Want to swap out my manual pump to a automatic. Any brands better than the other ?

your 03 sanger doesn't have an automatic bilge pump??? <BR> <BR>rule makes good pumps.

Nope, no auto. Have to flip the switch. I will look at rule. Thanks

I installed a Rule fully auto pump that checks for water every two minutes and pumps if necessary - no float switch...

Wes- <BR>What model # is that?

Wes did you hardwire the pump to the battery so it will run without the key on? Or are you still using the key for a power source.

My boat used the Rule 500 with built in switch. It has three wires so you can switch it to auto or full on, wire it to a separate three pos rocker. It is tiny and works very well. It is quiet too. West marine has it on the shelf.

JTW: <BR> <BR>Why not just add the float switch to your current pump?

JTW: We all have a switch but most have a float as well, did you get down and check, or are you assuming because of the switch it is not automatic as well? <BR> <BR>If you need a new one, Rule makes them with a float and 3 wires (2 wires to the switch and one constant for the float) btw, changing out a bilge pump has been my least favorate job in 6 years of owning a boat, hope you have room to manuever down there.

Another thought on bilge pumps: <BR> <BR>99.9% of the time the bilge pump's only purpose is to remove the small accumulation of water that manages to make it into the boat. In this situation a small pump works fine. <BR> <BR>That other 0.01 % is when you really want the biggest pump you can get!

JTW, <BR>Rule or Mayfair both make good pumps. The Mayfair tend to be cartidge style meaning that you can <BR>change out the flow-motor easily for repair or increase in flow. <BR> <BR>If you don't leave your boat in the water, a 360gph should suffice fine for years to come. If you leave your boat in the water, I would suggest 2 seperate 500gph Automatic pumps in seperate sections of the bilge with seperate drain lines, 1-wired directly to the battery the other wired to the switch with Manual/Auto capability.

Can't recall the model number but it cost right around $50...it's relatively small +/- 500 gph and I did wire it direct to battery...works well <BR> <BR>Oh yeah, it has a manual override wire if you want to wire it that way...I just cut it off and left it to its own devices - it checks, it pumps as required, it shuts off...mine's the 500 gph flavor... <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/2576/0/0/bilge%20pump/All_2/mode%20matchallpartial/30/0" target="_blank">http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/2576/0/0/bilge%20pump/All_2/mode%20matchallpartial/30/0</a>

I just replaced my bilge pump with a 750 gph Attwood pump from WalMart. It cost me like $20 for the pump and another $15 for the float switch. Like others have said there is a dedicated hot wire to the float switch and a hot that goes through the dash switch so that both the float switch and the dash switch can turn the pump on at anytime.

I just put in the 500 gph Rule to replace the burnt out atwood that came with the boat. Easy to do because the three wires were already there. This also is the one that turns on every 2.5 minutes for a second or two. If there is water, the increased resistance in the wiring keeps the pump on until the water is gone. If there is low resistance the pump turns off after the check. I still like having a manual switch because when you first start out and the water sloshes to the back (so this is from a dock so water accumulates), it's nice to get the pump going right away rather than waiting for the pump to do it's check. <BR> <BR>And to do my best Swass imitation - What happens the other .09% of the time?