Impeller Grease?

As PWR says, I have rebuilt a couple of pumps recently and used washing up liquid as a lubricant. Its only function seems to be to lubricate for the few seconds before water flow is established and with a Vetus strainer above the water line the pump is primed anyway. One of the ones I rebuilt was to be kept as a spare, possibly unused for a couple of years. It seemed safer to me not to grease it, although either neoprene or nitrile rubbers, which I assume impellers are made from, should be OK.
 
The "grease" that came with my last impeller seemed quite similar to the silicone lubricant used for easing rubber-sealed soil pipes together. Wickes sell a bottle that would last for a lifetime of impeller changes.

Pete
 
rivonia said:
Washing up liquid contains ACID and I would not dream od using it - - use SILICONE only.

Your choice.

Peter
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Nonsense. See http://www.theecologist.org/green_g...bel/268721/behind_the_label_fairy_liquid.html. The compiler of this information clearly has an axe to grind and makes as much hysterical noise as possible about the composition. But even they don't claim acid.

Do you think it likely that a product likely to come into the hands of small children and babies would be the slightest bit hazardous? Some types of washing up liquid have salt in them as thickeners, hence some statements that it should not be used for leak detection on copper pipes. This hardly seems to me to compare with a marine environment, in which copper pipes last for many years.
 
rivonia said:
Washing up liquid contains ACID and I would not dream od using it - - use SILICONE only.
Click to expand...

So never mind the impellers - they're probably changed often enough that whatever's in Fairly Liquid won't hurt them - does this mean the pipes in Vyv's house will soon start seeping **** all over the place? :eek::eek::D

Pete
 
Oh dear. I've greased the seal.

vyv_cox said:
As PWR says, I have rebuilt a couple of pumps recently and used washing up liquid as a lubricant. Its only function seems to be to lubricate for the few seconds before water flow is established and with a Vetus strainer above the water line the pump is primed anyway. One of the ones I rebuilt was to be kept as a spare, possibly unused for a couple of years. It seemed safer to me not to grease it, although either neoprene or nitrile rubbers, which I assume impellers are made from, should be OK.
Click to expand...

Hi Vyv
I've just replaced the shaft seal at the back of my Johnson pump - usual problem of the mild steel spring in the seal rusting away.
But I've packed the seal with Ramanol white marine grease to combat corrosion and also put a very thin smear under the wear plate because of the build up of crud I found under it.

Have I done wrong? Should I dismantle it again and remove the grease?

Pete
 
The words were 'soil pipes'. I recently replaced about six metres of the old earthenware pipes leading to my septic tank with new plastics. All the seals were lubricated with washing up liquid, although I cannot swear that it was Fairy.

Gypsyjoss, Seals with a carbon steel spring were almost certainly intended for oil sealing, so likely to be nitrile, which has good oil and water resistance. Ones with stainless springs are probably the same as it would hardly be good economic sense to make them from something different. I don't know about the impellers, either nitrile or neoprene, both have adequate water resistance but neoprene not so good in oil. For lubricating prior to immediate use I doubt it makes any difference but the ones I was dealing with were spares that might not see water for years. I thought that grease might not be best in that case.
 
vyv_cox said:
Gypsyjoss, Seals with a carbon steel spring were almost certainly intended for oil sealing, so likely to be nitrile, which has good oil and water resistance. Ones with stainless springs are probably the same as it would hardly be good economic sense to make them from something different. I don't know about the impellers, either nitrile or neoprene, both have adequate water resistance but neoprene not so good in oil. For lubricating prior to immediate use I doubt it makes any difference but the ones I was dealing with were spares that might not see water for years. I thought that grease might not be best in that case.
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Hallo Vyv
Is that a 'Don't worry' reply? Are you saying that the grease I've put in the seal behind the wear plate shouldn't do any harm? I've not run the engine yet since reassembly. In the yard still!
Pete
 
Gypsyjoss said:
Hallo Vyv
Is that a 'Don't worry' reply? Are you saying that the grease I've put in the seal behind the wear plate shouldn't do any harm? I've not run the engine yet since reassembly. In the yard still!
Pete
Click to expand...

Yes, that's a don't worry statement. Quite probably grease or oil would be OK on a long term stored impeller but I didn't want to take the chance as I was rebuilding it for someone else. As soon as the pump runs whatever lubricant is there will probably be gone in the first hour anyway.
 
I'm surprised nobody has suggested KY Jelly for lubricating one's Johnson with :D

I have read several American websites that say it's the best stuff....:p
 
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