Choose a Bilge Pickup That Reaches the Water
A bilge pickup must fit its compartment and reach the water that remains there. Match the pickup to your system, then confirm its position at the boat’s normal floating trim.
The pickup is the system’s first point of contact with the wet area. Its shape and position determine which residual water can enter the intake.
A dry bilge system can only remove water that reaches the pickup. Choose the wrong pickup style, or place the right pickup in the wrong location, and a zone may never fully clear no matter how well the unit runs.
New to Arid? See how the installed bilge vacuum system works: pickups connect wet areas to a central collection chamber for automatic residual-water removal. The system works alongside your boat’s conventional bilge pumps.
Why One Pickup Style Is Not Enough
Residual water may settle in a flat bilge area, run along a V-shaped channel, pool in an air-conditioning drip pan, sit in a shower sump, gather in a low spot, or hide in a deep pocket that cannot be reached by hand.
That is why Arid offers multiple pickup styles instead of one universal pickup. Each pickup is designed to reach a specific kind of wet area. The right choice depends on the shape of the compartment, the space available, and where gravity actually sends the fluid.
Compare the Four Bilge Pickup Options
Check the current pickup listings for Series 1, Series 2 or Series 4 before ordering. For an existing installation, confirm the exact pickup version with Arid.
Swipe to compare all columns.
| Pickup | Size | Best for | System match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 2 x 3 in | Compact flat bilge areas, large AC drip pans, smaller compartments, tight spaces | All systems |
| Standard | 2.75 x 4.25 in | Larger vessels with flat bilge areas or wider collection points | Series 4 and 9 only |
| Offset | 2.75 x 4.25 in | V-bottom bilges, bow areas, twin-V engine bilges, linear groove compartments | All systems |
| Flexible wand | Small and large | Narrow, deep, or awkward spaces, limber holes, deep pockets, AC drip pans | Small wand for Series 1 and 2; large for Series 4 and 9 |
Mini Pickup
The Mini Pickup is a compact flat pickup with an H-groove channel that allows fluid to settle evenly for efficient collection.
It is commonly used forward or aft of bilge pumps, inside AC drip pans, in smaller compartments, and in flat bilge areas where water collects.
The Mini Pickup is often the right choice when space is limited but the installation still needs a stable flat pickup.
Standard Pickup
The Standard Pickup uses the same general concept as the Mini Pickup, but with a larger footprint for broader surface coverage. It should be positioned at the lowest practical point where fluid settles on a flat surface.
There is an important system-matching limit: the Standard Pickup is offered for Series 4 and Series 9 systems only.
Choose the pickup version listed for your installed system rather than selecting by footprint alone. The current public Series 1 and Series 2 pickup tables list the Mini, Offset and small wand.
For Series 1 and Series 2, choose a compatible Mini for a suitable flat area, an Offset for an appropriate angled area, or a small wand for a tight space.
Offset Pickup
The Offset Pickup is built for V-style and angled bilge compartments where fluid collects along a groove, channel, or lower edge.
It is commonly used in V-bottom bilges, forward bow areas, twin-V engine bilges, and other compartments where water follows the shape of the hull.
Exact placement depends on the hull design and the structural bilge layout. In many boats, water collects toward the aft end of each bilge location unless the compartment is uneven or shaped differently.
Flexible Pickup Wand
The Flexible Pickup Wand is designed for narrow, deep, or awkward spaces where a flat pickup cannot sit properly.
The wand can be adjusted to reach confined areas, making it useful for AC drip pans, limber holes, deep bilge pockets, and unusual bilge layouts.
The wand comes in smaller and larger configurations with different intake-hole patterns. Match the configuration to the system it serves.
Confirm the correct wand version for your installed model with Arid or your installer before ordering.
Match the Pickup to the Low Point
The best pickup in the wrong location will not dry the bilge.
A pickup needs to sit at the lowest practical point of accumulation, where gravity naturally brings the water.
A common mistake is placing the pickup near a bilge pump and assuming the zone will clear. Sometimes that works. Often it does not, because the bilge pump is not always located at the lowest or deepest point.
The correct pickup location is wherever residual fluid remains after the boat settles into its normal floating position.
When walking the boat, look for:
- The lowest points where fluid naturally settles
- Flat pockets that hold water after the bilge pump shuts off
- Hidden compartments that may be sealed off with no builder hatch
- AC drip pans and shower sumps
- Limber holes and deep pockets
- Compartments beneath machinery or equipment
- Areas that are difficult to reach by hand
Do Not Drill the Pickup
Do not drill into the pickup.
Drilling into a pickup can damage the pickup body, screen, filter area, and internal flow path. It can also create a path for dirt, fiberglass dust, bilge contamination, and shavings from the drilling itself to be pulled directly into the vacuum intake line.
Once the system cycles, that material can travel into the tubing and eventually into the unit, where it may restrict flow, reduce vacuum performance, or clog the intake valve.
The pickup is designed to collect fluid through its grooves, screen, filter, and flow path. It should not be modified with drills, cuts, or fasteners through the pickup body.
Do Not Over-Clamp the Pickup
Installers often ask whether the pickup should be clamped down hard. In most cases, the answer is no.
The pickup needs to breathe. Fluid and air must be able to enter freely for the system to complete its cycle. If the pickup is squeezed too tightly, the grooves or intake area can become restricted. When that happens, the zone may not clear properly and water may remain in the bilge.
Over-clamping can cause:
- Restricted fluid entry
- Reduced vacuum efficiency
- Incomplete zone clearing
- False dry-zone behavior
- Long-term debris restriction
The Right Way to Secure the Pickup
The preferred way to secure a pickup is often through the intake tubing itself.
Route the tubing so it places slight downward tension on the pickup. Between the pickup’s weight, its center of gravity, built-in friction, and gentle tubing tension, the pickup usually stays where it is placed.
Follow the mounting method in the manual for your installed system. After positioning the pickup, verify that it remains at the intended low point without squeezing the pad or blocking water entry.
If more support is needed, use a bracket that holds the pickup fitting without compressing the pickup body.
Next Step
Once the pickups are placed correctly, include them in the maintenance routine for the installed system.
Pickup maintenance helps protect vacuum performance, prevent intake restrictions, and keep each zone clearing properly over time.
Our pickup maintenance guide explains inspection, cleaning and signs that a pickup needs replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pickup should I use in a V-shaped bilge?
Can I use a Standard Pickup on a Series 1 or Series 2?
For Series 1 and Series 2, choose a compatible Mini for a suitable flat area, an Offset for an appropriate angled area, or a small wand for a tight space.
Not automatically.
