# Help with Auto Bilge



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

It's not a really "big"deal butwe like knowing when we have a leak .... 

The problem: auto bilge no longer cuts on.... we have to flip the switches ourselves to kick the water out.

We have 2 bilges: Rule 2000 (?) and a Rule 1200 (?). Scott thinks the auto bilge is set upto the smaller one. 

How can we fix it so that the auto bilge works again??Why would it not work anymore??


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## bluffman2 (Nov 22, 2007)

several things it could be,but if it works when you manually turn it on then you got a problem with the float,or so it seems.........

Warthog answer amandas question....where you at:letsdrink


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## sosmarine (Sep 28, 2007)

Do both pumps run when turn the switch on? If so then the pumps are ok as mentioned above. Could be the auto switch, wiring or fuse. The auto switch should be on a seperate fuse from the manual switch. Check the wires coming off the auto switch. Make sure the connection is good. A lot of times the wires will get down in the water and the splice will corode.


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

thats what happened to mine. Just rewired, sauder(sp), and shrink wrapped.


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

Yeah, they both work when switched on.... I'll tellmy other halfto check the fuse and wiring..


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## bluffman2 (Nov 22, 2007)

failed to mention also there could be nothing wrong with it....water may not be high enough to trigger the auto switch but still gets picked up by manual mode


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

We thought of that too..so we plugged it yesterday and ran water in there... autonever picked up. When weswitched both of them on water shot out so hard/fast that itput holes in the ground. =)


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

What is the name brand on the float switch?



Some are better than others.



I'm not a fan of these all in one auto pumps. They tend to draw power all the time. Even when sitting on the trailer high and dry.



Sure Bail, Rule-A-Matic® Plus & Water Witch are good models.














Note the small knob. Turn it and it lifts the float for checking that the system is working. This should be a check before each time out on the water.























http://www.boatdigest.com/node/326


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## BJW (Oct 1, 2007)

I had the same problem this spring. Mine acted the same as yours - pump worked fine when manually turned on, would not work on auto. Question: Does your boat have a completely separate float switch for the automatic? Mine does. If so, try to manually lift the float and see if thepump runs. Mine is located next to the bilge pump. I reached into the bilge and lifted the float switch as far as it would go - no pump. I cut the wires where the switch tied into the wiring harness, touched them together - pump ran. Diagnosis - bad switch. Replace switch, all is well.


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## brnbser (Oct 1, 2007)

a few things you need to do to sort this out, you need to determine which part (if any, are bad). do like BJW said, find the float switch, lift it by hand to see if either one of your pumps come on and which one it is.

dependant on who/how your system was set up.......you need to figure out:

do you have more than one float switch and which pump the float switch operates, will it turn on manually

is the float switch fused, is there a separate fuse for each pump also

when you turn on your manual switch, are you activating both bilge pumps


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