Wiring bilge pumps

[pschauss]

My bilge pumps are connected to their feed wire with butt connecters. Ordinarily I would prefer to have a terminal block. That would make it easier to check if the pump is getting power and easier to replace the pump.

Is it a problem putting a terminal block that close to the water in the bilge?

[Amberjack]

Peter--About 10 years ago I had trouble with the wire splices for my lazarette bilge pump so I replaced them with a terminal block. It is mounted to a deck beam just under the cockpit floor and has never been an issue. It makes it much easier to swap out bilge pumps or float switches and is much stronger than the wire splices were. Every few years when the bilge pump is replaced the connections get polished up and a little light oil sprayed to protect them. I've been happy.

[CamB25]

A ran an unintentional corrosion test in my bilge over the past year. I have a few terminal strips down there and I forgot to coat one of them with Corosion X (or equivalent). Guess which one was a rusty mess!! The others are fine. All are above the level of my high bilge pump, so they are not in water but the humidity is fierce down there!

My bilge pumps use the terminal blocks. For sensing power I have a LED feed off my 24 hr fuse block. Little green LED on the helm let's me know there is juice to the pump fuses. This should stay on 24/7/365 unless there is a battery issue. Helpful when I am leaving the boat at the slip - look for green, green is good. I have another feed off the power conductor to my lowest pump. A little blue LED tells me if this pump is running!

[Carl]

...and I thought I was fancy with three red LEDs that lit up when a bilge pump went on

[scenarioL113]

I use a terminal block that is mounted under the floor and about 8 inched above the float switch. I dont even know how old it is and still using it now.

When I wire up the bilge pump and the float switches I use dielectric grease and heat shrink crimp butt terminal ring connections. Works for me. Many ways to skin that cat. When I strip the wire, I take the stripped wire and stick it inside the tube of the dielectric grease. Then I put the stripped wire inside the butt terminal ring connector, crimp it, then get the heatgun and shrink the heatshrink. That dielectric grease will help prevent any corrosion from starting. Works pretty good.

[Tony Meola]

Peter

If I am putting a block or a switch in an area that there is a chance of direct contact with moisture, I use a rubber maid container that the block or switch fits in. Secure the container to what ever is convenient and then secure the busbar or switch into the container. A hole in the side or the bottom for wire in and out and put the cover on the container and you are all set.

Really want to make sure no water gets in, put silicone in the holes that the wires go through. Need to replace the wires, no problem just remove the silicone and the wires come right out.

[Carl]

Peter
I use a rubber maid container that the block or switch fits in. Secure the container to what ever is convenient and then secure the busbar or switch into the container.

All fine and dandy till you lift a hatch one day and your wife see's her favorite Rubbermaid containers that have gone missing all strewn about in your bilge...

[ktm_2000]

I've had fairly good luck with putting terminal blocks in the bilge all well above what gets wet - a goop of dielectric grease on the screws and they do fairly well

I cannot say the same for wires joined with but splices encased in heat shrink tubing

[Stephan]

I mounted a water-resistant junction box (https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-4-in ... /202043434) with cable glands ( https://www.amazon.com/TUPARKA-Waterpro ... 132&sr=8-7) as close to the cockpit sole as I could. I put a 3 position terminal block (https://www.genuinedealz.com/collection ... 3-position) in the box. I found the leads on my Ultima bilge pump switch and Rule bilge pumps were long enough to reach the junction box so I just put ring terminals on the ends and connected.
Note to self- run the wires through the cable glands before putting the ring terminals on...
Good luck,
Stephan

[Tony Meola]

All fine and dandy till you lift a hatch one day and your wife see's her favorite Rubbermaid containers that have gone missing all strewn about in your bilge...

LOL

I usually buy my own. But I have to be careful she does not see them before I use them. Sometimes she confiscates them.