ESP Center tube bilge pump

jsur

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To all with the ESP in floor storage,

Do you have any water that remains in the bottom of the tube after operating your bilge pump? I have an inch or two at the very bottom at all times. Is this normal or should it be bone dry?

Thanks in advance.
 
I have the bilge with my ESP and in looking at the pump (mine is in the aft end of the tube) I don't see how it could pump out all of the water unless the bow was lifted  high in relation to the stern for a period of time where the water could pool in the back and the pump could pump it out, but even in that scenario pumps can only pump down so far before they suck in some air and stop pumping.
 
I have the same issue. I tried jacking up the front of my boat to pump it out, but no go. So then I tried flooding the tube with fresh water, just so I could see that it even worked. Again, no go. No water pumped out but I can hear it running. I can't even find the tube where it should come out from. I swear I put like 10+ gallons in there. I ended up sucking it all out with my shop vac. I am really not looking forward to having to explain how that works to the invasive species guys when I have to get my boat decontaminated this week. :(  
 
It pumps out through a hole in the transom area. I usually try to park on an incline, a good one, and then open the hatch where the pump is and look in to see if there is any water. oh, and yes a lot of times there is still a little in there.
 
It gets the most out for me when I run it while slowly bringing the boat on plane. Gives me the highest bow lift.
 
Same problem here even with nose lifted still have water . I was looking all over for a drain plug but i guess not .
 
The SeaDoos have a syphon in the hull.

When the machine is running it automatically keeps hull free of water.

I do not know if this works with vacuum from jet pump? or how exactly, but it works well.

Here you go, figure it out & patent it. Then you can spend the rest of your days on your Benny with a cool cocktail firmly in hand!
 
I asked my dealer to look at why my pump didn't seem to be moving any water when I took the boat in for its 20 hour service. Naturally, they ignored my request, along with most other things I asked for, but before I left I pushed the issue. They jacked up the boat and put a hose in there, still no water pumping out. The tech reached down around the pump and all the sudden a massive amount of water comes shooting into the transom. I thought for sure he opened a valve or something, but he just said something must have been plugging it up or something. Maybe that will help someone else.
 
Has anyone rewired their bilge to actually work in the automatic position when the master switch is off?  Typically when I leave the boat at the end of the day I flip off the master switch on the dash which opens the relay and kills all power to the helm which also kills the power to the bilge pump.  Shouldn't the switch's auto position power the pump regardless of the power to the helm being on or off?
 
It should be wired to work with all power off. I wired my bass boat that way, and it came wired like my Bennington.
 
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It should be wired with all power off. I wired my bass boat that way, and it came wired like my Bennington.
I agree, other boats that I've owned in the past were wired that way since it kind of makes sense, otherwise the main power off switch is kind of useless if you need to leave it on for the bilge.  According to the Bennington wiring schematic the bilge will not run with the main power switch off.
 
Strange that manufacturers do that. I have had storms come up during the night, with lots of lightening, and I'm not going to run out and turn switches on to keep my boat from sinking. I would rewire it straight to a constant hot.
 
I have a question. Why is this only for the center tube? Why does it take on water and not either of the outer tubes? Is it the same no matter which three tube arrangement you get?
 
I have a question. Why is this only for the center tube? Why does it take on water and not either of the outer tubes? Is it the same no matter which three tube arrangement you get?
On  the ESP model there is an option for center tube storage which puts an opening in the floor to access the interior of the tube.  Since it's in the floor the opening can allow water into the center tube so there's a bilge pump to keep the tube from filling up.

Of the options our dealer suggested the in floor storage was absolutely the best one.
 
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So the water gets in from above deck, not from the toon?
 
Correct. It will happen with the vinyl or carpet flooring.
 
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