T&T: water pump problems

[janice142]

Mine went out a couple weeks back. What would happen is the pump would run
but nothing happened. No water flow. The pump did not shut off. Mine's 12
volt so I flipped the switch. 

This is what I did (as per Calder's tome)
(no, I do not have an accumulator tank, and yes, one water tank)

Filled tank -- it wasn't empty, but topped it.
So, I removed the pump from the bracket on the bulkhead and disconnected the
two plug gizmo things -- the power supply. I cleaned them with a wire brush
and reassembled.

Remounted and tested. Still the pump came on. Still no water.
Removed the whole assembly again and took off the piece at the bottom -- my
Surflo is mounted "upside down" (the piece with the switch is at the bottom
-- the switch is where those little plugs for power insert.

Removed the entire base part (the pressure switch and again scrubbed them.
There was a rubber gasket too -- removed and cleaned. According to dock
scuttlebutt, these pressure water pumps are diaphragms and nothing bad
happens to them -- it's the Pressure switch.

So, took the switch part (at the base) to a hardware store. $30 and a new
one was shipped in. Hardware guy pulled off a sticker at the bottom -- there
was a place for an Allan Wrench to adjust it. Ah ha moment.

I did order the new switch, figuring to have a spare when it goes (and
apparently they do wear out) ... anyway, took it back to the boat, took off
pump (by now I'm getting good at it) put it all back together -- realized
I'd left off the rubber gasket/remove from bulkhead, replace gasket and now
the testing.

Borrowed a guy from the dock turn on and off my water faucet. I adjusted one
way and then the other until I had water flow and it would shut off when he
turned off the spigot. Works fine. For free.

Except for the $30 spare part that I probably won't ever use. 

Good Luck.
Gent on other dock had the same problem/same day as mine went out. He bought
a new one from WM for $100 and gave me his old one. I think it probably will
work a-okay though I've not yet taken it apart. 

Advice from me: Take yours off the bulkhead, check the two plugs are clean,
wash out the rubber gasket, check for an Allen wrench opening at the very
bottom (look under the sticker) and reassemble. Have someone turn on and off
your faucet until you get it right. Piece of cake.  OR, buy a new one and
mail me your old one. Hahaha.

Good Luck. It's not hard. Vibration was what probably took mine out of
whack.


-----Original Message-----
From: ed

My new to me boat was pumping fresh water OK until yesterday. Now I can't 
get flow, nothing was changed. The problem is on the input side of the 
system. It's not an airlock, I took off the filler caps to the tanks and 
that didn't help. Plus it's both tanks. I put in a rebuild kit (sureflow 
3.3gpm) and the suction improved but still no water flow. I think it's an 
airleak around the manifold. The system has an accumulator tank and I don't 
know much about them. Is there a troubleshooting resource I can read?
Thanks

Ed K