A/C pump for H36 2009?

[Spcharby]

My air conditioner raw water pump (Cal Pump) is making lots of noise and leaking oil

I am thinking of getting a new one along with a repair kit for this one and keeping this one as a spare.

Has anyone had any luck repairing one of these Cal Pumps? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Steve
S/V Belle
H36 #207
Hampton, VA
Spcharby@Verizon.net

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Steve
I've seen too many Cal pump seals fail prematurely to consider them worth repairing. From strictly an economic consideration, my opinion is to replace it with a March pump and not bother with the Cal. Most marine A/C suppliers have gone this way as well because of the failure history with Cal pumps.

 

[kloudie1]

Problem with the CAL pumps is that they have an elastomer lip seal in 'em that has a finite life.. If ya don't use the AC much, they are probably OK and they are comparitively inexpensive.. The March is magnetically driven and has no seal. They do not leak.. My AC runs a LOT..almost 6 hours a day, every day when I am not there and more when I am there.. That is true for the winter months as well.. The first March pump that came with the Marine Air Cabin Mate back in '95 ran for 15 years before the coil failed. The pump is fine, but the motor coil failed. It was an overheat failure and I think that the cooling coil was too small on those old ones.. The new one that I installed has a better cooling coil and runs considerably cooler to the touch.. I would go with the March if you want trouble free.

 

[Island Girl 34]

There is another option....

Hi Steve,

Just had my sea water pump fail a few weeks ago on my 2001 Passage 420. One pump is plumbed to cool 2 systems on the 420. The orig pump installed by Hunter was a Little Giant 3 MD SC. It is a magnetic driven pump designed for semi corrosive liquids. Ordered one from this place in FL: http://www.pumps-in-stock.com/little_giant_pump_3-md-sc.html -
$175.00 shipped. They shipped the same day and was here in Hampton Roads 2 days later on UPS. You will find that even though this pump is perfect for our marine enviornment, since it does not come from a marine supplier, it is a much better value.

Let us know how things work out for you. If you want to see my pump installed, feel free to drive south through the tunnel or I could snap a photo if you would like.

Cheers!
Ken

www.sailcheers.com

 

[kloudie1]

Little Giant pumps are fine and well built (I have used some of their industrial stuff), but I chose not to use one in my system because the motor is steel frame, open and fan cooled, and it should be lubricated twice a year.. Not a problem at all if installed where no splash can ever get to it and it is easy to drip oil into.. My pump is close to the shaft stuffing box so the encapsulated, water cooled March is a better option for me.. The Little giants are a good bit less than March and probably a much better option than a CAL (which is owned by the same company that owns Little Giant).. Good option, Ken..

 

[Spcharby]

Steve
I've seen too many Cal pump seals fail prematurely to consider them worth repairing. From strictly an economic consideration, my opinion is to replace it with a March pump and not bother with the Cal. Most marine A/C suppliers have gone this way as well because of the failure history with Cal pumps.

I think you're right, the Cal Pump doesn't make sense for us here in VA. We run our AC often, not full time, but often and it has now failed after 25 months (maybe 100 hours of use)! Exactly one month after the warranty has expired. It actually hasn't failed yet, but is one the way.

Thanks for the input - any thoughts on the flow rate which is best?

Steve

 

[Ivan]

Little Giant

My 2003 356 has a Little Giant pump. It has worked flawlessly since then--no leaks at all. The motor runs hot, but is apparently designed to do so as it does not seem to want to burn out, even given lots of chances to do so.

My only gripe is that it is not self-priming, but apparently all such seawater pumps are centrifugal and non-self priming, presumably because they need to have a large GPM capability. Why someone couldn't design one with a flexible impeller that contacts the scroll case so it would be self-priming is beyond me.

 

[Spcharby]

Little Giant pumps are fine and well built (I have used some of their industrial stuff), but I chose not to use one in my system because the motor is steel frame, open and fan cooled, and it should be lubricated twice a year.. Not a problem at all if installed where no splash can ever get to it and it is easy to drip oil into.. My pump is close to the shaft stuffing box so the encapsulated, water cooled March is a better option for me.. The Little giants are a good bit less than March and probably a much better option than a CAL (which is owned by the same company that owns Little Giant).. Good option, Ken..

Awesome advice, as you likely know the pump on the H36 is under the floor just forward of the through hulls. It is mounted high in the bilge and could accommodate a pump needing a dry installation. The only issue is with oiling the fan - which leads me to the noise question - which pump, March or Little Giant would be the quietest?

Steve

 

[Spcharby]

Update to my water pump problem:

Took the posted advice and purchased a March Pump on eBay, and installed it yesterday. Works great with excellent flow. I was also happy that the footprint was very similar to the Cal Pump, so the install was easy with the water lines fitting exactly.

Here is the info on the pump I purchased.

NEW in the box March LC-3CP-MD -----$210.00--free shipping

115 Volt
2.35 amp
1/20HP
3/4" female NPT suction - 1/2" male NPT discharge fittings
Rated at 510 GPH@1' head
405GPH@5' head
180GPH@12' head - maximum head is 19.5'
FREE SHIPPING AND HANDLING IN UNITED STATES . Ships new in the box from New Jersey - Tax in NJ Only.

Thanks again,

Steve
S/V Belle
H36#207
Hampton, VA

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

Steve,
Thanks for the info. The way things are going on my '08 H36 it won't be long before I'll be replacing this piece of equipment (don't get me wrong, I really like the boat but some of this aftermarket stuff that Hunter installs):cussing: