Pulled air into water pump

[DestinySoyQuick]

I had a functional water system. Accidentally ran one of my tanks dry, and then water pump wouldn’t shut off. Pulled air through it by mistake and noticed what I did and so I shut off the pump. Now I needed to figure out how to prime the system..

Got the system primed and can pull water to hand pumps. I also loosened clamp leading up to the water pump to make sure water is leading right up to it. Water pump still won’t pump water to main faucet.

I have a Shurflo model 2088-423-344 water pump and then a Jabsco accumulator tank. (I’ve also got a hot water tank in aft storage bay behind the galley sink, unrelated but important part of water system.) Anyone have any ideas of potential fixes? And if not, any ideas of potential upgrades to make it all work again?

One idea is replace water pump with a self-priming pump. If this is a good idea, what product is compatible? And should I keep the accumulator tank with the new pump?

Advice is much appreciated. If anyone helps me fix it I’ll crew or skipper for you on my boat or yours, feed you brunch, etc. Puget Sound. Boat is Cascade 36, 1982.

⛵️

[JoeRobertJr]

Have you tried opening a faucet while running the pump to give the air in the pump some place to go? On my boat, that is required to restore prime.

[JoeRobertJr]

One other thing I would try is opening up the diaphragm on the pump. Maybe it sucked something into it that had been floating in your tank, and clogged one of the valves.

[DestinySoyQuick]

Yeah tried the opening the faucet thing. No luck there. Good idea though I agree air needs somewhere to go.

[DestinySoyQuick]

Would this require removing the water pump? I could try this if nothing else works. I think my next step is to check out the air pressure in the accumulator tank. Maybe let out some air, add some, see if that has any effect on things. But yeah either way I’m getting awfully close to needing to remove it anyway as I’m considering putting in something different to avoid this issue in the future anyway. So good idea and recommendations I appreciate it.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DestinySoyQuick

>>>>>>>>>>
Now I needed to figure out how to prime the system..

Got the system primed ... Water pump still won’t pump water to main faucet.

I have a Shurflo model 2088-423-344 water pump
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


One idea is replace water pump with a self-priming pump. If this is a good idea, what product is compatible?



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


⛵️

I have a Shurflo 2088.



The manual says:


The 2088 series pumps are self priming


I'm not sure what your issue may be, but it seems to NOT be the pump itself.


Have you read the Troubleshooting Guide in the manual?

[Zanshin]

I've found that my Jabsco system needs a very long time to re-prime. I open up 2 faucets to speed the process up. It takes over 2 minutes before the timbre of the pump's sounds changes and it gets some water rather than air.

[dfelsent]

As well,a small air leak on the pump inlet side can affect self priming.
A high loop between the tank and pump as well.
I’d try a shirt hose from pump inlet to a bucket to test the pump.
But as others have said I’d expect the pump to self prime.

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by DestinySoyQuick

Would this require removing the water pump? I could try this if nothing else works.

Yes, so how difficult that is will depend on your particular installation. I was surprised to see how little gunk in the diaphragm valves is needed to prevent them from closing properly.

Originally Posted by DestinySoyQuick

I think my next step is to check out the air pressure in the accumulator tank. Maybe let out some air, add some, see if that has any effect on things. But yeah either way I’m getting awfully close to needing to remove it anyway as I’m considering putting in something different to avoid this issue in the future anyway. So good idea and recommendations I appreciate it.

I suppose that is worth a try, though I am having trouble visualizing how the accumulator could prevent your pump from priming, assuming the air in the pump has somewhere to go. I am also not sure what you could replace your water pump with to prevent priming issues in the future. Like Stu said, that is already a self-priming pump.

My experience matches what Zanshin said about the priming can take a while.

[Cheechako]

Often a small loop or bend in the hose creates a high air bubble in the hose. This bubble can be up to a foot long or etc.
A self priming pump does no good in this situation as even if there is water in the pump, the pump just keeps trying to pull air from the loop ....if that makes sense.

You need to fill the hose getting water to replace the air pocket. Sometimes this takes removing the hose from the pump or the tank and pouring water in or etc. Or if you can find the loop in the hose, push it down so water flows.

Another possibility is your tank vent is clogged so the self priming has too much resistance.

[GordMay]

I installed a bleeder valve on 'Southbound'.
This was just a “tee” fitting, with a valve on the open end, inserted in line just after the pressure water pump.
To bleed [air from] the water lines, you open the bleeder valve, and let the pump run until you get “airless” water.

Without a bleed valve, open up your plumbing pipe/hose at the lowest practicable point, or the nearest faucet.
Then open faucets one at a time, starting at next nearest, and run till airless.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by DestinySoyQuick

Advice is much appreciated.

As noted upthread, the pump you have is supposed to be self priming.


Diaphragm pumps, in my experience, are fiddly. There's probably some sort of contamination on the valves or seats, so that they do not close completely. Or the pump could have run a little hot while it was running dry and had the diaphragm fail.


For that pump, rebuild kits are cheap and readily available, so my advice would be to get a couple of them. Put one in your maintenance locker, and install the other one. If you get the pump apart and there's nothing wrong with it other than a piece of debris stuck in there you can decide whether to install the kit or save it for next time.

If anyone helps me fix it I’ll crew or skipper for you on my boat or yours, feed you brunch, etc. Puget Sound. Boat is Cascade 36, 1982.

Just pay it forward.

[Franziska]

Try taking the faucets off and priming from that end with a funnel.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[capn_billl]

I'm with GordMay on this one.

I've tried various measures, and sometimes it will prime by running a long time and opening a faucet or other measures suggested above..

Sometimes nothing works, and the only way I could get it to prime is by opening a vent valve right after pump.

Also pump is located below the water tank so opening the water line connected to the pump inlete will eventually siphon water from the tank filling pump inlet line.

once water hits the pump, you just need to remove air in the pump by running into zero resistance. IE open valve on a tee right at pump outlet.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by DestinySoyQuick

Yeah tried the opening the faucet thing. No luck there. Good idea though I agree air needs somewhere to go.

I would try it again, may be for a longer period - we have similar setup to yours and the scenario happened to us just last month.
I took the pump maybe two or three minutes to return to normal operation.