I'm finding the past few day's exchange on this topic very informative, very coherent. Thanks to all. I've a question or two that will be much less technical, requiring some experience but no knowledge of amperage and voltage. I'm thinking of installing a Rule pump in an Romany. I've decided that a small battery pack can attach to the rear cockpit bulkhead with no problem. From there, I can run the wire forward under the foam seat. Where would you suggest I mount the pump, and how would you suggest I attach it? Where would you place the hose outlet? Where's a good place for the switch? Would you mount it under the deck, or expose it on top of the deck? Thanks in advance. Bob Volin bobvolin_at_bestweb.net ;-> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
<snip> > Where > would you suggest I mount the pump, and how would you suggest I attach it? Mine is mounted behind my seat along with my battery. The attwood 450 has a mounting bracket that allows it to be mounted in many different ways. I can't say about the Rule. > Where would you place the hose outlet? Above the waterline 8^) Seriously, this is a little tricky if your pump doesn't have a check valve (mine doesn't). Crashing waves over the outlet can let water back into the cockpit. My thru hull connector is also behind my seat and slightly off to one side on the deck. This allows the water to shoot out over the side. To prevent wave from working their way back into the boat through the thru hull connector, I stuffed an oversized cork into the hole. There is plenty sticking out to grab hold of if I need to use the pump. If others have found a small 3/4" checkvalve, I'd like to hear about it! > Where's a good place for > the switch? > Would you mount it under the deck, or expose it on top of the deck? The 1 million dollar question. I haven't made up my mind, so right now the switch is laying behind my seat. If I had to, I could lay it across the coaming and snap the sprayskirt over the wire. I definitely want it outside where I can reach it, but I'm not sure where yet. I'd like to hear ideas from others who are using a switch. Placing it under the spray skirt would defeat the purpose I think unless you used a pushbutton switch you could turn on with your knee. Woody *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Woody, In way-back reading from far-away shores, others suggested mounting a float switch in series with a manual on/off switch and a (third) gravity switch. The float switch is mounted adjacent the pump (some pumps have integral switches) and adjusted to switch on and off with appropriate water levels. The manual switch is installed inside the rear compartment or in a totally watertight container inside the cockpit and only accessed at the start and end of paddling, to switch the installation off for road travel and storage. The gravity switch is mounted adjacent the manual switch, where completely dry, and oriented so the normally-closed contacts open when the boat is inverted, thus preventing pump operation while capsized. This provides a totally automatic system with reduced chance of switch failure. OTOH someone my have mentioned having a redundant manual switch wired in parallel to the above circuit in case one of the switches failed . . . Harold Oh yeah . . . before you ask, I have no recollection of the makes or availability of the switches. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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