bilge pump cycling

Like other boats with small bilges, the Cal 31 bilge pump tends to cycle on and off as the boat rocks with the waves. Somewhere I had heard of switches that incorporate a delay so that the pump does not turn on until it has sensed liquid for a certain amount of time, say 2 to 10 seconds. I did a Google search for bilge pump delay and found several products that address this problem. One that looks promising is the Bilge Sentry, which for about $50 provides an electronic sensor with a 5-10 second on delay and a 30-second off delay. Does anyone have any experience with units like this? Harleigh Ewell

I have experienced the same problem in my 2-29. When out in choppy seas, the pump comes on and stays running dry, I shut off at the breaker when I notice a hum in the bilge. I was thinking of adding a counter weight to the float to make less sensitive to rocking and rolling and sloshing water. Maybe, if the float was protected from the heavy bilge slosh by making a containment around it out of PVC or ABS with some holes drilled in the sides to let the water level rise and fall.This may protect and stabilize the float. I would also be interested in hearing about simple solutions to this. Before I end up with a burned out bilge pump. Mark Cal 2-29 Pelican San Pedro (Cabrillo Beach) ----- Original Message ----- From: Harleigh Ewell To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 10:21 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] bilge pump cycling Like other boats with small bilges, the Cal 31 bilge pump tends to cycle on and off as the boat rocks with the waves. Somewhere I had heard of switches that incorporate a delay so that the pump does not turn on until it has sensed liquid for a certain amount of time, say 2 to 10 seconds. I did a Google search for bilge pump delay and found several products that address this problem. One that looks promising is the Bilge Sentry, which for about $50 provides an electronic sensor with a 5-10 second on delay and a 30-second off delay. Does anyone have any experience with units like this? Harleigh Ewell