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Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 4th, '18, 09:20
by SteveM
Any of the Faithful installed bilge alarms?

I'd like to have more control over my bilges and more visibility.

Anyone have experience they can share regarding High Water Alarms or even Cameras?

This is one company I found that looks to have quality products. https://waterwitchinc.com/

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 4th, '18, 19:05
by bob lico
i have a aqualarm mounted in aft compartment (closed to transom ) the alarm sets off a blue light on the center console and there are no other blue lights on the dashboard so if it comes on it gets my attention.

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 4th, '18, 21:37
by Yannis
Bob, Steve,

What is better?
A high water alarm, or a light indicator on the dashboerd which tells you WHEN your bilge pump is on?

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 4th, '18, 22:00
by bob lico
no, it tells me water is over the; level setting of the bilge pump mounted in the aft of boat and we have a problem that the lowest bilge pump can not keep up or not working.

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 5th, '18, 06:46
by SteveM
Yannis,
That's a matter of preference I suppose.

It looks like these devices offer various light options and audible alarms.

My manual bilge switches are all in my panel in the salon.

I would like to have manual switches on the upper helm, as well as lights that show when the bilge pumps are running, and an audible alarm for high water.

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 5th, '18, 07:06
by ranjr13
Steve - we have one of these (https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?n ... &id=680786 ), very simple, audible alarm if water gets above rear most bilge pump, the one that is going to get flooded if something really bad happens while underway.

Another alarm is for the forward pump, the lowest spot at rest, which alarms if the pump has been on for 2 minutes. It also gives counts, so you can see if something is acting up while you've been away. https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?p ... id=1650563This helped me catch a dripping shaft seal that was hidden last season. Both are absolutely worth the few hours and about $150 total to install.

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 5th, '18, 07:24
by bob lico
ranjr---------smart!

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 5th, '18, 07:33
by Yannis
Steve,

I think Bob has a point there. What good is it to just see the indicator light which tells you if your pump is ON, when you don’t see if it can keep up with the water intake.
Also, what good is it to see NO light indicator - which suggests your pump is shot - when there IS water coming in.
The more I think of it, the more I realize the high water alarm is more useful.

Last week, and before this thread was posted, I had asked my electrician about this. He said, are you sure you want an indicator light on your pump, or a high water alarm? I was clueless...
He also added that the indicator light requires a whole lot more of electrical cables and connections but ALSO that this practice of coupling a second wire onto the pump will somehow jeopardise the pumps efficiency...this is all greek to me but I believed him.

Bob N,

Good point to have two, one for high water during cruise and another one for at rest. Especially when in our boats those two points are 6 meters apart!

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 5th, '18, 19:43
by Capt. Jon
These work quite well. No moving parts and inexpensive.

http://levelguardproducts.com/marine-rv ... -alarm.php

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 6th, '18, 10:45
by bob lico
this is the view under the stern hatch the lower bilge pump in the center works off (on /off/ auto) switch on the dashboard the upper bilge pump works directly off another isolated battery bank. the high-level Aqualarm is out of sight mounted on fuel tank set to go in alarm mode when water is over lower bilge pump. it indicates an immediate problem.

Image

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 6th, '18, 13:05
by Rawleigh
I use one of these on the center pump and a light on the dash for the rear pump.

https://www.ultratef-gel.com/product/ul ... r-12volts/

Re: Bilge Alarms - Water Witch

Posted: Jun 7th, '18, 06:55
by ranjr13
Wow, Bob Lico, nice clean bilge....same here.... ImageAft bilge ImageFwd bilge