How To Maintain Your BILGE-B-DRY Pump This Summer

Keep It Dry, Keep It Healthy, Keep It Running for Years
Summer boating is the best boating—but it’s also the hardest on your bilge system. Heat, humidity, rainstorms, washdowns, and long days offshore all mean one thing: your bilge pump works overtime. And while BILGE-B-DRY is built to be tough, reliable, and low maintenance, a little seasonal care goes a long way toward keeping it performing at its best.

Think of this as your BILGE-B-DRY Summer Health Plan—simple steps that protect your pump’s longevity.  Summer conditions create the perfect storm for bilge stress:
•    Higher humidity → more condensation
•    More rain → more water intrusion
•    More boating → more washdowns, drips, leaks, and splashes
•    Hotter temps → faster bacterial growth and odor formation
Your bilge becomes a warm, damp environment that challenges even the best pumps.

 Keep your bilge fresh by resetting your bilge environment and cleaning out debris.  Aim to remove:
Remove:
•    Leaves
•    Sand
•    Zip ties
•    Stray screws
•    Old absorbent pads
•    Anything that could clog or block water flow
A cleaner bilge = a happier pump.

Wipe down bilge surfaces.  Use a MILD boat safe cleaner or Dawn dish soap to remove:
•    Slime
•    Oil film
•    Mold spots
•    Salt residue
This reduces the workload on your pump and prevents buildup around water sensors.

Inspect your BILGE-B-DRY pump.  Your pump is the heart of your dry bilge system—give it a quick checkup and look for signs of wear. 
Check:
•    Housing integrity
•    Mounting stability
•    Any cracks or external corrosion
•    Wiring condition (if applicable)
•    Hose connections
If anything looks off, fix it now before summer stress makes it worse.

Test the pump by running a short, on-demand cycle:
•    Make sure the pump activates properly
•    Confirm water is moving efficiently

Summer humidity is brutal. Even if your bilge looks dry, trapped moisture can still cause issues.  Keep bilge airflow moving by improving ventilation.  Open hatches when docked and let your bilge breathe. Airflow helps prevent:
•    Mold
•    Mildew
•    Electrical corrosion
•    Odors

Your BILGE-B-DRY removes standing water. Clean bilge water pickups and filter material are crucial to properly absorb and remove your excess bilge water.  Every three months (or more frequently if needed) in season, you can choose to:
•    Replace your entire water pickups with brand new ones for the cleanest and most effective water removal option.
•    Replace the internal filter material inside the water pickup.
•    Clean the inside of the water pickup and filter material with Dawn dish soap, if only light use is noticed.

Florida summer storms are no joke. A 10-minute downpour can dump gallons of water into your bilge.  After every storm, you can do a quick bilge peek to:
•    Check for new water
•    Make sure your BILGE-B-DRY pump cycled
•    Look for new leaks or drips

If you have a wireless water sensor, periodically removing your wireless sensor in-season to check the electrical contacts on the bottom of the sensor is helpful to optimize performance:
•    Clean the sensor and contacts with Dawn dish soap if the contacts have any buildup from salt, algae, engine fluids, etc.
•    A light “oily film” could develop, which could impact sensor function.
•    Check the water sensor battery level with the BILGE-B-DRY Mobile App.  The App will notify you when the batter is getting low and in need of replacement.  The wireless water sensor uses very low power and can last for years of normal use.

A well-maintained BILGE-B-DRY pump lasts years longer because it doesn’t:
•    fight excess bilge debris 
•    run unnecessarily
•    get clogged by oil/petroleum contaminates that shouldn’t be in the bilge

Your BILGE-B-DRY pump is your boat’s unsung hero—quietly protecting your hull, your wiring, your gear, and your peace of mind. Summer is the toughest season for bilge systems, but with a little care, your pump will stay strong, reliable, and ready for many more years on the water.

Clean the bilge. Remove contaminates.  Check the pump. Enjoy a dry, odor free, stress-free summer on the water!  For more information on water pickup maintenance and troubleshooting, you can visit the Neptunian Sky Help Center: Help Center — Neptunian Sky