Waterpumps recently turned off,when turned on again no water was beening pumped, pump was running .do i prime pumps? suggestions, please.
This is an example of how to get ignored when you want help. Another similar email was sent 24 hours later. The more detail you can give me, the more help you are likely to get.
When I receive emails like yours – especially as you obtrusively can not even give me any time to give you a FREE answer, the advice I would like to give involves workshop terminology and anatomical difficulties. However that would involve me in similar conduct.
You give me no info in respect of make or type of pump, so you force me to give you a long reply when a bit of effort in locating the pump would make it easier for everyone.
1. Have you run out of water?
2. Has a pipe fallen off and you are pumping water into the bilge?
3. Has someone turned a water valve on the suction side off?
4. Centrifugal type pumps (Godwin). Yes it may well need priming if you have run out of water and the non-return valve at the inlet may well be stuck shut. Remove hose from inlet and “pick” and NRV flap with a piece of wire to ensure it can move. Fully fill tank, Turn ONE tap on, turn pump on and keep sucking at tap. This usually primes the pump. Over time the impeller on this type of pump can block with rust scales & dirt. Remove motor/pump assembly from top of pressure vessel, remove screws from impeller cover and “prod out” dirt etc.
5. Flexible impeller type pump (Jabsco Water Puppy). These are self priming as long as the impeller and housing are in good condition. Remove impeller cover and take out impeller – a wing might have broken off and jammed inside the pump so the other wings no longer seal. I would advise a new impeller every third winter (in any case the pump cover should be loosened to prevent frost damage every winter). Inspect cover and body of pump. These may well be very worn, especially if it is a plastic body, type pump.
6. Diaphragm type pump (Shureflow etc). Most likely cause is something stuck in one of the valves or possible a split diaphragm (not likely). You can strip the pump, but be aware that more than one person has had problems getting them watertight again when re-assembling them (all engineers of one sort or another).
This type of pump should be self priming.
