Bilge Pump Question

[Willson3]

New Cobalt owner. 2018 200s. I have owned it for about a month now, so I am still figuring things out. In what surely won't be my last bonehead boat maneuver, I left the bilge pump on after taking it out of the water and parking it at the marine last night. I did turn the battery to the off position (I have a 2 battery switch). I don't remember hearing the bilge pump running while I was putting the cover on, and I don't remember hearing it running when I picked up the boat this morning to trailer it home (about a 3 hour drive). However, when I got it home and parked it in the driveway I heard the bilge pump running. It wasn't until I pulled the back of the cover up and climbed under that I realize the bilge pump switch was on (and had to have been on for 24 hours at that point). So I have a couple questions:

1. The battery was off since taking it out of the water last night. Can the bilge pump run without the battery being in the on position?
2. Does a bilge pump automatically turn on regardless of the bilge switch or the battery being on? I ask this one because I have notice the boat ejecting water out the side while trailering it and in that case I know the both the battery and the bilge switch were both off.

I don't remember my previous boats (2017 Yamaha AR195 and 2001 Regal 2100 LSR) doing this.

[Big Block Power]

Yes the bilge power is ran directly from the battery. Yes it will run with the switch in the off position.

[Willson3]

Yes the bilge power is ran directly from the battery. Yes it will run with the switch in the off position.

Follow up question...Just because the switch is on doesn't mean it will run, correct? It has to be triggered by the presence of water, right?

[cmattj]

Yes the bilge power is ran directly from the battery. Yes it will run with the switch in the off position.

Follow up question...Just because the switch is on doesn't mean it will run, correct? It has to be triggered by the presence of water, right?

Secondary Float switch in the pump is hardwired to battery for presence of water. No switch on Needed...it will be the last resort should she be moored and seeping water.


Switch On is for daily cleaning out as some of us will flip them on briefly to check for water.

No biggie as we’ve all left something at one time or another

[thunder550]

Yep there's basically two settings...On and Auto. No off. If the pump is still working you should be good.