Jabsco Parmax

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ip485

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I asked the question before about running a pressure washer off the yachts water system driven by a Parmax water pump - and I think the collective wisdom was that it will damage the Parmax pump. I could of course be wrong?

The pressure washer is capable of "pulling" the water up a metre, which left me to wonder if the pressure washer is run without the Parmax pump turned on, if that will also cause a problem?

As you can tell I dont know how this type of pump works other than it doesnt have a conventional impeller.
 
ip485 said:
I asked the question before about running a pressure washer off the yachts water system driven by a Parmax water pump - and I think the collective wisdom was that it will damage the Parmax pump. I could of course be wrong?

The pressure washer is capable of "pulling" the water up a metre, which left me to wonder if the pressure washer is run without the Parmax pump turned on, if that will also cause a problem?

As you can tell I dont know how this type of pump works other than it doesnt have a conventional impeller.
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AFAIK the Parmax has a four piston pump, the pistons being moved in and out of their respective bores by a swashplate. The swashplate is pivoted in the centre and a revolving cam causes the plate to tilt under the cam, so pushing and pulling the pistons. Sometimes described as a wobble plate.
Some of the most reliable air conditioning pumps fitted to top end cars work this way-my old Saab 9000 turbo had one with eight pistons.

The Parmax may not be able to provide enough flow for anything other than a small pressure washer-suggest you check that what it can provide is enough.

If it does, give it a whirl.
 
The Par Max pumps are not rated for continuous duty. They are only suitable for intermittent use. This I think rules them out for supplying a pressure washer
 
Why not fit a deck wash pump with a connection in the cockpit, or one of the cockpit lockers. Use it for normal wash down duties and connect the pressure washer to it as needed. Although, i do hope you have big water tanks.
 
PaulRainbow said:
Why not fit a deck wash pump with a connection in the cockpit, or one of the cockpit lockers. Use it for normal wash down duties and connect the pressure washer to it as needed. Although, i do hope you have big water tanks.
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I believe he has big tanks.

I used a Parmax pump that had a failed pressure sensor-it was replaced under warranty and the old one was not required to be returned-as a deck wash down and as a pump to clear contaminated fuel from a 900 litre tank. I estimate it was running continuously for 25 minutes during its longest spell.

I deep sixed the pressure sensor and wired it direct. Still working well as I write this. The motor is conventional, but the swashplate pump head is injection moulded plastic.

I doubt I would risk using the OE parmax pump on our boat though-a cheap chinese high volume one off ebay would make better sense. I fitted a 10 quid one to my fuel polisher. That said it was not rated for continuous use also, but I have run it for hours at a time and it does get warm, but not hot. The pressure does not drop off either.

I never leave either unnatended though.........................................
 
VicS said:
The Par Max pumps are not rated for continuous duty. They are only suitable for intermittent use. This I think rules them out for supplying a pressure washer
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On our 35 footer, I have a deckwash system, Tee'd off the toilet inlet & powered by a Jabsco pressure-switch ParMax 4.

Standard garden curly-wurly hose & plastic handgun. We anchor a lot & 90% of its use is anchor & chain 'de-weeding' & de-mudding' (East Coast). The other 10% is deckwashing & to 'discipline' :) grandkids.

Fitted in 2005 & still going strong, so give it a go :encouragement:
 
There are many grades of Par Max pumps, on board I have a Par Max 1, 3 and 4. They are all positive displacement, diaphragm types, the number being the displacement in US gallons per minute. In theory there would be no problem if you ran as suggested, suction on the downstream side would simply pull water through the valves. I cannot imagine it would be very efficient though. You need to match the throughput of the pressure washer with the pump.
 
Thanks everyone.

I am being lazy becasue I already have a fresh water tap to the rear lazarette which runs off the Parmax. It also mixes hot and cold water. It would be very easy to connect this up to the Kranzle, which is capable of drawing water up one metre. I could run it with the Parmax switched off if it would work and not damage the pump, or with it on, but I take on board all the points about it not being rated for long runs. (Note to self to make sure showers arent used for too long).

I havent tried, but is the suggestion it will work fine without the Parmax switched on? And not damage the Parmax? Still trying to get my head around how the pistons work!

I do agree the simpler alternative might be to take a feed directly from the tanks and I can do that as well.

As to the tanks they are pretty large (300 gallons) and of course the pressure washer is relatively frugal. Luckily I also have a 240V water maker.

BTW the Kranzle is great - I would never buy another Karcher after getting through so many, and they say the Kranzle is even rated for continous use with sea water so at some point I hope to add a feed from one of the seacocks to the rear lazarette so I can switch between fresh and sea water.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far.
 
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