https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/product.aspx?Category_ID=10009&Product_ID=10005&FriendlyID=Mk-5-Universal
My solution to the corroded Whale pump. Been working well for about 4
years now.
Neil Gallagher
Weatherly, 35-1
Glen Cove, NY
On 5/7/2018 2:06 PM, Eric Frank via CnC-List wrote:
Corrosion is precisely the reason my Whale manual bilge pump is working so
poorly. In the 9 years I have owned Cats Paw, I have replaced the rubber
flapper valves 3 times - most recently last year. But this no longer solves
the corrosion problem of the metal pump, which keeps the flapper valves from
closing well. I also installed a one-way rubber flap valve on the intake of
the hose to facilitate priming the pump, but that has been insufficient to
solve the problem caused by corrosion of the pump itself.
A similar pump (also a Whale I think) continues to work well. One reason is
that the pump (under the washstand) is not located above the holding tank, but
from Dennis’s description, it probably also helps that we use “fresh” water
from the water tank to flush the head, so salt water never remains in the pump.
And, of course, most of our sailing is not far offshore, so the holding tank
is pumped out by the boatyard launch.
Are there other brands of manual pumps I could replace the Whale pump with that
do not have this problem? Perhaps made of a corrosion-resistant material? That
might be a better, and more permanent solution.
Eric Frank
Cat’s Paw, CC35 II
Mattapoisett, MA
Hot button rant!
If any lister has an alloy (metal) body Whale or other brand manual bilge
pump, I *STRONGLY* suggest you disassemble it and inspect the sealing
surfaces. These pumps, particularly when in salt or brackish water
service, are subject to corrosion and pitting. If the corrosion is severe,
the pump may not prime or pump.
When I bought Touche', I inspected the pump and found it to be essentially
unusable due to severe pitting and corrosion on the sealing surfaces. A
service kit would have been worthless. I bought a new pump. Before
installing the new pump, I disassembled it, coated the sealing surfaces
with TefGel and reassembled.
Kevin Benoit just bought a 35-2 and ran into the same issue. He also
bought a new pump and coated the surfaces.
I clean Touche's bilge about twice a year. I use the electric pump to
empty the bilge until the water is clean dock (city) water. I then test
the manual bilge pump and use it to empty the bilge leaving clean dock
water in the pump.
If, for whatever reason, I use the manual pump to remove brackish or salt
water from the bilge, I flush the bilge with dock water and leave dock
water in the manual pump.
Please test your manual pump at least annually and inspect it if you've
never done so. This pump may not only save your boat, it may save you and
your family!!
Dennis C.
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_______________________________________________
Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and
every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal
to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
