Silverton 34C, Owner'S Manual

Page: 65 / 212

SYSTEM OPERATIONS-7
BILGE PUMP SYSTEM
The purpose of the Bilge Pump System
is to remove any water that may accumu-
late within the bilge area of your yacht.
Although a small amount of water in the
bilge area is expected, the water should
never be above the bilge switch. If it is it
means the switch is not working correctly.
Make sure they are not turned off. If the
problem continues, please contact a ser-
vice technician to solve the problem. The
bilge area is de
fi ned as the interior area
of the hull below the designed waterline.
Your
34C is equipped with three (3) bilge
pumps that are capable of pumping 1250
gallons of water per hour. The bilge water
is pumped directly overboard.
Normal operation of the bilge pumps is au-
tomatic. Each bilge pump is equipped with
a
fl oat-type switch that will automatically
activate the pump when the bilge water
reaches a certain level. The automatic
switches are connected directly to the bat-
teries and will operate even if the battery
switch is turned OFF. Each of the bilge
pumps can also be activated manually by
individual switches located on the AC/DC
Electrical Panel (See the
Electrical Pages
in this section of your Owner’s Manual for
the location of the Bilge Pump Switches ).
The bilge pump will operate continuously
until the manual switch is turned OFF. The
battery switch must be turned ON to oper-
ate the bilge pumps manually.
Periodic maintenance of the bilge pumps
should consist of the following:
Visually inspect each bilge pump for any
debris that may have accumulated. Re-
move any debris noted.
Manually test each bilge pump by activat-
ing the manual switches located on the
AC/DC Electrical Panel. Listen to each
bilge pump as it is manually activated.
They should emit a quiet “whirring” sound.
If any abnormal sounds are noted, contact
your Silverton dealer for further inspection
and replacement, if necessary.
IMPORTANT: After testing each bilge
pump by turning ON the manual switches,
be certain they are turned OFF. The
constant operation of the bilge pumps will
eventually discharge the batteries.
While underway the aft bilge pump should
be used. While docked, the midships bilge
pump should be used.
Location of the bilge pumps is as follows:
FORWARD PUMP - Access to the for-
ward pump is through the hatch open-
ing located on the Forward Stateroom
Floor.
MIDSHIP PUMP - Access to the mid-
ship pump is through the engine room.
The pump is located in the forward
section of the engine room.
AFT PUMP - Access to the aft pump is
through the hatch located at the cock-
pit.
•
•
•