Does anyone have any experience to report with the new solid state bilge pump water sensors such as the Johnson Ultima? Sounds like a good, no jamb, no cog, idea to me.
The Johnson switch appears to have only two wires and go in series in the circuit. I'm durned if I can see then how it gets the power to run its little brain when the pump isn't running unless it has a little rechargeable battery in it some place. If your boat was really tight and sat for a long time with dry bilges, could the switch then go to sleep and not turn on if water got in?
I like the time delay feature. We have a wide bilge sump and, with run back from the hoses, could end up with short cycling when the boat rolls.
"Roger Long" <rwlong@maine.rr.com> wrote in newssnfe.12850$3b4.5638@twister.nyroc.rr.com:
Does anyone have any experience to report with the new solid state > bilge pump water sensors such as the Johnson Ultima? Sounds like a > good, no jamb, no cog, idea to me.>
Ever try putting the float switch in a little cage made out of plastic screen? It keeps the crap out of the switch float.
Put a hook in the top of it with a line you can pull on if your bilges are deep. Our bilge pump is so far down you can hardly see it, much less reach it.
On Sun, 08 May 2005 12:18:43 GMT, "Roger Long" <rwlong@maine.rr.com> wrote:
//>The Johnson switch appears to have only two wires and go in series in >the circuit. I'm durned if I can see then how it gets the power to >run its little brain when the pump isn't running //
Hmmm...the appropriate question is the power to run it when it turns ON. It has battery volts when off.
I used a solid state switch for years. It worked well. Wasn't a Johnson though, I beleive it was called a Water Witch" or something like that. It was powered by the battery that powers the pump.
Doug
"Roger Long" <rwlong@maine.rr.com> wrote in message newssnfe.12850$3b4.5638@twister.nyroc.rr.com...> Does anyone have any experience to report with the new solid state bilge > pump water sensors such as the Johnson Ultima? Sounds like a good, no > jamb, no cog, idea to me.>
The Johnson switch appears to have only two wires and go in series in the > circuit. I'm durned if I can see then how it gets the power to run its > little brain when the pump isn't running unless it has a little > rechargeable battery in it some place. If your boat was really tight and > sat for a long time with dry bilges, could the switch then go to sleep and > not turn on if water got in?>
I like the time delay feature. We have a wide bilge sump and, with run > back from the hoses, could end up with short cycling when the boat rolls.>
On Sun, 08 May 2005 08:42:43 -0400, Larry W4CSC <noone@home.com> wrote:
"Roger Long" <rwlong@maine.rr.com> wrote in >newssnfe.12850$3b4.5638@twister.nyroc.rr.com:>
Does anyone have any experience to report with the new solid state >> bilge pump water sensors such as the Johnson Ultima? Sounds like a >> good, no jamb, no cog, idea to me.>>
Ever try putting the float switch in a little cage made out of plastic >screen? It keeps the crap out of the switch float.>
Put a hook in the top of it with a line you can pull on if your bilges are >deep. Our bilge pump is so far down you can hardly see it, much less reach >it.
I have a pump that reaches down into the deep bilge with a suction hose. My main bilge pumps are pretty easy to get to.
Skipper <cptnsailsnospamm@yahoo.com> wrote in news:lchs719fkddhbiufcfmopq91jlal315js6@4ax.com:
I have a pump that reaches down into the deep bilge with a suction> hose. My main bilge pumps are pretty easy to get to.>
Because Lionheart, an Amel Sharki ketch, has all its drains going into the bilge, not overboard, she came with a quite-large, self-priming electric diaphram bilge pump. But, alas, before we got it, noone lubed its bearings so they were all destroyed. The motor bearings were so worn the rotor was locked to the stator. I suppose your pump is like that. Man those things are expensive!
"Roger Long" <rwlong@maine.rr.com> wrote in message newssnfe.12850$3b4.5638@twister.nyroc.rr.com...> Does anyone have any experience to report with the new solid state> bilge pump water sensors such as the Johnson Ultima? Sounds like a> good, no jamb, no cog, idea to me.>
The Johnson switch appears to have only two wires and go in series in> the circuit. I'm durned if I can see then how it gets the power to> run its little brain when the pump isn't running
If the switch is off there is 12 volts accross it as the voltage drop accross the pump motor further down the circuit(while it isn't running) is virtually nil. As the switch uses only a tiny bit of power, the switch thus sends a tiny bit of power through the pump at all times, but so little the pump motor doesn't move. Many electronic home thermostats work this way, they call it "power stealing." Make sense?
unless it has a> little rechargeable battery in it some place. If your boat was really> tight and sat for a long time with dry bilges, could the switch then> go to sleep and not turn on if water got in?>
I like the time delay feature. We have a wide bilge sump and, with> run back from the hoses, could end up with short cycling when the boat> rolls.>
-- >
Roger Long>
-- Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin Cape Breton Island, Canada kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca
"Ken Heaton" <No-spam@this.address.thanks> wrote in message news:XPGfe.57183$tg1.9223@edtnps84...> they call it "power stealing." Make sense?> Oh, of course. The circuit is complete through the pump. Instead of ON-OFF, the switch is really going from very high resistance to no resistance.
Would you please clarify what you are saying here? I'm not sure what you are replying to.
Are you warning me that this switch could not possibly work reliably because it is so cheap?
The case appears to be well sealed and a solid block of epoxy but there is a warning to be sure it is installed so that the pump starts before the case is immersed or it will "Become contaminated". There are also instructions to keep soap film off the case and clean it. I assume this has something to do with changing the capacitance.
My concern at this point would be what would happen if the batteries went dead and you returned to the boat to find water covering the switches. Would the bilge pumps start when you restored power? The switches do have a manual over ride connection which I will install to cover this eventuality.
--
Roger Long
"Lew Hodgett" <lewhodgett@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:Boxge.6238$Dh.735@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...> RE: Subject>
We are in the level measuring business.>
We provide a 100% performance guarantee with every instrument.>
To provide that kind of application guarantee requires about a > $1,000 USD investment for a bilge switch in a boat.>
SFWIW, anything less and you are kidding yourself.>
