Bilge Kit
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55 Posts
I am going to install one when I do the 10hr break in oil change and pull the top deck off...I'll try to post pics if nobody has by then...
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185 Posts
I installed the kit that Sea Doo sells for the Spark.
Not happy that it is not automatic. The whole idea is that if it is sitting in the water and for some reason water leaks into the hull, it will pump it out. If I am riding it I can tell if it is taking on water and get it to the shore before sinking.
Not happy that it is not automatic. The whole idea is that if it is sitting in the water and for some reason water leaks into the hull, it will pump it out. If I am riding it I can tell if it is taking on water and get it to the shore before sinking.
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185 Posts
Hey PPIJAY, you may be able to do what I plan on doing. I am going to buy a ON/OFF/ON switch and have the common going to the positive side of the pump. Then use the switched power that it's already connected to one leg of the switch. The other leg would be connected straight to the battery. That way you cold shut it off whenever, have it on when the ski's on or off. It doesn't help the automatic part but you will have more control. If you wanted auto/water sensing bilge, look into the rule PWC pump. It checks for water every 20 seconds and should mount where your existing bilge mounts.
Jeremy
Yep, my phone sent this...
Jeremy
Yep, my phone sent this...
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185 Posts
So you suggest no pump??? If your going to make a comment like that, provide a solution, one way valve perhaps. It's not a concern unless you are incapacitated? At that point you have bigger concerns than your ski filling with water. If you have your pump exit higher than the pump itself, the water would have to defeat gravity when upside down to fill the ski. Plus, how long is it going to be upside down???
Yep, my phone sent this...
(I tried to respond to this before but for some reason I didn't see it posted. I hope it doesn't get posted twice.)
There are a number of solutions. The Spark is equipped with a siphon that activates at cruising speeds.(manual suggests 500 rpm)
Worg makes an aftermarket drain plug that's a one-way valve. This also has some risks in that one-way valves can remain open if dirt gets stuck inside and that would allow water intrusion.
If the ski is beached, trailered or elevated the drain valve can be opened.
I have had decades of experience with bilge pumps in boats and I can understand why they are not included as standard equipment on all jet skis like they are on boats. With no ability to charge the battery on the ski the small battery would die very quickly if there was a leak and the ski was not operating.
The operating manual explicitly says that a charger should not be hooked up to the battery while the batteries are installed in The Spark.
Bilge pumps also require several inches of water to activate .That's why they are installed on sailboats in a well that is several inches lower than the rest of the hull.There is no such ability to do this on the Jet-ski. I have also found the ski to be very dry after usage. I do carry an emergency siphon at all times. It does not require a functioning battery that hasn't shorted out because of water.
I can't see what you think the bilge pump is going to do for you in practical application.
Here is what I did. I went to Walmart and bought a pump that has a float built in. It will never draw from the battery unless the internal float starts to rise. I can hook it up directly to the battery and or have an override on switch. I am just going to hook to the battery so that I am always protected. Instead on zip tying it to the mount from seadoo, I drilled two holes on the mount and riveted the pump base to the mount. way more solid than the seadoo approach. Now if the spark is sitting in the water overnight and a seal begins to leak, the bilge pump will keep me from a spark on the bottom of the lake. Sorry, I didn't take any detailed picture.
It all sounds fine but just understand that the battery will not last all that long drawing from 5 to 8 amps before the voltage drops to the point where it doesn't work. If water is continuously leaking in you will find it at the bottom of the lake anyway. If I wanted that kind of overnight protection I think I would hook up a small charger to it even though the manual suggests that you don't charge while the battery is connected. The other choice is to clip on an auxilary battery and leave it in the storage bin.
Did you have to remove the whole upper body to do this job? If so I would very interested in knowing how it went and exactly what tools are required.
Did you have to remove the whole upper body to do this job? If so I would very interested in knowing how it went and exactly what tools are required.
You do have to remove the upper body. Torx wrench and 10mm and 8mm socket. It is really pretty easy to take off and put back on. That takes about 15 minutes. I think you would be surprised how long the pumps can run before the battery runs out. A few years back one of the sail boats returning from the Chicago/Mackinaw race tried to enter the channel to the lake we were on and got stuck in the sand. There were really bad storms and when the tug tried to free the sailboat it broke off the keel. The got everyone off and dragged it out to lake Michigan. The next morning the brought the crew to to cheek it out and the bilge was still running.
My sailboat has 12 very large batteries. That's an enormous number of reserve amp hours. Group 31s and each batteries is at least six times larger than the battery on the Spark. I also have a small day sailer .I leave a small battery and an automatic bilge pump on when it is moored .In a heavy rainstorm it cannot make it through the night without the battery running out of juice. That's just with a few inches of rain water not a continuous leak. If you're going to leave the ski in the water over night the bilge pump is probably a good idea but I would have an auxiliary battery in addition hooked on and check it regularly.thanks for the info on the tools.
Just checked the numbers . A good group 31 battery is rated at 800 or more amps. A motorcycle battery is rated at 10- 20 . With multiple large batteries it is no wonder that large boats can run bilge pumps rated at less than ten amps for continuous hours. The Spark battery would quit in short order.
That's the best idea of all. Make sure the policy covers consequential damage. Like sinking because of a leak. Believe it or not some marine policies cover damage but not consequential effects of the damage especially if is caused by user error. For instance I just switched my boat policy because I was covered for freeze damage only if I properly winterized. A good policy covers you for your screw ups. I've changed carriers.
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274 Posts
that is the way it was designed to work, I don't really like it working that way, but that is how the spark kit was designed, my old seadoo had one that turned on every half minute or so for a couple of seconds and if it sensed load on the pump (water) then it would stay running until there was no load (water), the only problem with an automatic system is they are not very reliable in a pwc, if it is a float type system something can get jammed in the float and keep it from coming on when you need it or keep it on and drain your battery when you don't need it! Pwc's get flipped and beached all the time, look in the bottom of an older Pwc, you will likely find some sort of debris in it!
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274 Posts
if the pump is installed and the hose routed properly it won't take on water through the pump when flipped!
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