Supersub bilge pump

[kieron riley]

Has anyone ever had a supersub bilge ump that has lasted any longer than a year or so. working on the same boat (our club launch)as we have found a hole in the hull on . i found a supersub bilge pump that didn't work , on dismantling it i found the same problem that i have found on previous pumps of the same make , full of water and what appears to be a worn water seal at the impellor end . now of the two previous pumps i worked on (both on the same boat) they had what i think was the same problem, my parner contacted the manufacturer and even though the newest of the two pumps was not old they did not want to know, so if you are or have ever been tempted to buy one then take note (not the best piece of under water engineering and I'm surprised that they are still being sold) IMHO

 

[B27]

Submersible pumps cost buttons, they are a throw-away item.
Many people fit them 'just in case' and they never wear out the seal.
If they are working every day, the seal will wear out.

The market for a properly engineered bilge pump which wouldcost £200 is a lot smaller.

I'm wondering if the 'brushless' submersible pumps intended for garden pond fountains might actually be engineered to run for longer?
Possibly they don't rely on a seal?
Possibly they won't like salt water, but might be OK for pumping the rain out of a RIB?

 

[sarabande]

B27, I think you are being rather dismissive of the design and function of proper bilge pumps.

I don't fit pumps "just in case". I fit them because I want to be able to rely on them WHEN water gets below. I had a grey Whale Supersub at least eight years old, working via a float switch. Used weekly during the sailing season, and also to remove mast-fed rain water when ashore It was replaced at the beginning of this year by the Smart (yellow) version as a sensible precaution and matter of prudence. It still works, however.

The only maintenance I did was to clean the intake and impeller area of the inevitable algal slime and bits, and run some biocide through the bilges from time to time to keep the hoses clean and reduce back pressure.

I regard the Supersubs as "properly engineered" and mine have demonstrated more than adequately that they can deal with salt, fresh, and brackish water . It's hard to think of ways in which the seal will wear out, unless it has been installed or replaced badly. The tricuspid non-return valve is also pretty reliable, but repays cleaning and checking for debris at sensible intervals.

 

[Caladh]

Yellow supersub bilge pumps - rubbish quality for what they're designed for.

 

[Irish Rover]

Yellow supersub bilge pumps - rubbish quality for what they're designed for.

Totally agree.

 

[madabouttheboat]

The bilge pump that works hardest on my boat is the one inside the shower sump box. I have tried a few ‘branded’ ones and they all fail in a year or so. Last time I bought a Seaflo, which many would describe as cheap Chinese rubbish. Indeed I thought the same, but as I was replacing it every year I thought ‘why not’. So far it’s been three years without so much as a hiccup. I know what I’ll be buying next time I need a bilge pump.

 

[Graham376]

Has anyone ever had a supersub bilge ump that has lasted any longer than a year or so. working on the same boat

Yes, my Supersub Smart still working OK after 12 years or so but rarely runs as stern gland hardly drips.

 

[Neeves]

High Capacity Electric Bilge Pump Test - Practical Sailor

 

[Keith-i]

I was also disappointed with a subersub I bought recently. I needed to pump some ground water from a sump in my garden for a few weeks but the pump died prematurely. I took it apart and found the motor full of water due to seal failure. There seems to be a trend here.

 

[salar]

There is no need for a bilge pump to be submersible. Having tried several that also failed, I now have a pump mounted above the bilge with an intake pipe and strum box. No problem for several years so far.

 

[B27]

There is no need for a bilge pump to be submersible. Having tried several that also failed, I now have a pump mounted above the bilge with an intake pipe and strum box. No problem for several years so far.

True, but that requires a better pump than the simple centrifugal type, which won't pump air (much), so cannot lift water from the bilge when th pump is dry.
That means something like a diaphragm pump, which needs valves and more moving parts and may be more prone to dirt or other problems.

I might try one of the brushless pond pumps, I have a garden irrigation system. to sort out if it every stops raining for more than half a day....