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STANDARDS · ABYC

ABYC H-22: electric bilge pump systems, what surveyors check

UPDATED 6 NOVEMBER 2026 · 2 FINDINGS · 3 SOURCES

What ABYC H-22 asks of electric bilge pump systems, how pumps are rated, where the inlet and discharge go, the high-water alarm on boats with enclosed accommodation, and how to cite H-22 in a finding.

AT A GLANCE
ABYC H-22
OFFICIAL TITLE
Electric Bilge Pump Systems
COVERS
Electric bilge pumps, their switches, wiring, inlets and discharges, and the high-water alarm
SURVEYORS CHECK
Pumps that start automatically and discharge overboard, an inlet that clears water at rest, a discharge above the waterline or with a vented loop and seacock, and a high-water alarm where there's enclosed accommodation
GET THE TEXT
ABYC members, through the online Standards Library

A bilge pump is the last line between a leak and a sinking at the mooring. H-22 is the standard for the electric pump system: the pump, its switch and wiring, the inlet, the discharge and the alarm that tells someone it can't keep up.

What it covers

ABYC lists H-22 as Electric Bilge Pump Systems. In our words: how electric bilge pumps are rated, installed, wired and switched, where their inlets and discharges go, and when a high-water alarm is needed.

What surveyors check against it

Rating. Practical Sailor reports ABYC has pumps rated at a head of 1 metre and 3 metres of hose. Real installations with longer runs and more lift move less.

Inlet. Placed so bilge water can be removed with the boat at rest, Practical Sailor notes.

Discharge. Above the waterline so water can't siphon back in. Where that isn't possible, H-22 asks for a vented loop and a properly installed seacock.

Alarm. On boats with enclosed accommodation, a high-water alarm. D'Antonio calls it a requirement for ABYC compliance and suggests its switch sit no more than 2 inches above the pump's float switch.

Wiring. The pump's circuit protected like any other, with the fuse within 7 inches of the source under ABYC E-11.

Then test it: lift the float or flood the switch and see the pump start. See bilge pump float switch failure.

Citing it in a finding

"Fit a high-water bilge alarm, ABYC H-22, with its switch above the primary pump's float switch." Record which pumps are fitted, how each was tested and where each discharges.

Findings judged against ABYC H-22

Each page shows how the defect is found, what decides the grade and example findings written up at A, B and C.

GAS AND SAFETY

Bilge pump float switch failure

Why float switches fail, the switch types Practical Sailor tested, how a surveyor tests an automatic bilge pump, what new switches cost and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up
UNDERWATER GEAR

Seized seacocks

Why a seacock that won't close is a safety finding, how surveyors check seacocks and through-hulls, the ABYC strength test a ball valve on a through-hull can fail, replacement costs and three example findings graded A, B and C.

How to find and write it up

Frequently asked

Does ABYC require a high-water bilge alarm?

On boats with enclosed berths or accommodation, yes. Practical Sailor notes ABYC standards require an alarm on boats with enclosed berths, and Steve D'Antonio calls high-water alarms a requirement for ABYC compliance.

How does ABYC rate bilge pumps?

Practical Sailor reports ABYC stipulates pumps be rated with a head height of 1 metre and a hose length of 3 metres, which is why the figure on the box is optimistic.

What size bilge pump does a boat need?

H-22 doesn't give owners a single number in the sources we've seen. Practical Sailor recommends 1,000 to 1,500 GPH for the primary on a mid-sized boat and about 2,000 GPH for the backup. D'Antonio suggests no less than 100 GPH per foot of hull.

Where should the bilge pump discharge go?

High enough above the waterline that water can't siphon back. Practical Sailor notes that under H-22, if the discharge can't be placed that way, a vented loop and a properly installed seacock must be fitted.

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