Fresh Water Pump - What I need?

[(Nobody You Know)]

Re: 40' DCMY.

Bought el cheapo 12V pump for ship's general fresh water system last year. The local WM only had a weak unit that served to only get me by.

Now I want something that will deliver decent pressure - at least 40 PSI (or better) and can service two heads, galley, wash down, etc. (but never all at once, you know).

Suggestions appreciated.

 

[rswirtz]

I got a galley maid pump from someone here on the forum for free (shipping was about 50 bones). I just got it to play with. I took it apart and checked it out and it all looks good to me. Spins fine. Needs a rebuild kit, I think it was about 80 bones from GM. It is collecting dust and your welcome to it for the shipping costs. I'm in PA but headed to Charleston next weekend if your in that area, I can toss it in the trunk. It's a heavy bugger, probably 40-50 lbs with a check valve on it.

 

[garyd]

I would get a headhunter unit. I have one and it is awesome! It's max pressure is 67psi and cycles when it hits around 45psi. It is quiet. It can run dry but has enough sense to shut off if it runs out of water.

It also will shut down if it cycles a lot sensing a leak.

To reset just turn the breaker off and on.

The water pressure is great. You can be taking a shower and have someone else use water somewhere else and it ain't a problem.

 

[Will]

I'd go with a Galleymaid. Mine (an MR7) came with the boat and is probably OEM. It's quiet, heavy duty and shuts down if there is no pressure due to running out of water. Not bad considering the boat was built in 1980. I just re-did the pump. The important thing is to make sure it is primed well.
Will

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

I got a galley maid pump from someone here on the forum for free (shipping was about 50 bones). I just got it to play with. I took it apart and checked it out and it all looks good to me. Spins fine. Needs a rebuild kit, I think it was about 80 bones from GM. It is collecting dust and your welcome to it for the shipping costs. I'm in PA but headed to Charleston next weekend if your in that area, I can toss it in the trunk. It's a heavy bugger, probably 40-50 lbs with a check valve on it.

I know.

I rebuilt that pump and it never delivered the pressure that a pump of that size is capable. After trying this and that the people at Galley Maid stopped returning my calls.

So I jumped on a cheapie from WM because I was in a hurry to go cruising.

I will be in Beaufort, SC this week till Sat. I can stop thru Charleston and pick it up. Maybe worth another shot.

 

[Pascal]

whatever you do.. stay away from the electronic shurflow supermax extreme whaever... pos ! mine lasted a year, they replaced it under warranty by a non electronic version but it's starting to make some odd noises... pressure is good though... i'm going to rebuild the GM for when the shurflo fails again.

teh first one filled with water when the diaphragm failed... water got pushed past the seal into the motor.. nice design...

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Pas,

some 3 years ago I ordered a rebuild kit from the good people at GM somewhere near West Palm, FL. There's only one way to install the parts, you can't get it wrong. The thing never delivered more than 25 PSI. After numerous phone calls and the eventually replacement of the pressure tank (it needed it) I still could not get adequate pressure.

Rick's a nice guy and I know he will bring that pump back if I take him up on his offer, but for the life of me I do not know how and why this 40-50 lbs. (mega pump) which spins fine can not be made to work. Question is, do I want to spend the bucks for another rebuid kit from the same people that could not get it working right in the first place (it has some kind of "cork screw" impellor system).

 

[MikeP]

Can't think why a GM pump with a new stator assembly wouldn't pump up to decent pressure unless there was some restriction in the suction side or a leak somewhere else in the pressure side of the water system Or maybe you got a bad stator.

It's a puzzler - if you sort it out, let us know.

It is worth noting that on their site, GM says these pumps will provide from 21 to 32 PSI. Maybe the factory figures that 25 is within specs but that seems pretty low to me. http://www.galleymaid.com/gpage6.html

I have ours set at 40PSI and in fooling with it found it will provide at least 45PSI and seems willing to go higher. It seems quite happy at 40PSI and provides plenty of water. BUt although I'm a big fan of these old rebuildable GMs, if ours couldn't provide 35-40 PSI, I'd be one of the first on my block to replace it with something that would.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I have a Groco- I think it is called the WSP-80. It is occasionally a little difficult to prime at the beginning of the season, but BOY does it crank out the pressure and flow. And it is totally rebuildable- every last part. Their service is incredible- when I had some trouble with it a while back, Don Gross drove to my boat on a Friday afternoon, and got it working.

He's the owner of the company. Mind you, they are based in Baltimore, but still.....that's pretty amazing.

 

[Will]

I too had a problem with low pressure on the Galleymaid when I rebuilt the pump. However, after much checking for leaks in both the suction and discharge lines, I discovered that it was not fully primed. I had to fill the water tank so that the water level in the fill pipe and vent were above the level of the pump. Then, it took a bit of doing (raising and lowering the pump end of the unit) to the get all of the air out through the priming bleed valve. Once that was accomplished, the pump worked fine with pressures up to 45 psi.
Will

 

[Starman]

Question,

Does anyone actually turn off thier water pumps when they are away from the boat ?

I was speaking with a manufacturer today and they were telling me the risks involved regardless of brand, if these things are not switched. It made sense.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I turn mine off, along with every other breaker that isn't essential. The only things left on are the bilge pumps, refrigerators, batt charger, and a few breakers for lights. Everything else gets switched off.

 

[Starman]

See , that makes good sense to me. The manufacturer I was speaking to said so many of their customers never thought about turning off the water pumps.

Thanx Sky

 

[jim rosenthal]

I switch it off. It's protected against running dry- it will shut itself off- but if there's a leak, I don't want to have to get seventy gallons of water out of the bilge. It's not dangerous, but it would be a pain in the neck.

 

[Pascal]

galley maids will shut down if pressure drops below a set level, like when the tank runs dry... that's nice... too bad most other pumps don't inlcuding the fancy electronic variable speed shurflo

 

[MikeP]

I have to say - I never turned that stuff off because I lived less than 1/2 mile from the boat and was there almost every day. Never thought much about it. But now, sitting in Mexico, 2700 miles from my boat with EVERYTHING turned on, I'm not at all happy about it! I was going to call a friend and have him turn everything but the fridge off but I'll be there in two days so what the heck.

From now on though, everything will be off except the fridge and power to the bilge pumps.