Blower/Bilge pump issues

[chartzler]

Blower & Bilge pump stopped functioning (we think) at the same time. After reading some of the blogs - which were very useful, thank you - we went to the manual switches under the helm, and these switches turned on the blower and bilge pump independently and successfully. However, as before, the TT controls would not engage either device, even though the TT panel showed "green" for each device when tapped or turned on.

Again, we went back to the blogs, and then inspected the two fuses in the fuse box under the helm. Two failed fuses - bilge & blower. Replaced both failed fuses with 10 amp fuses. Success - the TT would now control both bilge and blower, with the blower staying on the designed 4 minute delay.

We were not sure if the bilge pump was an automatic design to come on when we were on the water if we needed it to do so. Decided to test it with a garden hose while trailered at home. With the drain plug installed, and the blower turned on by the TT control, we filled the bilge with water until the level reached the air intake at the bottom of the blower module and the blower began "struggling" as it handled both air and water. We turned on the bilge pump with the TT control, pulled the drain plug, left the blower on and drained the bilge. The blower sound returned to normal when the water level dropped, and the blower shut off automatically - we assumed??? We are now not sure that the blower timed out, or stopped for another reason - please read on.

We were not sure if we may have damaged the blower when the water level was too high, and we let it sit overnight and then tried the blower. It would not start with either the manual switch under the helm, or with the TT control. The bilge pump will start fine, with both the manual switch and with TT control. We then removed the blower assembly (4 hour job) and bench tested the blower with a spare 12 v battery. Blower works fined. Re-installed blower, to again find no success in having it start when installed in it's normal circuitry. It will not run with either the TT control, or the manual toggle switch under the helm, and all fuses under the helm have been doubled checked many times.

We are out of ideas, and need suggestions please.

[KoolAid]

First off, never let the water get that high again especially with the blower pump running. You only needed enough water to go above the bilge pump.

Sounds to me like the automatic bilge pump fuse is blown. Check on the cranking battery for a brown wire with black stripe. A few inches from the batter should be a fuse holder. That should fix the auto bilge issue.

Now to the blower issue. If the redundant switch box under the helm doesn't run the blower then there is a power issue or a bad blower. Check the circuit breaker above the switch and the main breaker on the panel. Then check for power at the blower wires with the redundant switch turned on.

[chartzler]

Thanks KoolAID. Sorry for the delay, I was off on another project where no WiFi. Yes, such places do exist. There is no sign of a brown/black wire on the cranking battery and the words "if installed" in the Tige owners manual seems to suggest that it may not have auto bilge. We may just have to live with a manual bilge and watch for water levels.

The redundant switch under the helm does NOT run the blower, hence my decision to pull the blower and bench test the motor - it worked fine and we re-installed. Both the inline circuit breaker (on yellow wires) and the main breaker on the panel have been double checked and even changed out for a 3rd check. No success.

We will be back out at the boat in about a month, and I will follow your suggestion about checking power at the blower wires (with redundant manual switch turned on). Is there any chance of there being a small hidden fuse in the connector case that plugs in the blower power lines about 6 inches from the blower?

[chpthril]

Your boat has auto bilge. I would look around both batteries for a rogue brown wire with a fuse holder that may not be connected.

[KoolAid]

It will have an auto bilge. They have had them since the late '90's on all models. Like Mike said, look for a rogue brown wire near the battery.

On the blower, it sounds like a bad connection at the blower or a disconnect at the dash wiring from the redundant switch box/touch screen. Neither one of them working (touch or mechanical switch) tells me that there blower is bad (which you checked and its good) or the wire is disconnected somewhere. No hidden fuse on the blower. Touch is fused in the power module and the mechanical switch has a circuit breaker right above the switch.