Visited the boat on Sunday morning. Though I had completely disconnected all loads from the batteries (e.g., battery combiner switch on "OFF" and main breaker "OFF"), I found that I still had power at the AUTOMATIC/MANUAL switch for the bilge pump. The bilge pump ran when I threw this switch to "MANUAL."
This would lead me to conclude that the bilge pump switch on my boat (Hull n. 627, March 199
is directly wired to a battery. Is that the wiring layout on your vessels and, if so, which battery?
My reading of the one-line electrical diagram for the C42mkII is that the main breaker is supposed to be located after the battery combiner switch and before the bilge pump switch (as well as all other loads switched at the 12 volt distribution panel). Thus, what I found on the boat appears to differ from the drawing Catalina supplied with other instruction manuals. Has anyone else confirmed how the bilge pump is wired on their boat?
I believe that the distinction is important for those of us whose boats are on the hard during the often frigid Northeast winters (OK - maybe not this year). Fresh water that collects in the bilge after traveling down openings in the mast can freeze and cause the float switch in the bilge to "freeze" in the closed posiiton, resulting in a drained battery. I had though that I avoided that problem by turning the battery switch to "OFF" and opening the main breaker. Apparently not.
Any suggestions?
This would lead me to conclude that the bilge pump switch on my boat (Hull n. 627, March 199
is directly wired to a battery. Is that the wiring layout on your vessels and, if so, which battery?My reading of the one-line electrical diagram for the C42mkII is that the main breaker is supposed to be located after the battery combiner switch and before the bilge pump switch (as well as all other loads switched at the 12 volt distribution panel). Thus, what I found on the boat appears to differ from the drawing Catalina supplied with other instruction manuals. Has anyone else confirmed how the bilge pump is wired on their boat?
I believe that the distinction is important for those of us whose boats are on the hard during the often frigid Northeast winters (OK - maybe not this year). Fresh water that collects in the bilge after traveling down openings in the mast can freeze and cause the float switch in the bilge to "freeze" in the closed posiiton, resulting in a drained battery. I had though that I avoided that problem by turning the battery switch to "OFF" and opening the main breaker. Apparently not.
Any suggestions?
