Flojet "Quiet Quad" priming?

[prv]

I have one of these as a "shower sump" pump on Ariam. We don't actually take showers on board (not enough tankage) but the pump is vital for my preferred technique of cleaning the heads area with a hot-water hose. There is also a T-valve with a wandering hose to suck up small amounts of water that the main bilge pump leaves behind. So I am keen for this pump to keep working.

Recently it stopped - or rather, the motor kept running but the pump didn't suck. I took it apart, didn't find anything obviously wrong, and put it back together. Further testing revealed that if the hose to it is pre-filled with water, it pumps fine. But if there is air in the hose, it won't prime. The blurb says it should self-prime from 10 feet - I'm only asking it to deal with about 18 inches, so something is clearly wrong. Any idea what, and what I can do with it?

(I'd really prefer to use a Whale Gulper for this purpose, and I have one in the shed, but it won't fit in the space of the Flojet without some rearrangement and re-plumbing.)

Pete

 

[huldah]

If this is an impeller pump, it could be a worn impeller, able to pump water, but not air. To lift water it has to first suck air.

 

[prv]

It's not an impeller pump. It's an odd design with four small diaphragms. I think it's mostly intended as a freshwater pump, and I guess this gives a continuous stream rather than pulses.

Pete

 

[rosssavage]

Had big problems with these in the past. Rebuilt pump bit of pump with diapragm and valve repair kit to no avail, even though there was nothing visually wrong. Could be the motor shaft is not engaging with the pump correctly - iirc there is an opening in the pump body through which you poke an allen key to tighten the grub screw.

Tbh, the Gulper is a MUCH better solution - it's designed to cope with air, bits of stuff and gungy water, the FloJet isn't. I have a Gulper 220 as a bilge scavenge pump, and use a Gulper 320 for the shower pump. No filters on either cos they're designed to handle less than perfect clean water.

Worth the hassle imho...

 

[prv]

Had big problems with these in the past. Rebuilt pump bit of pump with diapragm and valve repair kit to no avail, even though there was nothing visually wrong. Could be the motor shaft is not engaging with the pump correctly - iirc there is an opening in the pump body through which you poke an allen key to tighten the grub screw.

The mechanicals are working - the little diaphragms pulse up and down in sequence. And as I said, it pumps solidly once it's primed.

I found the grub screw and undid it (did it up again afterwards) but this didn't change anything - I still wasn't able to get at the mechanical space between the diaphragms and the motor. I guess the fitting was seized on the shaft.

Although I don't think it's relevant to my problem, I'm curious how you were able to detach the diaphragms to change them. I couldn't figure out how to get it apart.

Tbh, the Gulper is a MUCH better solution - it's designed to cope with air, bits of stuff and gungy water, the FloJet isn't.

Agreed. The Flojet is probably fine as a freshwater pump which I think is what it was designed for. Sadly on our boat some idiot decided to use it as a shower sump pump. The gulper would obviously be better. In due course I expect to make the swap, but it will not be a fun job as I can only reach the pumps at arm's length, and then only if I remove my head from the hole so I'm working by feel. The freshwater pump will need to be moved to make room, and both freshwater and suction plumbing will need to be rearranged. So you can see why, in the short term, I just want to get the existing pump to prime itself.

Pete

 

[nedmin]

The way to get apart is to remove the rubber feet,this enables you to get an allen key on the grub screw thro the slot.You then remove the motor from the pump assembly and the screws are there to get it apart .

 

[Norman_E]

If you install a Whale Gulper in a boat, particularly in the bilge, you must ensure that no seawater gets near it, and grease the worm thoroughly. The reason is that the pump diaphragm is driven by a plain steel worm gear on the motor shaft and a plastic worm wheel. Any contact with seawater will result in a rusty worm, which will then be abrasive enough to strip the plastic wheel. IMHO the ordinary steel worm makes the Whale Gulper unfit for purpose as a marine pump, and a bronze worm should be specified instead. To give Whale their due, they did send me a replacement worm and wheel which I had the tools to fit, but as the worm is a force fit on the shaft not everybody could do the repair. I have not reinstalled mine, and just keep it as an emergency spare.

 

[rosssavage]

Badged as Par Max, but very similar to the FloJet I believe....

http://www.cleghorn.co.uk/files/Service PAR-MAX 31xxx and Flojet Quad .pdf

 

[prv]

Badged as Par Max, but very similar to the FloJet I believe....

http://www.cleghorn.co.uk/files/Service PAR-MAX 31xxx and Flojet Quad .pdf

Thanks!

The missing piece for me was the grub screw on the shaft not releasing the motor.

Pete