Top 7 Best Bilge Pump Reviewed 2021 – List of The Top Selling Models!
Bilge pumps, in short, are lifesavers for boats. Without them, your boat will surely sink. Bilges prevent water from getting in your waterline, and this helps your boat stay afloat. If you are having problems with your current bilge pump, you have come to the right place.
Bilge pumps take water out of the bilge in your boat. This works for making high and low pressure to move water from an intake valve and through an outlet where gets discharged.
In addition for use on your boat, you can also use it for one of many locations around your home. You can use your bilge pump to shift water from one chamber to another, and you can drain pools or aquariums. You can also prevent flooding or drain a flooded area with a bilge pump.
In this review, we will take a look at seven of the best bilge pumps that you can buy today. We will observe their strengths, their weaknesses, and whether they are worth a purchase or not. We will then determine which bilge pump is worth the investment for you.
Without further ado, here are all the bilge pumps for your consideration.
Best Bilge Pump 2018 Available on the Market - Experts Guideline & Comparison
Name | Pump Type | Flow Rate | Outlet Diameter | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
MAXZONE Automatic Bilge Pump (Editors Choice) | Piston | 1100 GPH | ¾ inch | |
Shoreline Marine Bilge Pump | Diaphragm | 600, 800, 1100 GPH | ¾ inch | |
Seaflo Automatic Submersible Boat Pump | Piston | 750 GPH | ¾ inch | |
Attwood Sahara Bilge Pump (Editors Choice) | Piston | 500, 750, 1100 GPH | ¾ inch | |
SeaSense Hand Bilge Pump Hose | Manual | N/A | ¾ inch | |
Seattle Sports Paddlers Pump | Manual | N/A | ¾ inch | |
Attwood Tsunami Manual Bilge Pump | Diaphragm | 500, 800, 1200 GPH | 1 inch |
2018 Recommended Top 7 Bilge Pump In-depth Reviews
1. MAXZONE Automatic Bilge Pump Review
This bilge pump from Maxzone offers a low of power for a low price, with 1100 gallons every hour. Even if this serves as a backup to a more powerful bilge pump that you may own, it is reasonable enough and comes with all the features that you would come to expect. This is classified to be a piston pump.
With its outlet diameter of three quarters inches, water will stream outside the bilge like water from a garden hose.
Also include with Maxzone’s pump is a float switch that is triggered by how high the water level is. It will only turn on from an electronic reed sensor so you are not required to do anything manually to turn it on or off. When it remains off, it will not consume any power.
The motor inside is efficient, compact and will last a long time. The motor is quiet and highly muffled thanks to the high impact plastic housing of the bilge pump. It works like a charm, and does not expect to wobble over time.
This pump is easy to install with no setbacks or obstacles to be expected. The one thing to take into account is that there are other bilge pumps that you could buy that cost far less, that may do a similar job.
Pros
Cons
2. Shoreline Marine Bilge Water Pump
This bilge pump from Shoreline has a simple and beautiful design. This pump has three different versions of 600, 800, and 1100 GPH. Whether you experience a large water flow or just a little flow, you can choose the best one that you need.
Like Maxzone’s bilge pump, this one is fairly easy to install and can be mounted virtually anywhere. It is a simple bilge pump that does its job well. It is made of stainless steel that is resistant to rust and corrosion, so you know that you aren’t just getting just any old bilge pump.
Each bilge pump is wired professionally, so if there is ever a problem within the pump, you can easily find a problem with your pump and realize what steps you need to repair it.
This bilge pump includes its own mounting bracket, making installation easy and reliable. There are concerns with this bracket, which is that it might not be made to last.
Pros
Cons
3. Seaflo Automatic Boat Bilge Pump Reviews
Seaflo’s bilge pump is a piston pump with a compact and efficient design. Made of high impact plastic, it contains a motor that churns out 750 gallons per hour and an outlet diameter of 0.75 inches long.
In many ways, this is comparable to the pump sold by Maxzone. Like Maxzone’s bilge pump, Seaflo’s also has a built-in float switch. No power is consumed until the pump is turned on by this switch in particular. This pump also has an electronically controlled reed sensor unit for seamless and automatic operation.
With corrosion and rust resistance, this pump also includes a stainless steel shaft that will not wear out for a long time.
For simple maintenance, this pump also has a quick release strainer. This strainer is easy to cleanse with an impeller that is hard to foul up.
The performance is another story, though. While it states that it releases water at 750 gallons an hour, we feel as if it just goes close to 500 gallons. It is very slow and gradual, and this might not be what is best for your boat out there.
Pros
Cons
4. Attwood Sahara Automatic Bilge Pump
The Attwood Sahara comes in three versions: 500, 750 and 1100 GPH. Like Maxzone and Seaflo’s bilge pumps, this pump is a piston pump with a shape that is just like them. It has an output diameter of three quarters of an inch.
Inside of this pump is wiring, a set of seals, a strainer and a switch that is mercury free. The presentation is overall durable, with its high-impact plastic shell.
The motor inside is a permanent magnet motor. It is capable of lubricating bearings so that nothing inside wears out. This pump overall is ensured a long life as a result.
Included with this bilge pump is a large knob for easy operational analyses. This allows you to easily check for any problems without having to wait and observe the pump for a while. This is a very convenient feature that not every bilge pump has.
This pump can easily be cleaned with a little water. You can easily take it out with one hand and re-install it after it gets cleaned. This is a pump that is light in weight and highly convenient.
They are, however, deceptive when it comes to telling you what is required of you to get this pump up and running. It turns out that you are required to get a separate 3-way switch that is not included with this pump. With that in mind, you will have to spend more money on it than what it sells for.
Pros
Cons
5. SeaSense Hand Bilge Pump Hose Reviews
This is a pump that you have to work manually. It comes with a beautiful, cherry red body. It works like a manual pump that you would use to inflate a tire or a travel mattress. It is available in four different sizes, as well.
This pump is very light in weight and resistant to corrosion. The hose can be detached for easy storage and self-priming capabilities.
How is the handle? It is rather comfortable. It is ergonomically designed and can endure whatever the seas might throw at it. The handle is easily graspable and will not be a pain to hold onto.
Along with this bilge pump is a tube cap. It caps the tube and forces water out just as expected. It also reinforces the plunger shaft. This is what makes it a serviceable alternative to many non-electric bilge pumps.
For that suction based, bilge pump, this is fairly decent. But of course, this is not an automatic pump. You’ll be able to stroke it six times to churn out a gallon of water, but you are likely looking for a bilge pump that requires little to no effort to run. Consider this a great backup solution, though.
Pros
Cons
6. Seattle Sports Paddlers Bilge Pump Reviews
This pump by Seattle Sports is specifically for kayaks. Like SeaSense’s pump, this is a manually-operated pump that you would have to use all the time to keep your vessel afloat. It has an output diameter of one inch.
This also is a lightweight pump that you can easily store when you are not using it. Since it does not require electricity, this is also a good pump that you can use in any situation.
The handle is ergonomic and comfortable; made of soft rubber that feels comfortable and will not strain your hand muscles. By the same token, it is a rugged handle that is not expected to wear out over time.
A one-inch diameter hose can be connected to this bilge pump for added efficiency. While it is not included, it is not required, either.
While this is known as a nifty little pump, keep in mind that it is only for kayaks. You are highly unlikely going to keep a boat afloat with this pump, and you would rather buy a pump that can prime and pump itself. That is unless you are specifically looking for pumps for your kayak.
Pros
Cons
7 Attwood Tsunami Manual Bilge Water Pump Reviews
This final bilge pump is another one from Attwood. It has a nice design of white and navy blue. It comes in three types of power: 500, 800 and 1200 GPH. The output diameter for each one is three quarters of an inch long. As far as gallons per hour go, 1200 is the highest achievable GPH to date.
The Tsumani comes with a double filter base that ensures that you will not experience any clogs inside. Water is always guaranteed to flow out, and this is sure to give you a piece of mind.
This bilge pump is high in capacity and efficiency, promising you the utmost of performance every time with no slowing down.
The cartridges inside of Tsunami bilge pumps are replaceable. So while these are highly reliable products, you need to have them replaced every once in a while like a pool pump. You need to do this to keep your pump staying clean, but changing cartridges is easy and affordable.
There is quite a lot of parts you need to get this bilge pump to work that is not included, like extra cartridges, a switch, and mounting brackets. You are responsible for supplying all these parts yourself, and this might be a turn-off to some consumers who just want a pump that has everything they need, regardless if it costs more money or not.
Pros
Cons
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Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Automatic Bilge Pump for the Money
If you are still confused on which best bilge pump to buy, here are some things to look for specifically in a bilge pump.
Self Priming
Many pump models, with the exception of centrifugal pumps, prime themselves. Self-priming pumps have broad lifting capacities that are sure to spare you of some trouble. Centrifugal pumps, for that matter, must be installed beneath the liquid level, and you must use water from a hose to move the fluid, since many of them aren’t submersible.
Run Dry Capabilities
The kinds of pumps that could be run dry are centrifugal, piston, diaphragm and bellow pumps. Impeller and vane pumps must not be run dry without sacrificing durability. This is due to seal and impellers heating up at a faster rate. This leads to a pump failure. Consider whether or not there might be dry running in your application and choose your pump type accordingly.
Flow Capacity
For flow capacity, bilge pumps have GPM (or gallon per minute) ratings. GPM, however is measures with no restrictions, so it is just an indicator of real world performance.
Flow Restriction
Different types of bilge pumps react to flow restriction in varying ways. Displacement and impeller pumps try moving the same amounts of water constantly and work aggressively if the discharge gets restricted if they are turned off or something fails. Centrifugal pumps, however, move smaller amounts of fluid until they are stopped.
Here are all the types of pumps that are available for you to buy:
Impeller Pumps
These pumps involve an impeller that rotates inside of an offset cam in order to generate a sense of suction to move fluid around. Impellers are highly resistant to chemicals, being made of either nitrile or neoprene. As the impeller moves, the blades collect liquid and moves said liquid to the discharge port from the intake.
Impeller pumps are simple, versatile and compact. This is due to them only have one moving part, which is the rotating impeller. Impeller pumps do not require foot valves, since they can operate in either one direction or the other.
Impeller pumps are of moderate volume and moderate pressure that can generate a lift, yet they can achieve reasonable flow volume.
Rigid Vane Pumps
This sort of pump is similar to the impeller pump, but uses rigid, springy vaned rather than impellers. This pump is primable thanks to the vanes leaving the eccentric liner. Rigid vane pumps are easy to maintain in addition to being durable and long lasting. The rotation of this pump causes the vanes to collect liquid from the intake and to the port of discharge.
These pumps can be installed in any position and run in one of two directions. The liquid that is being pumped will also help to lubricate the seal, the rotor and vanes. Rigid vane pumps are best used for transferring, especially when owners pump diesel fuels and gas.
Centrifugal Pumps
These pumps involve a centrifugal force as well as a spinning impeller to force fluids. The level of your liquid that needs to be pumped should be high enough atop the pump.
Centrifugal pumps are small, easy to maintain and do not involve costly maintenance. For easy plumbing, the discharge port can be rotated. The best use for a centrifugal pump involves the transfer of fluid that use circulating water or hose-based connections that is inside of a bait well.
Diaphragm Pumps
These pumps use multiple volume pump chambers and check valves for transferring fluids around. As the diaphragm is raised, liquid is moved into the pump chamber as the outlet valve is forced shut. As the diaphragm is descended, the liquid is moves out of the outlet valve, where the intake valve is pressed closed.
Diaphragm pumps can prime themselves, and can also be run dry. They can be made with up to ten-inch heads. They are also fairly quiet and draw small currents. These are most ideal for marine and biological applications. These pumps are also high-pressure and low-volume; ideal in applications where water pressure is of high priority, such as the bilge, head, pressure water and deck.
Piston Pumps
Piston pumps increase and decrease the volume of the chamber of the pump physically from shifting the piston inside and out. These pumps utilize one-way valves to open and shut the chamber.
Piston pumps, like diaphragm pumps, can be run dry and move significant water volume at high pressures. These pumps are also resistant to chemicals and are easy to repair and maintain. Piston pumps are best used for toilets, bilges and pressurized water systems.
Final Verdict
The best bilge pump in this review happens to be the MAXZONE Automatic Submersible Boat Bilge Water Pump.
There are many great bilge pumps that we have reviewed, however, Maxzone’s bilge pump offers the most of the positivity with the least negativity along with it. It is a high-functioning bilge pump that is easy to use, easy to clean and easy to maintain.
When boat owners start to use a pump that turns on itself with the right water level, and then shuts back down, they will always want to have one, and there is no going back to older kinds of bilge pumps.
Our runner up in this review is the Attwood Tsunami, and what it offer is very impressive, but to boating beginners, you might not be sure how to use it at first without the necessary additional parts already being there.
Maxzone’s pump is smart, and while it’s not the only smart bilge pump in this review, it simply offers the most power and the least hassle. That is why Maxzone’s bilge pump is out most recommended pump for boats.
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