An automatic bilge pump isn’t top of most people’s excitement list but when it comes to boating equipment, it is an all-important and useful piece of equipment. Although you might never have had to substitute it or have it serviced it’s useful to be knowledgeable about what can go wrong with it. When it comes down to it, an automatic bilge pump is plainly a water pump.

The bilge pump on a boat is commonly located at the lowest feasible point of a floating vessel. Try searching in the hold or the lower deck of your boat to find it. The Rule 2000 bilge pump is a common and popular pump these days and since it is electric, it will somehow be hooked up to your boats power supply. You’ll realize that bigger boats might well have more than one bilge pump.

A floating orb much like that found in the flush mechanism of a bathroom activates the bilge pump when it is lifted up. Sometimes you might have to troubleshoot your automatic bilge pump if it stops working. Keeping your automatic bilge pump in impressive condition is a very smart idea. First of course, you have to find out where it is on your boat.

Once you’ve located your automatic bilge pump you should be able to see a switch with 3 settings. It’s probable that the three selections are Off, On and Auto. The automatic setting means the pump will start it’s mechanism when the water gets to a certain level. Turn the switch to the on position if you need to check out if your pump is running ok. Once you’re back in dock and not sailing remember to switch the pump back to the automatic position.

A broken, elderly or rusty switch is often the cause of the pump not activating correctly. Faulty wires or a broken fuse are the primary faults you should examine. If you’ve replaced both of these things it might be that you need to replace the whole switch or pump.

Replacing the old fuse with one the same size is essential. If you find that the fuse is blown after you’ve replaced it, it probably is the incorrect size.

The bilge pump will also have a strainer that will likely need to be cleaned out if muck and grime has blocked it. The pump could easily suffer from an over surge of power if the strainer is not kept clear.

Finally, if you still haven’t located the issue, try looking at the hosepipe connections. Any connections to the hoses that are not secure will not allow the bilge pump to function. It might not be connected correctly or could have holes in it.

An automatic bilge pump is an all-important piece of boating equipment so it pays to grasp it and make sure it is in good running condition.