Best Bilge Pump Reviews 2018

We understand that you need a good bilge pump. We also understand that you may not have all the money to spend on this important item. With this in mind, we went ahead and conducted thorough investigation to ascertain how much a good bilge pump will cost. From our research, we found that a good bilge pump can be bought for anywhere between $15 and $100.

A bilge pump’s price is based on factors including the type of bilge pump, the output, the power, and more. What you will choose depends on your budget and the features that are critical for you. There certainly are more expensive ones as well as cheaper ones that didn’t fit our qualifications. While you can of course choose to invest in the more expensive ones if they have the features you desire, we decided to leave out cheap pumps, and advise you to do the same, as they often perform inadequately.

Finding the bilge pump that will most effectively serve your specific needs can be difficult if you don’t know what to look out for. To makes this easier for you, we have detailed some important features for you to consider in order to make the best decision possible. These include:

• Type
• Output
• Power
• Size and Shape
• Hose
• Protection
• Portability
• Float Switch

Now let’s examine these a little further.

There are different types of bilge pumps which can be differentiated by their methods of operation. There are the hand pumps which require the force of manual pumping to work, the manually activated pumps which need to simply be switched on/off, and finally, the automatic pumps, which will automatically suck water when they detect it. The different types obviously mean different levels of convenience during operation. Of all the different types, only the hand pumps do not need any form of electricity to work, which can give them the advantage over the other pumps in certain situations.

The rate at which the bilge pumps remove water is also very important for consideration. This is measured in GPH (gallons per hour), which determines how effective the pump is. Bilge pumps with higher than normal GPHs are best for big or fragile vessels. They are also better in cases with greater water intake which threatens the safety of you, your passengers, and your vessel, as they allow the water to be sucked out more rapidly.

Some bilge pumps depend on electricity to function, such as manual and automatic pumps. These will usually need to be plugged to an electrical outlet from time to time in order to function, so it is important to make sure your boat is able to provide this power. Each bilge pump will also have its own voltage, leaving it up to you to determine if it suits you and your boat.

Bilge pumps come in different sizes and shapes. Hand pumps have a similar narrow tube shape, while others might have a more rounded shape. This can be of importance with regards to how much space there is and where it can be stored when not in use. This can be more important with smaller boats which have limited space capabilities compared to larger boats.

The hose is the portion of the bilge pump that funnels the water out. This can be an attachable pipe or a protruding plastic portion of the bilge pump. Some pumps are designed to allow you to attach a pipe of any length you want.

A device like a bilge pump will frequently come into contact with water. This can lead to rust and corrosion in its various parts. Certain bilge pumps brands take this into consideration and make sure they use materials that are rust and corrosion protected or provide parts with extra coverings for the more sensitive parts.

Some bilge pumps are more portable than others, and some with detachable hoses, this can be important based on the size of the boat. Certain boats or canoes have little space and therefore should be outfitted with the smallest pump possible.

The float switch is one of the more important parts of an automatic bilge pump. The float switch will automatically engage the pumping function of the bilge pump when the water level gets to a preset point. This can be a very convenient addition, but you must be careful to not be overly reliant on it, as it could lead to dangerous mishaps if it happens to malfunction.