Silverton 45 convertible, Operator'S Manual

Page: 69 / 227

SYSTEM OPERATIONS-9
BILGE PUMP SYSTEM
The purpose of the Bilge Pump System is
to remove any water that may accumulate
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 service technician to solve
the problem. The bilge area is de
fi ned as the
interior area of the hull below the designed
waterline. Your
45C is equipped with three
(3) bilge pumps that are capable of pumping
2,000 gallons of water per hour. The bilge
water is pumped directly overboard.
Normal operation of the bilge pumps is auto-
matic. Each bilge pump is equipped with a
fl oat-type switch that will automatically acti-
vate the pump when the bilge water reaches
a certain level. The automatic switches are
connected directly to the batteries and will
operate even if the battery switch is turned
OFF. The Bilge Pumps operate on 24 Volt
DC. Each of the bilge pumps can also be
activated manually by individual switches
located on the 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.
Periodic maintenance of the bilge pumps
should consist of the following:
Visually inspect each bilge pump for
any debris that may have accumulated.
Remove any debris noted.
Manually test each bilge pump by acti-
vating the manual switches located on
the AC/DC Electrical Panel. Listen to
each bilge pump as it is manually acti-
vated. They should emit a quiet “whir-
ring” 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 opening
located on the V-Berth Floor.
MIDSHIP PUMP - Access to the mid-
ship pump is through the engine room.
The pump is located under the hatch in
the front center section of the engine
room.
AFT PUMP - Access to the aft pump
is through either hatch located in the
cockpit.
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