Saturday 3 November 2012

How to Service a Bilge Pump

By Don Powell


You may or you may have not come across the term bilge pumps. Do you know what the term means? To understand the proper meaning of this term we should first define what the term bilge means. The program of the term bilge can be treated very easily in early 1520s when it was used to describe those low compartments of ship where the two sides of the ship deck meet.

In real life practice, bilge refers to the water which collects at the bottom-most compartment. The water collects at this bottom compartment after draining off from the sides of the deck ship. The water may also collect the bilge when there are sea storms that are accompanied with rain or even rain only. A lot of water in the ship's or other sea vessel's bottom most compartment (bilge) may cause its sinking. To get rid of this collected bilge water, a pump must be used to pump it out.

The bilge pumps are used in the pumping out of bilge water. The bilge water is not like any other water because it is dingy and dirty water plus many other fluids and substances that collect at the bottom of the ship or boat. Modern ships and other sea vessels such as boats are fitted with bilge pumps that turn on automatically when the bilge gets filled up.

The bilge pumps differ with the other forms of conventional pumps in the manners of operation. While other pumps have the negative electrical reactions that lead to the release of fires and sparks, the bilge pumps do not. As stated earlier, the bilge water is seriously dirty and it may clog the bilge pump causing it to fail when there is dire need for pumping.

The main source of power for the bilge pump is battery. For maximum assurance of safety you should ensure that you choose and install the recommended battery. Most maritime safety experts recommend the size 8D battery. This battery is not very cheap but you should acquire it if you can. Because of the risk of failing to pump at a time when pumping out of bilge water is needed, all sea vessels should have two bilge pumps so that one can take over incase of failure to pump by the other.

The main bulge pump should most preferably be positioned at the bilge's lowest point. The backup pump should be positioned somewhere above it but at a higher position. The reason behind this is because of the fact that the secondary pump should start immediately the main bulge pump fails because of the clogging up of dirty water and other debris.

It needs no further emphasis that bilge pumps are very vital safety devices in sea faring. What is worrying is that most sea farers do not seem to appreciate or attach the great significant importance of these pumps. Some even consider them as optional but not necessary devices. The maritime safety experts advise that all the sea vessels must be installed with at least two properly functioning bilge pumps.

If you boat is between 16 and 20 feet long you need to have on board properly installed and well functioning two bilge pumps all the time you are at the high seas. If the boat is between 27 and 42 feet long you must put on board a minimum of three bilge pumps. If your boat is between 43 and 59 feet long you must install and have on board four or five properly functioning bilge pumps if you mind about your safety at the high seas.




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