Lost my water pump between last night and this am...

[nyrussell]

I believe we lost our water pump this am as no water is coming out of any faucet. We have a Jabsco pump that has been in use for more than 4 years now that I am aware of. Pretty much daily use since we bought her.

Any ideas in troubleshooting/ replacement. it does seem to have a black filter on the side of the housing too. And does it have an accumulator pump?

Pics below:

 

[egaito]

The filter you see is usually a strainer I think, to keep any debris from the tank from damaging the diaphragm.

Is the pump running? If not, check for voltage to see if you haven't just blown a fuse. It's likely on a breaker, but it's not unusual for these pumps to come wired with an inline fuse that may or may not have been cut out when installed.

If it is running constantly, and not building pressure, the diaphragm is probably shot. Parts are available, but with Jabsco's, I seem to remember replacement wasn't much more in terms of $$$

If you have an accumulator tank, it is likely fairly close to the tank, and pretty obvious. Jabsco makes a small black one, but most are household size, blue in color. Just a small metal or plastic tank, no wires, t'ed into the line.

If your water pressure decreased markedly just before the pump kicked in, you may not have one in the system. Also, with the pump turned off, if water pressure is gone nearly instantly, you likely do not have an accumulator tank.

If you replace the pump with one of the newer variable speed "sensor" pumps, an accumulator tank is not necessary.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Got water in the tank ???

 

[Pascal]

Ed pretty much covered it...
Running? Voltage? Air leak?
By pass the pressure switch and see if it runs they are knonw to fail

4 years on a diaphragm pump as a liveaboars is pretty good chance the diaphragm is shot. Open the top and check easy to replace

assuming hour hatt is 32v you re not going to find a variable speed pump and even if you did they re no better since they still have a pressure switch anyway

 

[nyrussell]

Got water in the tank ???

Yes, we barely use the water in the tank in the winter. Shower in the "clubhouse"

 

[nyrussell]

Ed pretty much covered it...
Running? Voltage? Air leak?
By pass the pressure switch and see if it runs they are knonw to fail

4 years on a diaphragm pump as a liveaboars is pretty good chance the diaphragm is shot. Open the top and check easy to replace

assuming hour hatt is 32v you re not going to find a variable speed pump and even if you did they re no better since they still have a pressure switch anyway

Will look at it tomorrow. Called Depco, the pump is not "large" enough and the 12 volt replacement is $450 plus they recommend an accumulator tank as well. The pump is not running at all from a quick survey this am on the way out to work.

unit we figured would work well:
http://www.jabsco.com/products/mari...ps/dual_max_vsd_31765/iid_24-item24/index.htm

More fun in the cold eh?

 

[SeaEric]

I have had excellent, economical service from Shurflo pumps as replacements. I have never had to replace one a second time.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

That price seems really high, I can buy 12 V dc shurflo pumps in Vanc for 120.00, your typical water system supply pump. 32 v same price....

word among our pump re builders is the dc variable speed drive pumps are still not perfected and one should expect frustration. my 2c.

 

[Genesis]

I put one of the variable-speed ones on Gig shortly after I bought it when the original (single-speed) crapped out. It was trouble-free for the remainder of the time I owned the boat (several years.) I'd use it again, as it delivered a more-even flow to the faucets, although it DID cost more than the straight "pump + switch." Gig had an accumulator which was in good condition and I left it in place.

 

[Craig]

If the pump does not run at all, there is a good chance the is no power to it, or the switch is bad. If there is voltage on the wires going directly to the pump meaning after the switch in the circuit then the pump motor is probably kaput. No voltage at pump, check voltage on the leads before the switch, if there is power there, then the switch is defective, no power there means tripped breaker, blown fuse, or broken or bad conection in the wiring. If they used crimp on connectors chect the connector by pulling on the wire, about a 5 pound pull is good, if the connection is bad the wire will usually pull out.

I understand this is a basic explaination of how to troubleshoot this problem, it's that I don't know what type of experience anyone has with an electrical problem.

I do not see a lot of posts in the frequently asked questions sections, I wonder if it might be a good idea if people post their solutions to the problems in there. I do a lot of technical support, and keep a log of every problem I get involved with, when someone calls in, I look to my log to see if has been reported before.

Just a thought

 

[Pascal]

Btw some pumps including shurflos don't have a weep hole between the diaphragm and the motor so when the diaphragm fails the
motor fills with water.

 

[nyrussell]

Btw some pumps including shurflos don't have a weep hole between the diaphragm and the motor so when the diaphragm fails the
motor fills with water.

So what model should I look at then if it is gone?

 

[nyrussell]

one of these?

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=44018F

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=198811F

Noel

 

[Craig]

Performancewise I don't see a huge difference. On a 40 footer the cheaper one looks like the best buy. If you do not have an accumulator in the line you might want to think about it. It makes life a lot easier on the pump, as the pump won't cycle as fast. I think I bought my accumulator tank from Sears, much cheaper the the marine places, 10 years and it's still working fine.

 

[GJH]

Take a look at the pump specs he linked to and you will see why it is expensive. Those are great pumps; you'd have to go to one of the Headhunters for over double to do better than that. I researched these at the Miami Boat Show when considering replacing my GM pump a couple years ago, and came to the same conclusion as Noel. For full time use, a typical boat pump designed for typical recreational boats just isn't going to last.

 

[nyrussell]

Okay, need to measure the suction side of the pump. Wilson from Head Hunter Inc. (Hatteras sent me there, and a big thanks to Sam and Mike Price as well for their help today!) said his pumps would not work due to differences in pressure in the rated systems. And possible suction size hose differences. He actually recommended the same one that Depco did. And Depco wins!!!! Also, do i need a pressurized accumulator tank for the first pump recommended?

 

[34Hatt]

I put one of the variable-speed ones on Gig shortly after I bought it when the original (single-speed) crapped out. It was trouble-free for the remainder of the time I owned the boat (several years.) I'd use it again, as it delivered a more-even flow to the faucets, although it DID cost more than the straight "pump + switch." Gig had an accumulator which was in good condition and I left it in place.

I went through two of them Junk then went back to single speed and it been fine for 3-4 years. The variable speed lasted about 3 months if that long!!!

 

[Pascal]

For liveaboars your best option is to get a shallow well pump (under $200) for dock side use and a standard pump (shurflo, jabsxo) for when you leave the dock. That way you have a back up and put most wear on the heavier duty 110v pump

 

[Glory]

Got water in the tank ???

Good answer! Always start at the begining.

JM

 

[GJH]

Yes, I'd be curious what exactly the symptoms are; we never quite got a description of what "lost" meant... runs but doesn't produce, doesn't run at all, etc.