Tritoon bilge pump

[Retired.1958]

Has anyone out there bought a first time tritoon. I went from 2 to 3 toons. Bought brand new in june..wasn't told about a bilge in middle toon and it wasn't marked on switches. Been wondering why it sat very low in back even asked dealer about riding low when I went for first oil change. They didn't mention bilge pump. Very frustrating, you woul think the bilge would have a float control...not.

 

[Jack M]

I've had 1 Bennington with 2 toons and 3 tri toons . None of them have had bilge pumps . Depending on your other options, it's not available or not required.

 

[Retired.1958]

But this one had one and no one mentioned it. It should have been identified somewhere. Think some training is needed at dealerships!

 

[Jack M]

But this one had one and no one mentioned it. It should have been identified somewhere. Think some training is needed at dealerships!

This is not a forum for dealer issues . If you have an issue with your dealer you can contact Bennington.

 

[Potomacbassin’]

My bilge pump (Rule Mate 1100gph) can be auto or switch activated. Labeled on the rocker switch. Pretty basic function of a boat and it probably is listed somewhere in the user docs provided at sale. Not sure if all builds use the same pump.

Pretty easy to label a switch if not currently. Make sure the bilge pump is direct wired to the battery (not through the main battery switch) if you intend to leave in auto mode while the boat is powered down. Boat won't sink if the storage fills with water but it'll make a mess of your stuff and potentially grow lots of mold. Your mooring cover should keep 99% of the water out so that's your primary means of keeping your storage dry.

 

[Vikingstaff]

All features will be labeled in spec sheets details/paperwork. Do you have center pontoon storage? I think it’s always a feature added in with that option, and one that wouldn’t be pointed out. Kinda like my car dealer saying “Hey there, this car comes with wheels”. However, for first time buyers, some of these “assumed” things simply are not, and can catch some by surprise.

 

[Vikingstaff]

Been wondering why it sat very low in back even asked dealer about riding low when I went for first oil change.

Info First:
Center pontoon bilge pump is for water accumulating in a center pontoon storage locker. It pumps water out of there, NOT out of your sealed pontoon chambers.

Questions:
1 - What motor do you have? Large/heavy outboards on Tritoons cause them to sit very low in the back in the water. Due to this, they sit at an angle naturally. So a certain level of sitting lower is expected. So is that what’s up or is yours “sinking” in the back beyond this normal point?
2 - Do you have pictures you can share of how your boat is sitting in the water? If so, share! We can all probably somewhat eye ball if its sitting normal low due to motor weight & hull vs it being something that is of concern past that normal point.
3 - Do you have actual water accumulating in a center pontoon storage locker and if so, is it in serious volume? This would be rare, hence asking. If so, this is the water the bilge pump would then pump out. Make sense?

 

[Vikingstaff]

They didn't mention bilge pump. Very frustrating, you woul think the bilge would have a float control...not.

The bilge pump helm switch should have an on, off and auto setting. In auto, it will kick on when it detects water building up, and then pump out and shut off when done. Then kick back on as water accumulates again over time. However, this is only for water IN a center pontoon storage compartment accessible by door in your floor. That’s the only water the bilge pump is “pumping” out.

So, as Poto mentioned above, if you need that to operate whether your battery switches are turned on or off, you will want that bilge pump directly wired to battery, and then leave the switch in the auto setting.

Just be aware, it will drain your battery over time if you re-were it this way, so you’ll need to really stay up on top of that, or insure running your boat/battery very regularly. It is because of this power drain that the bilge pumps are not directly wired to the battery on Bennington’s, and default wired from factory through your perko switch/helm mater switch.

Again, hopefully this is all making sense since you are newer to Tritoons.