water pump

[Boat&Bikes]

Have a problem,pump works sometimes,sometimes not.When we turn galley taps on,hot or cold the pump kicks in maybe 2 outta 3 times,bathroom taps it tends to work more often.Have turned tap on and given pump a very gentle smack and it kicks in.As i said bathroom taps tend to be more responsive.Problem seemed to start after we refilled a very low tank after winter and noticed a little rust running through the system for a few minutes.Any ideas?

 

Ian.

[bottle]

Possible blockage in filter, (you do have one between tank and pump ) pipe work or the pump itself.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Is the pump recently installed? I had this problem with a replacement pump. I kept a hammer beside it to give it a (light!) tap when it failed to come on. Worked every time. My son, an ETO on a ship, diagnosed it as sticking brushes, and that it might cure itself as they bedded in. And so it did.

[Mick_B]

Similar problem can be caused by a stickey micro switch in the pump head...

[Keeping Up]

Possible blockage in filter, (you do have one between tank and pump ) pipe work or the pump itself.

 

Surely that could cause the pump not to switch itself off after use, but couldn't cause it not to switch on?

[bottle]

You're right Allan, brain not quite up to speed this morning.

[Boat&Bikes]

I think i shall buy a new pump and pull this one apart and see if i can repair it and keep as a spare.If i buy a replacement is it important to get one that is the same as currently used? I see there are lots varying in output and pressure,if i up the pressure/output will this cause any problems?Also is it as simple as it looks fitting wise?Disconnect both inlet and outlet water pipe,pos and neg wiring and simply fit new pump in position and reconnect?

 

Ian.

[Keeping Up]

Yes it is as simple as it looks. The advantage of getting a replacement that is at least physically identical, is that when it fails it will be very easy to swap it back with your reconditioned old one that you will be keeping as a spare.

[Castaway]

I can't add anything to the above, but do have a question on the topic of Water Pump if you don't mind me hi-jacking the thread

 

When I have power on to my pump, it at regular intervals splutters/vibrates/rumbles etc. When taps are open, it works absolutely fine in both hot and cold, turn the taps off and I reckon every 10=15 seconds it has a moan????? Any thoughts please?

[Chris Pink]

Leak

[RLWP]

I can't add anything to the above, but do have a question on the topic of Water Pump if you don't mind me hi-jacking the thread

 

When I have power on to my pump, it at regular intervals splutters/vibrates/rumbles etc. When taps are open, it works absolutely fine in both hot and cold, turn the taps off and I reckon every 10=15 seconds it has a moan????? Any thoughts please?

 

Somewhere you have a leak. It could be from the pipework into the boat, a dripping tap or back through the valves of the pump. Whatever it is, somehow the pressure created by the pump is dropping away until the pump kicks in to build it up again

 

For the first, check your cabin bilge, for the second, well check the taps, the third is tricky to find

 

Eichard

[Castaway]

Thanks Richard. Pretty sure we've no dripping taps, just re-fitted the bathroom but the fault/noise was there before then. I'll check the galley taps for leaking at the weekend when I'm back at the boat.

 

Everything appears dry around the pump itself.

 

Not come across a cabin bilge........

 

Would it need to be a significant leak? Would have thought we'd come across some other tell tale signs?

[Castaway]

Ok, still can't find a leak....but.....if I turn off the water supply to the pump, no problem. My thinking would be that if the 2-3 second running every 20 seconds or so is caused by a leak then turning of the water to the pump shouldn't stop the problem. If the pump running is caused by a drop in pressure on the outlet side why would cutting off the input pressure make any difference?

[Keeping Up]

The same symptoms occur if the leak is back through the valves of the pump rather than out to the cabin floor. If you can cure the problem by turning off the supply to the pump, this means you are preventing the water from leaking back through the pump and so it is an almost 100% certain diagnosis that the problem is that the valves in the pump are leaking. Sometimes you can cure it by cleaning the valves, often yuo can cure it by replacing the valves, and always you can cure it by replacing the pump.

[Castaway]

That would make sense, think I'll take it to bits and see what we find. Thanks.