Fresh water pump

[sailaway78]

Not the engine pump. Fresh water system in boat. Have a Sureflo water pump on the fresh water system. Last winter when it got cold it had about a 2 second hesitation after opening the faucet before the pump would cycle on. This summer it was fine. Now that it has cooled off it again has a delay when faucet is turned on. But now it's like 5 or 6 second delay before the pump comes on. Is there something that can be done to cure this, or just replace the pump.

 

[Terry Cox]

Waterpump - Fresh

Our 23 year old Flojet was acting up awhile ago. No leaks in the system, but it would cycle on every ten seconds or so. Contacted the manufacturer and talked to one of their techs about the symptom. He narrowed it to the check valve. Perhaps the manufacturer can help. I'm unfamiliar with the Shurflo.

I ordered a new pump anyway plus a new check valve for the old pump. Repaired the old pump to keep for a spare and installed the new one. No delay and no cycling.

The delay could be to a faulty pressure switch, assuming it has one.

 

[kloudie1]

Try cleaning out the pressure switch and making sure it is free. Sounds like something is binding or sticking at lower temps.. The switch comes out without taking the whole pump head off. Clean out the port and the little o-rings in the switch piston.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Online you can find troubleshooting guides. Kloudie is right. Or replace the pump. Nothing froze, did it?

 

[Ron20324]

... it had about a 2 second hesitation after opening the faucet before the pump would cycle on. ...

It there pressure water coming out the faucet as soon as you open ? , or not until the pump comes on? Could be there is enough pressure in the hoses, and it has to discharge before the pressure switch operates.

 

[sailaway78]

Nothing

No pressure at all, not even a drip, till the pump comes on. I think I will follow Claudes advice and pull the switch off.

 

[woodster]

do you have a water pressure accumulator to control the pulsing of the water flow when pump is running ...there may be something going on with that ...they have a diafram/bladder that holds pressure on one side and water on the other to stop the pulsing
from the pump

 

[sailaway78]

No

Have no accumulator.

 

[kloudie1]

ShurFlo Pressure Switch

Here is a picture of the switch on an older ShurFlo .. The spring is on a rubber diaphragm that seals the piston that throws the microswitch.. If the switch itself is bad, they are standard Microswitches .. don't remember the exact one, but Radio Shack has some ;
http://www.radioshack.com/nte54-421-switch-snap-action-spdt-10-amps/55050572.html#start=127&sz=12
A quick check would be to short the switch wires momentarily .. if it runs immediately, bad switch or sticky piston.. if it still grunts before starting, might be sticky or bad brushes in the motor.. Good Luck, Phil.