Bilge pumps..Maybe a new option?

227

Its all about the surf!
Location
Oceanside, CA
My Experience- Rule pumps are still the best. Wire your pump direct (independant of skis elect system) and you will not have any problems with your electrical system. Soldier all your wire connections, especially if you ride salt. The Rule 500's cavitate or don't prime easily. I run the Rule 1100 and use a 3/4 hose that's been stretched to fit over the 1-1/8 pump exist. When I turn on the pump the water shoots out 10 feet haha! Going on 2 yrs on this setup with 0 problems
 

djkorn1

kidkornfilms
Site Supporter
Location
Cleveland Ohio
Switches are dumb. No need for one. See vid above. Rulemate 1100 for the win. 14 years and built in switch NEVER failed. It has NEVER air locked. Works every time. Even works if your hood falls off and your ski stalls and your 100 yards from it. Even works if it's tied to a dock for a week straight. Won't kill ur battery, because it barely runs.
 
A few things I have learned. Some the hard way.

Aluminum window screen material is your friend.

Use it to pre filter your pump/s and they won't bake due to ingesting a busted zip tie.

When running scuppers, install screen over the scupper tube in the engine compartment. This will keep your scupper free of all debris. If you have a quality scupper, you will be fine. If you go in surf, secure your scupper closed if you feel you need to (I do). I have sat on my ski in the lake bs'ing and swimming around a buddies boat for 30 min with xmetal scuppers and never had a problem taking on water, with this setup.

Only run your pump/s when they are needed. NOT all the time as you WILL burn out your lighting (charge) coil on your stator. Running a fatty flywheel TL system is kind of a bummer. Myself and many others have learned that the hard way.

X2 on running a screen in the pump. Hot Products carries a screen Part# RULE70
 

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My turn to chime in. I have run attwood 500 gph for almost 5 years now and have had no issue. I ran wiring directly to the battery with a fuse on each pump. I run them constantly when I ride with a 3/4 outlet on each and it cleans the engine compartment quickly. Also, I decided to run a one way valve with a screen on the interior of the compartment and that has worked well for the last couple rides.

I don't really understand why everyone is saying overkill? Why wouldn't you want the compartment cleared of as much water as possible as fast as possible?

Anyway...haven't heard anyone chime in on the attwoods but they are cheap and have worked great.

Also on the hood seal? Maybe I am the only nut but window and door 3/4 sealant that comes in the roll works really really well and is $6 at HD. I don't ride surf but do a lot of subs and have been very happy with the results.
 
Location
wi
My turn to chime in. I have run attwood 500 gph for almost 5 years now and have had no issue. I ran wiring directly to the battery with a fuse on each pump. I run them constantly when I ride with a 3/4 outlet on each and it cleans the engine compartment quickly. Also, I decided to run a one way valve with a screen on the interior of the compartment and that has worked well for the last couple rides.

I don't really understand why everyone is saying overkill? Why wouldn't you want the compartment cleared of as much water as possible as fast as possible?

Anyway...haven't heard anyone chime in on the attwoods but they are cheap and have worked great.

Also on the hood seal? Maybe I am the only nut but window and door 3/4 sealant that comes in the roll works really really well and is $6 at HD. I don't ride surf but do a lot of subs and have been very happy with the results.

I have 1 season on my attwood 500gph. seems to be reliable so far, however I was just fishing around in my engine compartment and realized it came loose.
 

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
So I was cleaning out my hull and used my rule 500 to get the water out while I hosed it down. As soon as the rule would suck air it would stop pumping water until I turned it on and off again. If I pulled it all the way out of the water while it was still running for a few seconds and stuck it back in 3 out of 5 times it would start pumping again.
 

OCD Solutions

Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
Location
Rentz, GA
But yet they seem to work just fine in a ski while riding...perhaps natural agitation makes this little quirk irrelevant?
 
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naticen

Site Supporter
Location
wilmington, nc
My buddy's has airlocked a few times in his blaster when always on. I've never had the problem in multiple stand ups. I have used brackets to hold mine or just stick them to the bottom. Not sure how his is held down
 

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
They air lock when the water level gets to low and it sucks air, the blades start spinning faster.......... No Pump is going to work when air enters the pump. the 360 is less prone because it spins at a slower rate. The 1100 is probably better because it spins faster creating more pressure........ When you are so low a 500 catches air, then you have very little water left. not enough to worry about........ Your riding. If you have a scupper, then it gets the rest out...... or the factory bilge system.

My Rules are 7 years old. I have some others that are probably 10 years old that still work, just removed them when I swapped hulls in 2007, still worked.
 
I have never experienced this. As long as there was enough water to prime the pump mine have always cleared..even if its just a quick splash of water. How much water was in the bilge Quinc?
 

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
I would run it dry then fill the hull back up until it was submerged and it wouldn't start pumping again until I turned it on and off. This is a new rule that i bought a few months ago. So it's not one of the quality older ones.
 
I would run it dry then fill the hull back up until it was submerged and it wouldn't start pumping again until I turned it on and off. This is a new rule that i bought a few months ago. So it's not one of the quality older ones.
Yeah I was worried this is what you meant. No clue bud...I have only owned attwoods and have had issue.
 
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