Bilge Pumps - worth checking!

[Cousin Jack]

Working through the list of things to check I did a test on my bilge pump, only to find no real suction.....when dismantled I found the chamber of the pump clogged with what looked like salt, (as seen in the inner tubes of my old outboard when the tell tale stream died last season). Once cleared out all worked fine!

Enjoy!

 

[ChattingLil]

was it an electric pump or manual?

Question - would an electric pump still work well if there was no suction due to a blocked pipe?

My electric bilge has just stopped sucking anything up at all. I can't see a blockage (although have only look at the bilge end so far). The pump runs lovely though. I can only assume it is a blockage somewhere else. Am I damaging the pump to run it if nothing being pumped?

 

[knuterikt]

was it an electric pump or manual?
My electric bilge has just stopped sucking anything up at all. I can't see a blockage (although have only look at the bilge end so far). The pump runs lovely though. I can only assume it is a blockage somewhere else. Am I damaging the pump to run it if nothing being pumped?

Depends on the type of pump

 

[pelissima]

was it an electric pump or manual?

Question - would an electric pump still work well if there was no suction due to a blocked pipe?

My electric bilge has just stopped sucking anything up at all. I can't see a blockage (although have only look at the bilge end so far). The pump runs lovely though. I can only assume it is a blockage somewhere else. Am I damaging the pump to run it if nothing being pumped?

I assume it is a diaphragme type. QUite often due to lack of screening or one with large holes, very small particles -1-2 mm large- find their way between the diaphragme resulting in a vacuum not capable to suck the water up until the pump so the pump runs dry. One thing you can try is to arrange that water reaches the pump and see if the pump starts working. If you do it is quite probable that the small particle will leave. It means of course that you will go a bit against your signature as you will have to take the pump out of its place and play with pipes...Pipes can also been easily dismandled and cleaned.