SO36i Bilge pump not working

[no3l]

Hi,
Has anyone had any issues with the electric bilge pump? The motor is running but there is no suction, the boat is only in its third season so I'm not particularly pleased.
This happened about a year ago and the dealer told me that there was some insulation tape caught in the pump.
Has anyone serviced these pumps, is it better to remove the whole pump from the mounting panel or just open the clamp at the head?
Thanks
Noel

[Zanshin]

What brand pump do you have? I have taken apart the Jabsco pumps that I have standard on my boat and the loss of suction was caused by rusted backflow valves. You can get a spares kit from any dealer that carries jabsco.
Just a second, I recall that I put up some pictures... let me see... here it is:
www.sv-zanshin.com/BlogPages/Blog2010-05-22.html

[Deleted]

I also have Jabsco pumps that lost suction last year. There was a decorative bead from a pillow that had made it's way down to the bilge and got lodged in the intake plumbing. I'd detach your bildge intake from the pump and make sure there is no restriction in the tubing. If there is no restriction, the pump is the next likely culprit.

[no3l]

Hi,
Thanks for the feedback, I'll be working on the boat over the weekend and will report back.
Noel

[mkremedy]

Noel,
I just had the same problem on 36i hull # 186. After spending days trying to figure out what the problem was, I called the Johnson Pumps distributor in the USA 847-671-7867. I asked for a replacement diaphragm kit, instead I was sent a new pump at no charge. I was asked to send the old pump back so they can inspect it. I installed the new pump and it is working perfectly. The motor on the pump always worked, but the pump wouldn't self prime and therefore it would not pump water.
I also replaced the float switch with a NEW STYLE Rule float switch that is fully enclosed. The old switch was also faulty, (the old style mercury float switch is out of production), but the faulty float switch had nothing to do with the pump not working.
If you are int he USA, I will send you the name of the person at Johnson that sent me the new pump.
Happy Sailing,
Martin Kohn
36i Remedy

[no3l]

Thank your for all your feedback. The problem turned out to be a small sliver of glass fibre caught in the inlet valve. I’ve put some details below which may be useful.
The pump fitted is a Johnson Pumps Viking Power 16 (10-13350-05) and I found a user manual on the Johnson site which had a good parts list and diagram.
www.johnson-pump.com/jpmarine/products/lavatorysystem/index.html
I first detached the inlet and outlet hoses, the quick release fittings worked well and tried to remove the pump house clamp with the pump in situ but unfortunately there is insufficient clearance behind the clamp so I had to remove the entire pump by removing the four mounting screws. This was relatively easy but I wouldn’t want to try it at sea. Note: the mounting screws are coarse self tappers: with repeated use the holes in the timber bulkhead will soon be worn and won’t offer sufficient support to the pump so I intend to look at modifying the bulkhead to allow removal of the pump house via the clamp.
Once the full assembly was removed I was able to release the clamp and separate the pump house from the motor. Be careful to take note the position of the red paint mark on the pump housing which will be needed during reassembly, photo 3.
The cause of the problem was immediately obvious, see photo 1. The sliver of glass fibre was approximately 2cm long and about the width of a matchstick. There was a smaller fragment in the inlet valve but I don’t think it was causing any problem.
To clear out the valve I removed the four screws securing the metal plate and the valve. Note: the valve and the plate are offset and will only fit one way, don’t try to force a fit, when correctly orientated they sit perfectly, photo 2.
It was easy to reassemble and fit the pump, which worked first time.
The water circulation pump mounted on the same bulkhead is also a Johnson Pump and the reference is WPS 3.4 (10-13250-09)
img822.imageshack.us/img822/7739/dsc0032d.jpg
img338.imageshack.us/img338/2268/dsc0034yq.jpg
img408.imageshack.us/img408/1355/dsc0035z.jpg

[mkremedy]

Noel,
Glad you found the problem and were able to solve it, this wasn't my problem, but all is well that ends well.
Happy Sailing
Martin Kohn

[acepjb]

I had the same problem as no3l on my 09 45DS when spring commissioning this year. The pictures provided and link to the manufacturer's website helped out considerably. I am amazed at how many panels that I needed to remove to get access to screws, valve etc. to effect the repair.

Cheers

[Deleted]

Thanks to no3l for the very clear troubleshoot advice.

Sunset's problem - bilge pump running but failing to self prime.
Following no3l advice I found a tiny (just 5mm) piece of fibreglass lodged in a valve.
Cleaned and reassembled, the pump runs normally.
Tip - to disconnect the pipes, the snap connections need a push until you hear a click.

Another SO36i snag cleared recently: salt water found underfloor aft of the sump.
The Vetus Waterlock was checked - no leaks there.
Then found exhaust water leaking from where the pipe joins the SS exhaust fitting - the jubilee clip required much tightening to stop the leak. There was just one clip fitted; unbelievably a second unused jubilee clip was found lying on the floor below the exhaust fitting (Friday PM job?)!

[allegria]

Hi everyone,

I'm glad I've read the forum before looking into my bilge pump issues.
I have exactly the same symptoms on my SO36i (2010) where the motor is working but the pump is not priming.
I'm lucky enough to have a virtually dry boat but don't want to find out the hard way.
My bilge sump only got filled when I cleaned the fridge and open the drain hole at the bottom of it; so yes, the fridge drain empties in the bilge, in case you had any doubt!

I will report after the WE,
Cheers and thanks again for posting all this info...

[ozzie54321]

Sept 9, 2010 20:16:57 GMT no3l said:

Thank your for all your feedback. The problem turned out to be a small sliver of glass fibre caught in the inlet valve. I’ve put some details below which may be useful.
The pump fitted is a Johnson Pumps Viking Power 16 (10-13350-05) and I found a user manual on the Johnson site which had a good parts list and diagram.
www.johnson-pump.com/jpmarine/products/lavatorysystem/index.html
I first detached the inlet and outlet hoses, the quick release fittings worked well and tried to remove the pump house clamp with the pump in situ but unfortunately there is insufficient clearance behind the clamp so I had to remove the entire pump by removing the four mounting screws. This was relatively easy but I wouldn’t want to try it at sea. Note: the mounting screws are coarse self tappers: with repeated use the holes in the timber bulkhead will soon be worn and won’t offer sufficient support to the pump so I intend to look at modifying the bulkhead to allow removal of the pump house via the clamp.
Once the full assembly was removed I was able to release the clamp and separate the pump house from the motor. Be careful to take note the position of the red paint mark on the pump housing which will be needed during reassembly, photo 3.
The cause of the problem was immediately obvious, see photo 1. The sliver of glass fibre was approximately 2cm long and about the width of a matchstick. There was a smaller fragment in the inlet valve but I don’t think it was causing any problem.
To clear out the valve I removed the four screws securing the metal plate and the valve. Note: the valve and the plate are offset and will only fit one way, don’t try to force a fit, when correctly orientated they sit perfectly, photo 2.
It was easy to reassemble and fit the pump, which worked first time.
The water circulation pump mounted on the same bulkhead is also a Johnson Pump and the reference is WPS 3.4 (10-13250-09)
img822.imageshack.us/img822/7739/dsc0032d.jpg
img338.imageshack.us/img338/2268/dsc0034yq.jpg
img408.imageshack.us/img408/1355/dsc0035z.jpg

Just wanted to say that this post was spot on, thank you so much for posting it. I was faced with canceling a trip on our newly purchased SO36i due to a none functioning bilge pump. Even the manual pump did not work. I followed your advice and found a 1mm wide bit of grit stuck in the rubber pump flat. I could not believe such a small thing could affect such an important safety device! Shocking! But, I fixed the issue with your help in 10 minutes and off we went! Thanks again! Top post!

[sitara]

I also had a problem with the bile pump not working (priming). It came down to two problems. The foot valve had jammed shut and taking it out and giving it a good shaking freed things up. Then the flapper valve in the pump was not seating properly. You can see this sitting up in the LHS of the photo. If the screws holding the rubber in place are too loose the valve can jamb open and if they are too tight the rubber will deform and again sit open just enough not to prime.


www.23hq.com/Sitara/photo/40352357/original

[allegria]

Hello All,

Also note that the bilge pump diaphragm and flapper valve are meant to be replaced at some point; they are rubber (nitrile).
The pump is a Johnson Viking Power 16.
I've replaced these 2 parts after 7 years as the pump wasn't priming anymore... scary thought!
As soon as I replaced these, the pump started priming again...

Also check the non-return valve in the bilge well as it can be stuck closed if not actioned often enough.
This also happen to me as my boat is pretty much dry. A quick dip in hydrochloric acid cleaned it pretty quickly! Although leaving it in vinegar would have done the job I suspect in a few hours...

Cheers,
Allegria

[crashley]

I had the same bilge pump issue a couple of years ago. The motor would run but it would not pump. I think I ended up just replacing the diaphragm assembly although I don't remember where i got the replacement. The valves didn't look that bad but one of them would not seal so it wouldn't pump.