Glen E question...

[blueh20pc]

Glen, going to install my John high water bilge alarm next weekend. A few questions...

Is it suitable and loud enough to mount it in the bilge? It would be right above the batteries, on a stringer, underneath a 8x12 hatch right at the transom.

If not, what gauge wire would you recommend for a 25 foot run to my e-box? Right now I've got 14/2 marine duplex, but it seems like overkill.

Thanks Glen!

[CAP1]

Blue,
I used 16ga wire to run from my switch to the sensor in the bilge. My switch is on the dash so I remember to arm it when necessary, and I can quickly switch it off if it activates. Being on the dash also helps me to remember to switch it off when the boat is stored on the trailer. I have had one false alarm when some small amount of bilge water splashed the sensor. Scared the mess out of me.
It is VERY loud - 120db if I recall right and you want to be able to hear it, but also turn it off to diagnose the issue if it goes off.
Maybe Glen will post a pix of his sensor installed in a clear plastic tube to prevent false alarms. I did this too and it is a great idea to prevent false alarms.

[Capt. Fred]

Chris, my alarm is the type Glen recommended too. I can't think of the name right off. The switch, horn and sensor are in the storage area below the fish box on my boat. As you recall it was pretty easy to hear from below all that crap. I put it all there after testing the horn and making the guess that it would be loud enough to hear in that set up. I wired it directly to my battery with 16 ga and an in-line fuse. At some point I'll move it up a couple of inches so it won't be going off from water sloshing around.

Oh, and by the way, I had it mounted directly to the stringer at first and it would go off when it was cold in the morning. Possibly was condensation? I e-mailed the manufacturer and they recommend putting a rubber washer between the sensor and the stringer to space it off of the stringer 1/8th inch or so. That solved the problem.