High Water Alarms

What say you?

I have one.

I don't have one.

I'm getting one.

I don't see the need for one.

Don't have one.
I should have one.
Some day I will get one.

Do bare feet count?

Have one and it will also run the bilge pump if the normal switch fails

I have one wired to the lower console and since I spend so much time on the flybridge I want to wire it to the upper station as well.

Ken

Got one, visual and audible

Two compartments with two pumps each
The second pump 4" higher is the high volume pump with alarm
All pumps have cycle counters
Pumps are in the hollow keel
Compartments join above 18" still in the keel
so, 4 pumps and 2 alarms



Ted

I have one. Came with the boat. It has no outside alarm bell however.

If I was underway or at anchor, wouldn't I hear the bilge pump running constantly before it hit the high water alarm?

O C Diver said:

Two compartments with two pumps each

The second pump 4" higher is the high volume pump with alarm

All pumps have cycle counters

Pumps are in the hollow keel

Compartments join above 18" still in the keel

so, 4 pumps and 2 alarms



View attachment 55282



Ted

Click to expand...

That's some seriously nice pumpage!

?

Have one and horn is on fly bridge. Glad that we have it.

mike

Came with the boat - commercial survey requirement. Very loud horn in the pilothouse.
I wouldn't hear the bilge pumps running when underway - probably should have big red light connected to the pumps.

I have two separate systems.

One high water alarm is based on float switches both forward and aft.

This one rings a buzzer and notifies me via email and text.

The other system utilizes electronic water detectors both forward and aft. This one sounds a siren in the boat, a siren outside the boat, sends me a email, sends a text message, sends a push notification to the app my cell phone and ipad, and actually calls my cell phone vith a voice notification.

Yes to one high water alarm with light.

Yes to a light on the secondary big pump.

Before my winter trip, will add a second alarm to the aft pump that rarely sees water.

Adding alarms is easy and inexpensive.

I really like the idea of a counter. On our trip I met another NP 43 owner who installed alarms and counters on all 4 pumps. He also tied those into his security system so he can get a text message any time his pump activates as well as view his security cameras remotely. Reminded me of what BandB described a while back actually. Very nice.

Met him in Ganges actually, and while we were there another boat had an alarm sound. This same guy called the phone number on the plaque on the side of the boat. There was a leak and the bilge pump was running. If the pump had failed or had not been able to keep up with the leak, it could have been bad. An alarm is good, an alarm with a phone number on the boat is better.

yo said:

Have one and horn is on fly bridge. Glad that we have it.

mike

Click to expand...

Same here.

Got one told of a float switch that failed and ac drain that filled the bilge

Just built an audible alarm using Water Witch components. It's in prototype right now, but will provide some piece of mind on an upcoming trip. Need to get it tied into the ship's power system, it is standalone on disposable batteries at the moment.

Also have visual indications at both helm stations for each bilge pump.

I tried using a Johnson Ultima electronic bilge switch for a high water alarm.

It didnt like the combination of an arming switch and status light, plus the audible slarm.

Not sure why, but an old dumb rule flipper switch worked fine...so it stayed that way.

Someday will have to look into the schematics of the ultima switch....good luck with the Water Witch electronic switch.

We have 2 Aqua Alarm high water sensors, forward and aft bilge, tied to their big red bell. The bell sounds like the old fire alarm bell. Other than testing via high water, it's never gone off.

I have a backup bilge pump & switch 12" above the main bilge pump and tied to an alarm. It sounds an audible alarm plus visual when it runs.
The pump stays high and dry (and clean) in normal situations, so the float switch should last longer the micro-life they often have at the bottom of a dirty bilge.

If I have a high water level, I wanted more than just an alarm. I wanted another pump to fire up hopefully manage the rising water level.




I added this after a failed float switch cost me a starter motor. I was lucky it didn't cost me a boat.

Have one with audible and visual alarms. I test it now and then and the dogs go flippin' nuts---a good back up.

The Hatteras came standard with one in each of four bilges, with light and alarm at each helm and a horn and test button.

Our boat came standard with 3 pumps, each with indicator lights both below and on the fly bridge. Additionally it came with a larger-capacity high-water pump. If that cycles alarms sound at both stations.

Coincidently I had to pull a transducer yesterday. Our bilges are always dry so the pumps get no activity. I make sure to test them and their switches once a year. Imagine my surprise when the water flooded right over the switch and the pump sat there quietly. I wacked the switch with my hand, it came unstuck, and the pump started.

Lesson #1 learned. Lesson #2 is that even with all 4 pumps running I doubt I have enough capacity to keep up with even a 2" hole a couple feet below the WL. Impressive the amount of water that'll admit.

So true about keeping up and ultimately the underwhelming performance of electrician trick bilge pumps.

For any newer boaters out there...don't worry TOO much...

The practical reality is to know enough damage control to greatly reduce the inflow to where it is more than manageable for the pumps.

Four bilge pumps.

One that does all the work. A rule with an external float with a counter.

The second that is hooked up to the horn and a buzzer on the switch panel. That's the Hail Mary pump.

The third is in the sump under the engine. If the water gets this high I'm screwed.

And the fourth I never hope to meet a Whale Gusher hand pump.

The PO installed a jabsco water pump as a super low suction, to just about completely dry out the entire bilge. This is on a manual push button switch.

I made sure after purchase that NONE of my bilge pumps were the 'automatic' type that regularly run, and if they detect higher amps (indicating load) they keep running until no load is detected. Nothing sounds dumber to me than electric motors running uselessly when the boat is on the mooring.

Six electric bilge pumps on board, two for each compartment.

Plus an engine driven pump with a bilge manifold accessing each compartment.

Plus a manual pump sharing the bilge manifold.

I also like plenty of alarms.

Audible and visual alarms indicate bilge pumps running, with an additional siren for bilges flooding.

Among the many alarms on board only three are sirens, the watch alarm, ER fire and of course, flooding.

I do have a Johnson Pump alarm, the sensor is mounted about 6" higher than the bilge pump float switch, red light and horn sounds on flybridge.

I sort of have one. My primary bilge pumps (2 1,500 GPH pumps) have float switches at the lowest point of the bilge. I also have a 4,000 gph pump wired to a float switch located above the tops of the other pumps. That pump is loud enough to act as its own alarm since I can hear it underway. Fortunately the only time it has ever come on has been during testing.

They are easy to make if you want. I use a pezzo alarm from radio shack and wire it into a float switch. Mount the float high enough so it doesn't come on unless obvious flooding. Very simple for a great piece of mind and the tiny little pezzo alarm will wake you up quickly!

Mouse trap high water alarm.

Mouse trap, horn, wire, asprin.

Wire it up keep a good supply of asprin handy.

Old school.

All boats should have high water alarms, with really really loud alarms.

Actually, Dingy ' s not so much but