Bilge pump causing electrical to short?

[rorton]

I am in the process of maybe buying this boat. But there is an issue the owner told me about below, is this a big problem to fix?

The running lights, bilge pump, the trolling motor and the aerator are all running off the same battery. The trolling motor always works and the other three are sporadic, until water gets in the boat (normal usage water, not leakage). Once water gets in the rear by the bilge pump, the running lights, aerator start working but the trolling motor stops. I believe the bilge is causing a short. What really needs to happen is everything needs to be unplugged and rewired one at a time until the real problem is found. I know it must be minor because everything works, just not at the same time.

 

[alldodge]

I am in the process of maybe buying this boat. But there is an issue the owner told me about below, is this a big problem to fix?

The running lights, bilge pump, the trolling motor and the aerator are all running off the same battery. The trolling motor always works and the other three are sporadic, until water gets in the boat (normal usage water, not leakage). Once water gets in the rear by the bilge pump, the running lights, aerator start working but the trolling motor stops. I believe the bilge is causing a short. What really needs to happen is everything needs to be unplugged and rewired one at a time until the real problem is found. I know it must be minor because everything works, just not at the same time.

:welcome: to iboats

Probably not a big problem other then finding all the issues. You have corrosion going on and need to track down were and how many places. Start with the battery cables both +/-. Remove ends clean and file and get nice shinny metal. Don't just look, remove the connections and clean. Look inside the ends for corrosion. Then work your way through the rest of the wiring, note if there are any buss bars used or +/- connections along with fuse/breaker panels.

 

[Grandad]

As you rewire/fix things, make sure that there are no connections below water levels or even where they can get splashed. This may sound obvious but a lot of people think only about short circuits with a cavalier attitude about "only" 12 volts. What most often causes electrical failures in boats is corrosion that can be prevented by using good wiring methods in the first place. Even bilge pumps often come with long leads pre-wired such that any wiring connections can be well above the waterline. Using anti-corrosion (dielectric) grease or sealant before heat shrinking insulation over joints ensures a lifetime of trouble-free use. - Grandad

 

[Silvertip]

There is some strange wiring on this boat if the trolling motor quits when there is water in the bilge. The only way that should happen is if the troller is connected to the starting battery which is a recipe for a long paddle home due to a dead battery. Trollers should always have a dedicated deep cycle battery. In that case there is absolutely no connection to the bilge pump unless it is connected to the troller battery. The next wonderment is if the bilge pump is connected to the troller battery, it cannot have an effect on any other accessories since instruments, nav lights, and other stuff are connected to the starting battery. So we need a little more information on what you have for power on this boat and what is connected to what. I can assure you however, the bilge pump does not SHORT other electrical items. Shorts blow fuses. The bilge pump may however have a stuck or shorted motor which causes a circuit breaker to open shutting down power to anything else that's fed by that circuit. Typically a bilge pump has (or should have) a dedicated fuse for it only. It should not share another circuit.