Excel Marine uses Seawork to launch Bilge-Bug

A new water detection switch for bilge pump operation is to be launched by Excel Marine at this year’s Seawork. The Bilge-Bug is designed and engineered in the UK to provide safe and reliable clearance of bilge water.

The product has no moving parts and is IP 67 rated for watertight protection of the electronics. ther features include no maintenance required, frugal battery consumption and a timed on/off delay to further reduce operating power consumption and extend the pump life.

“The Bilge-Bug is a truly unique device, designed and engineered in the UK to provide the safest and most reliable clearance of bilge water available,” said Andrew Davenport, Excel Marine MD.

“Bilge-Bug is a genuine British designed and engineered product from our Cornwall based company and is the first of a planned line of innovative water detection products we will introduce in the future. Our aim is to make boating safer, trouble free and provide peace of mind to the owner/operator.”

Solid state electronics cater for multiple voltages suitable for both 12v and 24v systems and there is no need to run a dry test to check if the bilge switch is activated, as an LED light indicates full working order.

In addition, the BilgeBug has achieved Lloyd’s approval and has been designed to last for ten years service.

“When we researched bilge pump systems we found that boat owners were replacing them surprisingly frequently as they ceased to function due to many reasons such as contamination from materials in the bilge which especially affected lifting float switches,” said Mr Davenport.

“Failure of a bilge pump system can be catastrophic so we therefore set out to create a switch with no moving parts, built of extremely robust materials that will last for up to ten years with minimal maintenance at a reasonable price. The result is the Bilge-Bug.”

And he explained how Bilge-Bug will detect oil or fuel and refuse to activate the pump to avoid pumping unwanted spillages into the sea or river.

“The unique contaminant repellent, high visibility coating repels oil and fuel while the robust construction ensures the Bilge-Bug can withstand all that the tough environment of the sea can throw at it year after year,” said Mr Davenport.

“While other electric switches and integrated bilge pump systems are available, only BilgeBug has achieved Lloyd’s approval and can be relied upon to provide ten years plus uninterrupted service due to its innovative design and robust construction.”

Excel Marine, a UK based innovation company bringing design engineering to marine electronic applications, is introducing its water detection switch for exceptionally reliable bilge pump operation at Seawork 2015.

Visit Excel Marine on stand SB102 at this year’s Seawork International.