Jabsco waste pump

[deputydawg]

Hi guys ,have had recuring impellor problems on my waste pump, replaced it twice last season,the last one lasted about a week!! have got around to repairing again,is there anything that can wreck these ,dont put anything abnormal down the loo /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Can running the pump to long, ie, dry rip off the blades, have double checked, it is the correct impellor!!

 

[hlb]

Yep. Dont run them dry. Would not have thought they'd be knacked in a week though. Less it was on all the time. Look see if theres a penny or sumate trying to get in the pump.

 

[HeadMistress]

[ QUOTE ]
Can running the pump to long, ie, dry rip off the blades, have double checked, it is the correct impellor!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes...allowing the impeller to run dry for too long after the tank is empty will indeed "fry" the impeller from dry friction heat. So you need to pay a bit more attention to how long to run the macerator...'cuz turning it on and just allowing it to run awhile will continue to eat up your impellers. The Jabsco macerator pump moves about 12 gals/minute, so it doesn't take very long at all to empty even a large tank.

If you're afraid you don't have the attention span needed to prevent continuing to fry one impeller after another, replace your macerator with an electric diaphragm pump....diaphragm pumps can run dry without harm almost indefinitely. They cost about twice as much as an impeller macerator pump, but you've prob'ly already spent the difference on impellers...so it'll save you money in the long run.

 

[deputydawg]

if i have told her once !! I am to busy driving to worry about houskeeping issues , only got to flick a switch in between opening wine bottles!! must be a female thing this attention span buisiness.

 

[HeadMistress]

Darlin'...not only should you immediately rush out to replace both your Jabsco macerator pump with an electric diaphragm pump, but SHE should be the one asking questions here, leaving you to deal only with learning how to use a corkscrew correctly.

Should you demonstrate any more aptitude for corkscrew use than you've previously shown for macerator use, it would be a very good idea if she also learned how to operate the boat. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gludy]

I am told by Jabasco that their latest pumps have a protiection when running dry - a heat trip or something like that.

On my last boat if I left the punp to run dry it was at least new parts or a new pump. Soi I hope they now have a system that works.

 

[deputydawg]

Thanks Headmistress,I will go and stand in the corner for being a bad boy!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif and await my spanking /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif,
Seriously thanks for the advice obviously just leaving it running too long, regards Doug.

 

[HeadMistress]

Fun to pull someone's chain occasionally. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You do need to pay VERY close attention to when the macerator has emptied your tank...'cuz any more than about 30 seconds of running dry will fry another impeller.

Off the topic...While my earlier comment about your better half learning to operate the boat was in jest, in all seriousness it would definitely be advisable for her to do so. We don't like to think that emergencies can happen, but they can...to anyone of any age...and people only panic when they don't know what to do. There should never be only one person aboard who knows how to use the VHF...read a chart and knows your position...bring the boat to safe harbor--or at least be able to throttle back and take the engines out of gear so someone else can aboard to do it. She doesn't have to become expert at it, just learn enough and practice it often enough to be able to remember what to to if she ever has to. This is something I feel very strongly about from first hand experience. Fortunately, I did know what to do.