Shurflo Pump Leak

[Mitchellmoxo]

Hello,

 

My shurflo pump is leaking around the black section where the two halfs meet. I was just speaking to someone along the towpath and he said this often happens when they freeze (this pump probably has frozen as last winter it was being overplated with no heating for 3mths when it was a shell).

 

He was saying something about a kit to repair it but I cant seem to find anything online relating to this. I would like to see if I could repair it as we all no they arent cheap!

 

Regards

Mitch

[Paringa]

I had a pump do that... I used some Fernox LSX as a quick solution...3 years later it was still okay.

 

Undo and split the casing and where the two pieces meet smear a little on the surface, join and leave for an hour or two.

[Richard10002]

My 11 year old shurflo leaked and the parts to repair, (assuming the diagnosis was correct), were about £30. A new Jabsco was about £50 - no brainer!

[Phil Ambrose]

I had the same happen to me and went the same way as Richard

Phil

[Mitchellmoxo]

I will try the £5 fernox lsx fix first I have actually brought a new pump but received it with the wires severed so it inspired me to try and fix this one

[Flyboy]

I had a Shurflo leak after freezing some years ago. I took it apart and found that the rubber gasket had been pushed out of position. I re-assembled it and it's been fine since. Might be worth taking it apart. Coincidentally the separate Shurflo water filter housing did exactly the same.

[Nightwatch]

You can a repair kit as mentioned. Can't remember paying £30 though. I think you just need the rubber insert bits.

 

Might have been £30, but......

[David Schweizer]

You can a repair kit as mentioned. Can't remember paying £30 though. I think you just need the rubber insert bits.

 

Might have been £30, but......

 

Having repaired ours several times over the past twenty years, I agree.Unfortuinately the sealing gasket is no longer available as a separate spare, you have to buy the complete drive assembly which includes a replacement gasket. Cost £27.95 from Midland chandlers, I always buy Shuflo spares in advance on a Freaky Friday - cost £22.36.

[George94]

 

Having repaired ours several times over the past twenty years, I agree.Unfortuinately the sealing gasket is no longer available as a separate spare, you have to buy the complete drive assembly which includes a replacement gasket. Cost £27.95 from Midland chandlers, I always buy Shuflo spares in advance on a Freaky Friday - cost £22.36.

So they need a lot of spares?

 

Might be better to try another make.

[Phil Ambrose]

So they need a lot of spares?

 

Might be better to try another make.

Once again you are right George, needing a high level of spares is a bit if a clue. Have decided to switch next time mine is naughty.

I think I average 1 pump every 5 years

Phil

[BruceinSanity]

Once again you are right George, needing a high level of spares is a bit if a clue. Have decided to switch next time mine is naughty.

I think I average 1 pump every 5 years

Phil

I was chatting to the guys in MC here the other day and they told me of one boater who changes his water pump every year. It depends on use, of course. A liveaboard with washing machine is putting a lot more work on the pump than a leisure boater.

 

Slightly OT, I see both Flojet and Jabsco are now made by Xylem, formerly known as Cleghorn Wareing.

Edited February 28, 2016 by BruceinSanity

[George94]

In the past six years I have replaced three pumps. One was a non-submersible Whale which became submersed, so fair enough; another was a cheapo Rule bilge pump, of indeterminate but possibly great age; and the third was a Shurflo. The last was replaced by a Jabsco, but if that fails it will be replaced by a Whale.

[Phil Ambrose]

I was chatting to the guys in MC here the other day and they told me of one boater who changes his water pump every year. It depends on use, of course. A liveaboard with washing machine is putting a lot more work on the pump than a leisure boater.

 

Slightly OT, I see both Flojet and Jabsco are now made by Xylem, formerly known as Cleghorn Wareing.

Xylem sounds Chinese.

Phil

[BruceinSanity]

Xylem sounds Chinese.

Phil

It's from the Greek and is one of two water transport systems in plant tissue, the other being phloem:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylem

[Nightwatch]

Had Nightwatch over ten years now. Replaced the seal when we bought and twice since. I know the pump and I'm happy to repair if and when. Only takes ten/twenty minutes.

 

Martyn

[David Schweizer]

So they need a lot of spares?

 

Might be better to try another make.

 

Did you not notice the "...over twenty years" bit , having to service a pump every six or seven years is hardly a condemnation.

[George94]

 

Did you not notice the "...over twenty years" bit , having to service a pump every six or seven years is hardly a condemnation.

 

I did, but your post suggested you were buying spares often - "I always buy Shuflo spares in advance on a Freaky Friday - cost £22.36.!

[Nightwatch]

David. Seems we have the same attitude to maintenance. I would rather maintain, when due, than replace every time an item becomes defective.

 

I did replace out shower pump with a Gulper when the aged pump packed up. Not sure of the make. I did try to repair but it was getting complicated. Impellers and other items I can't remember.

 

Searching my brain box, trying to think of other items I've replaced rather than repaired. There's not many.

 

Martyn

[bizzard]

Yesterday I bid and won a massive job lot of Meccano to mend things with, it should arrive next Thursday.

[George94]

David. Seems we have the same attitude to maintenance. I would rather maintain, when due, than replace every time an item becomes defective.

 

I did replace out shower pump with a Gulper when the aged pump packed up. Not sure of the make. I did try to repair but it was getting complicated. Impellers and other items I can't remember.

 

Searching my brain box, trying to think of other items I've replaced rather than repaired. There's not many.

 

Martyn

 

It makes sense to repair wherever possible. It also makes sense to choose equipment that doesn't need repairing too often.

 

A search of this forum shows that Shurflo pumps fail frequently. Possibly the reason is that far more people use Shurflo than any other make. However my experience is that they fail more than any other make.

[David Schweizer]

 

It makes sense to repair wherever possible. It also makes sense to choose equipment that doesn't need repairing too often.

 

A search of this forum shows that Shurflo pumps fail frequently. Possibly the reason is that far more people use Shurflo than any other make. However my experience is that they fail more than any other make.

 

What exactly is your experience? If you have had various makes why is that? I am not certain it is as simple as you suggest. Having gone to the trouble of replacing one make with another, are you then going to admit it is no better than the one you replaced? or just pretend it is.

Edited February 28, 2016 by David Schweizer

[George94]

 

What exactly is your experience? If you have had various makes why is that? I am not certain it is as simple as you suggest. Having gone to the trouble of replacing one make with another, are you then going to admit it is no better than the one you replaced? or just pretend it is.

 

My experience was mentioned earlier in the thread.

 

So far I haven't had to replace any replacement, but when I do you will be the first to know. If I remember.

 

You appear, rather unsubtly, to be accusing me of lying (quote: "or just pretend it is"). The question is, why should I? I have no axe to grind. You on the other hand keep defending Shurflo pumps in the face of quite a lot of evidence (do a search of the forum) that they are prone to failure.

 

People often see their own faults in others.

[bizzard]

Being under constant pressure seems to shorten the Surflows life ''Aquaking'', as far as leaks at the body seal go anyway. I think that the plastic body distorts slightly if kept under pressure. For a few years I've been using the technique of switching the pump off after use and so relieving the pressure a bit by opening and closing a tap to relieve it from this pressure. This of course also gives its on demand pressure switch a rest too.

This procedure soon became second nature to me. Ideally of course you need pump switches near the sink and in the bathroom, most modern boats usually only have one pump switch miles away from where you need it, but think how fit you'd get trotting back and forth switching it on an off. My present Surflow pump is about seven years old now and has been absolutely trouble free under this regime.

[DHutch]

So far in the 25 years EmilyAnne has been on we have had three pumps.

 

The first two where Shurflo's which lasted around 8-10 years a piece, the third and current one is a Jabsco which has done I think about 6 so far. The duty cycle being left on all day for about 10 weekends (20 days) per year, turned off to prevent in running in the night, but typically under pressure overnight.

 

At which point I cannot say I have a preference as to which I use. The Jabsco has quick release fittings which allow the supply and delivery hose to be pulled off with easy for wintering, but this winter I didnt do that anyway, just isolated the tank and ran the pump till it stopped pumping.

 

 

Daniel