Collection: Bilge pumps

Bilge pump: evacuating water from the boat’s lowest point

An electric bilge pump removes water that collects at the lowest point of the hull. This collection includes 12 V and 24 V Whale and Jabsco pumps, automatic systems, and installation accessories. Manual pumps are in the manual bilge pumps collection. For the full method, read our guide bilge pump: flow rate, installation, and safety.

The families in this collection

• Whale Supersub: Supersub 500 12 V, Supersub Smart 650 automatic 12 V, Supersub 1100 automatic 12 V and 24 V.
• Automatic systems Whale Bilge IC: Bilge IC 12 V and Bilge IC 24 V.
• Jabsco Puppy series, for dewatering and transfer: Mini Puppy 12 V and 24 V, Water Puppy 2000 12 V and 24 V, Utility Puppy 2000 and Utility Puppy 3000, whose flow rate is given at 3 m of head.
• Installation accessories: side-entry strainer 19 mm, inline non-return valve 19/25 mm, Field Switch level switch.
• Other automatic pumps in the catalog: Attwood Sahara MK2 1200 12 V and 24 V.

How to choose: actual flow rate, voltage, automation

• Actual flow rate, not the box rating. Commercial flow rates are measured under manufacturer-defined conditions. On board, the discharge head, hose length and diameter, elbows, valves, and available voltage reduce them. Compare performance curves or tables at the intended head for your boat.
• Voltage. Choose a pump that matches the boat’s system voltage, 12 V or 24 V, and size the cable so it receives its rated voltage when running: voltage drop slows the motor.
• Automatic or manual control. An automatic pump has an integrated sensor or uses a separate float, such as the Field Switch. In either case, the system must remain manually testable; a three-position switch (off, automatic, forced) often provides this.
• Two levels and an alarm. A small pump at the lowest point removes routine water; a second, higher pump takes over in abnormal rises and triggers an alarm on a separate sensor. The number and capacity of pumps depend on the boat and its requirements.

Installation: the details that make the difference

• Place the intake at the true lowest point, both afloat and under way, with the strainer accessible for cleaning.
• Keep the discharge hose at the recommended diameter, short, and free of crushed bends.
• Prevent backflow and siphoning: outlet above the waterline per the manual, vented loop if needed. An inline non-return valve is not always necessary: it adds pressure loss and a risk of blockage.
• Protect the circuit with a fuse or circuit breaker sized per the manual and clearly label the pump on the electrical panel.

Common mistakes

• Choosing based on the rated flow alone, without accounting for head and hose.
• Leaving an automatic pump without an alarm: a continuously running pump can mask a water ingress until batteries are drained.
• Removing the manual pump: it remains usable after battery, wiring, sensor, or motor failure.

Skysat advice

Test the installation with water: pour a measured amount into the bilge, verify automatic activation, time the evacuation, and check the discharge. Whale states in its manuals that a bilge pump may not suffice in the event of a rapid flooding: it handles flowing water and buys time, but does not replace locating the leak.