother took my boat out on Tuesday. First time he has ever done it by himself. He did not know that I take the plug out and leave it out while I am not using it. Well the boat kept taking on water faster then the bilge would not take it out fast enough and ended up blowing the breaker, which he did not know. Anyways the water was so high that it was coming into the seating area. Worst thing was that the boat would not start to get it out of the water. Almost sank until they found the plug, jumped in and plugged it drained it on shore and then took it out for a rip. No harm. Only thing that quite working is the amp for some reason and it was not even close to the water.

[kana12]

everytime i pull my boat out mine will drain like that for over 5 min... 06 22v.. 2000lbs of ballast

[kana12]

think i might be leaking water but the ballast isnt leaking

[dogbert]

LOL. My brother took my boat out on Tuesday. First time he has ever done it by himself. He did not know that I take the plug out and leave it out while I am not using it. Well the boat kept taking on water faster then the bilge would not take it out fast enough and ended up blowing the breaker, which he did not know. Anyways the water was so high that it was coming into the seating area. Worst thing was that the boat would not start to get it out of the water. Almost sank until they found the plug, jumped in and plugged it drained it on shore and then took it out for a rip. No harm. Only thing that quite working is the amp for some reason and it was not even close to the water.

I'd check the power going from the amp to the battery. My guess is there is some fuse along that run somewhere that's been blown, probably near the battery.

[skyski_tige]

LOL. My brother took my boat out on Tuesday. First time he has ever done it by himself. He did not know that I take the plug out and leave it out while I am not using it. Well the boat kept taking on water faster then the bilge would not take it out fast enough and ended up blowing the breaker, which he did not know. Anyways the water was so high that it was coming into the seating area. Worst thing was that the boat would not start to get it out of the water. Almost sank until they found the plug, jumped in and plugged it drained it on shore and then took it out for a rip. No harm. Only thing that quite working is the amp for some reason and it was not even close to the water.

Sounds like it is time to create a pre-launch / pre-storage checklist!

[ddmracing05]

Im lost... Where did the water come from??

We had something similar happen in my neighbors Nautique. I guess usually this results from clamps being too tight. The Fitting for the filling pump broke.... After we started boarding I noticed the boat was starting to lean more and more and then the wake was getting messy. Turns out pump broke, anything comming from the hose from the lake is comming in AND the bag was emptying. So what about 6-700lbs of water is sitting in the bottom of the boat? So we rushed to get to the lift hoping that I didnt take so much on that the lift cant pull the boat up, I got it just enough out of the water untill the motor on the lift starting struggling. so then I just pulled the plug there and watched it empty for about 20 minutes. Luckily we have like 4 spair pumps. Just replaced it and went back out (would have just taken my boat but didnt want to put gas in ).

[Jeff T]

The broken ballast pump was pumping water directly into the boat. The broken bilge pump was not removing water from the boat. Of course i turned the pump off, but at that point it was too late.