FAQ - FREEDOM™ 500

1.0 - System Overview

Q. 1.1. How does the Freedom™ 500 work?

A. 1.1. The Freedom™ 500 is a self contained electric bilge pump system that uses a rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack and an electric bilge pump to pump the water out of the kayak’s cockpit. The outflow from the pump leaves the cockpit via a thru-hull fitting that is installed in the kayak’s deck.

Q. 1.2. Can I install the system myself?

A. 1.2. Yes you can. The Freedom™ 500 comes with all of the instructions needed to install the system in your kayak, including instructions on how to drill the hole for the thru-hull fitting. In addition to what comes in the box from us, you will need to provide a few simple tools, such as a screw driver, electric drill, drill bit, file, and a little masking tape.

Q. 1.3. Is it safe to drill a hole in my kayak’s deck?

A. 1.3. Yes, it is totally safe to drill a hole in your kayak’s deck. In fact, some kayaks come from the manufacturer with a pre-drilled hole for a thru-hull fitting that is connected to a mechanical foot pump within the cockpit.

Q. 1.4. If I already have a mechanical foot pump in my kayak, can I add a Freedom™ 500?

A. 1.4. Yes you can. If your kayak has one of these thru-hull fittings already installed, then you will not need to drill a new hole in the deck. The existing hole can be used and the mechanical foot pump can be replaced by the Freedom™ 500 or the Freedom™ 500 can be added to the mechanical foot pump’s outflow hose.

Q. 1.5. What size bilge hose does the Freedom™ 500 use?

A. 1.5. The Freedom™ 500 uses the highest quality flexible bilge hose having an inside diameter of ¾inch.

Q. 1.6. Should I carry a manual bilge pump if I have a Freedom™ 500 in my kayak?

A. 1.6. Yes, you should always carry a manual bilge pump at all times. Your Freedom™ 500 will become your primary system and the manual pump will be your backup. Always keep both in excellent working order.

Q. 1.7. Will waves that break over my kayak’s deck let water come into my kayak’s cockpit via the thru-hull fitting?

A. 1.7. No, there is no need to worry about this. We recommend that you run the bilge hose in an arc so that it presses up against the underside of the kayak deck. Doing so creates an uphill path for the water, which prevents the water from finding its way down past the pump and into the cockpit. Alternatively, for mounting configurations that place the pump behind the seat, a loop can be placed into the bilge hose which will prevent water from coming in via the thru-hull fitting if the thru-hull fitting is mounted behind the cockpit coaming. You can always purchase an optional non-return valve and install it into the bilge hose line to prevent any possibility of back flow.

Q. 1.8. Is the system totally waterproof?

A. 1.8. Yes it is. None of the electrical components that make up the system are exposed to salt water.

Q. 1.9. How is the Freedom™ 500 mounted to the kayak?

A. 1.9. We provide a polycarbonate mounting plate that slips under the kayak seat. The pump and dry box are attached to the polycarbonate mounting plate. The switch and switch cable are fixed against the inside of the kayak hull using mini-cell foam and our Yak Snot™ adhesive. We supply a longer length of bilge hose than you need so that you can cut the bilge hose to length such that it presses up against the inside of the cockpit. The hose is held in place with a plastic spacer, mini-cell foam, and Yak Snot™ adhesive.

Q. 1.10. Do I ever need to open the dry box?

A. 1.10. Not usually, we recommend that you minimize opening the dry box. Once in a while you can open the dry box to inspect and see that there is no water inside. The system has been designed to minimize the need to open the dry box. Remember that when you do open the dry box you should be careful not to trap stray items between the lid and the case, such as strap ends, etc. as this will cause the box to leak.

Q. 1.11. Is the battery pack field replaceable?

A. 1.11. Yes, the battery pack can be replaced in the field by opening the dry box lid, disconnecting the battery via its connectors and then connecting a new battery pack to the connectors. Special tools are not required. Carrying a spare battery pack only adds 11oz to your spare parts kit weight!

Q. 1.12. Is the pump field replaceable?

A. 1.12. Yes, the pump can be replaced in the field. To replace the pump, you will need to carry a spare pump and two spare waterproof wire splice devices, and a pair of wire cutters. You cut the wires to the old pump. Unclip the old pump from its base and thread the new wires through the wire looming. Next you connect black wire to black wire with one splice device and brown to brown with the other splice device. Finally place the new pump into the base and test the system. Carrying a spare pump adds less than 0.6 lbs to your spare parts kit weight!

Q. 1.13. How long does it take to empty the cockpit of water after a wet exit?

A. 1.13. This depends on how big your cockpit is and whether or not your kayak is equipped with internal bulkheads or floatation bags. For a nominally 18 foot kayak such as a Valley Nordkapp, Nordkapp LV, Nigel Dennis Explorer, etc. it takes approximately 1.5 to 2 minutes to empty the cockpit of water following a wet exit. If you use a paddle float re-entry to re-enter the cockpit following a wet exit, you will find that the Freedom™ 500 has finished emptying the cockpit of water by the time you have gotten back in the cockpit and stowed the paddle float. View our video on the Skills page to see a demonstration of this.

Q. 1.14. Why don’t you use mechanical stuffing tube glands to seal the wires as they come into the dry box?

A. 1.14. We don’t use mechanical stuffing tube glands because they introduce unneeded complexity and cost into the system and provide additional failure modes which reduce overall reliability. The rubber wire seal that we use provides a double seal for each wire and is highly reliable.

Q. 1.15. Why don’t you use connectors to attach the pump wires and switch wires to the dry box?

A. 1.15 We don’t use connectors because they introduce added complexity, cost, and additional failure modes, thereby reducing overall system reliability.

2.0 - Pump

Q. 2.1. What happens if the pump gets clogged with seaweed or other debris?

A. 2.1. The chances of this happening are very small (and it has never happened to me yet), however, if it did, the pump in the Freedom™ 500 is easily removed from its base by depressing two tabs and then lifting the pump up, which provides access to remove any debris. Then the pump is re-inserted on its base.

Q. 2.2. Does the system have a fuse and can the fuse be replaced in the field?

A. 2.2. Yes the system has a fuse and the fuse is easily replaced in the field if you carry a spare fuse within reach while seated in the cockpit, such as in a vest pocket. The weather proof fuse holder can be accessed while seated in the cockpit, without the need to open the dry box.

Q. 2.3. Is the pump really waterproof?

A. 2.3. Yes the pump is a commercial grade submersible bilge pump that is fully waterproof.

Q. 2.4. Why does the stream of water out of the Freedom™ 500 vary in height from time to time?

A. 2.4. This occurs due to the random inclusion of some air in the pump chamber; it is a result of the pump’s design and does not mean that there is anything wrong with your pump, this is normal operation. Sometimes the pump starts up with less air in the chamber, then the pump creates a taller stream.

Q. 2.5. What is the pumping capacity of the pump used in the Freedom™ 500?

A. 2.5. The pump produces a flow rate of 500 gallons per hour, or equivalently 1,892 liters per hour.

3.0 - Battery

Q. 3.1. How long will the battery run the High Output Freedom™ 500 on a single charge?

A. 3.1. The Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack will run the High Output Freedom™ 500’s pump for approximately 1.0 hours on a single charge.

Q. 3.2. Can I buy a second battery pack for the High Output Freedom™ 500?

A. 3.2. Yes you can, you can order a second battery pack for the High Output Freedom™ 500 and then connect the second battery pack to the extra connector within the dry box. Running the High Output Freedom 500 with two batteries will run the pump for approximately 2.0 hours.

Q. 3.3. Why do you use Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries instead of sealed lead acid batteries?

A. 3.3. We use Li-Ion batteries for several reasons. First, they can sustain a higher discharge rate than sealed lead acid batteries can. This means that a larger discharge current can be obtained from a Li-Ion battery than can be achieved from a sealed lead acid battery of equivalent amp-hour rating. This fact translates into a smaller and lighter Li-Ion battery for a given discharge current. Why is this important? Because the High Output Freedom™ 500 can be made lighter in weight with Li-Ion batteries. The 1 hour Li-Ion battery pack weighs a mere 6oz!

Q. 3.4. Why do you use Li-Ion batteries instead of Lithium Polymer Batteries?

A. 3.4. First of all, the High Output Freedom™ 500 has been engineered to be reliable, at this point in time we feel that Li-Ion battery technology is more reliable and less complex than Lithium Polymer batteries. Lithium Polymer batteries are also more expensive than Li-Ion batteries. We feel that this added level of complexity and cost does not warrant the minor weight savings achieved with Lithium Polymer batteries.

Q. 3.5. Why do you use Li-Ion batteries instead of Alkaline batteries?

A. 3.5. Li-Ion batteries are superior to Alkaline batteries in every respect. Li-Ion batteries are designed to provide constant voltage during most of their discharge cycle, whereas the voltage of Alkaline batteries falls off considerably during the discharge cycle. When a battery’s voltage drops off, the pump capacity will also drop off requiring longer run times in order to empty the cockpit of water. Secondly, for a given battery weight, an Alkaline battery does not provide an equivalent power capacity to Li-Ion. This means that a much larger and heavier Alkaline battery would be needed to provide the same pump run time.

Q. 3.6. Do I need to discharge the battery in the High Output Freedom™ 500 before re-charging?

A. 3.6. Absolutely not. Li-Ion batteries do not experience the memory effect that NiCd batteries do. This is another reason why we use Li-Ion batteries. You can re-charge your High Output Freedom™ 500 after every kayak trip, even when the batteries are nearly fully charged with no adverse effect on battery life. However, it is not necessary to do so unless you were running the system for quite a while.

3.0 - Switch

Q. 3.1. Will the switch last in salt water?

A. 3.1. Yes it will. We use a hermetically sealed switch that is totally waterproof and capable of providing a long maintenance free service life.

Q. 3.2. What kind of switch is used in the Freedom™ 500?

A. 3.2. In keeping with our design philosophy that minimizes parts and electrical connections in order to provide a system with minimum failure modes, we use a hermetically sealed magnetic switch. We have also eliminated relays in the system, which further reduces moving parts and eliminates failure modes, hence increasing reliability.

Q. 3.3. Does the switch need a hole in the deck for mounting?

A. 3.3. No, the switch does not require a hole in the deck for mounting. The switch mounts in the cockpit on the underside of the deck and is held in place with mini-cell foam which is glued to the inside surface of the kayak with our Yak Snot™ glue. The switch is triggered by a magnet that runs on the deck bungee cord, so you turn the switch on and off from the outside of the kayak while your spray skirt is on. No need to reach inside the cockpit to operate the switch.

Q. 3.4. Why do you use a magnetic switch instead of a toggle switch or push button switch?

A. 3.4. First of all, a system operability requirement was that the pump needed to be operable while the kayaker was floating in the water after a wet exit. That way the kayak is returned to maximum stability as soon as possible (usually by the time the kayaker returns to the cockpit after a paddle float re-entry). Secondly, we wanted to eliminate moving parts and added assembly steps, such as drilling a hole in the deck for the switch actuator. The magnetic switch makes installation of the Freedom™ 500 simple by eliminating a switch mounting hole and additional moving parts which can fail.

Q. 3.5. Can the battery in the Freedom™ 500 be charged with a Solar panel?

A. 3.5. Yes as soon as we release the optional solar charging panel. We will be introducing a solar charging option for the Freedom™ 500 later this year. The panel will provide a trickle charge for the battery with built in regulation that stops charging the battery when fully charged.

Q. 3.6. What is the pumping capacity of the pump used in the Freedom™ 500?

A. 3.6. The pump produces a flow rate of 500 gallons per hour, or equivalently 1,892 liters per hour.