Ballast Pump Fail - 2010 Super Air Nautique

I purchased a 2010 Super Air Nautique Team edition boat a few months ago - it was a demo boat and only has 38 hours on it.

My starboard pump went out a month ago and was replaced under warranty. The motor in the pump would make noise, but the impeller wouldn't turn.

Now, my Port pump doesn't seem to be draining. Is this something that is common??

Could this have something to do with the ballast set up I have? I had the dealership add additional soft bags by Fly High in each engine compartment and the 680 Nautique bag in the bow. They are plumbed into the ballast system to fill/drain off the original pumps.

Could there be an issue with the plumbing itself that is causing these to go bad? Or did I get an extremely unlucky batch of pumps? The last warranty replacement took nearly 3 weeks..I have a houseboat trip with 26 riders and I need my ballast to preform.

Thanks for your help!

Nate

I've had my share of issues with Jabsco pumps, last SAN I got into had them, (reversable Jabsco) I could be wrong. But if this is the case...you can do this, open them up (three screws in a triangle) pull out the empeller and see if that's your problem, all of the web sites have the new green slimey ones, if not then you need to check your lines, if they have the smallest crack or hole they will not prime and pull / work. Before you do all of this check the fuse, fuses if they are not running. G'luck

I had to swap out three of these in my buddies 2010 SAN 210. The impellers looked fine, but when you pulled them out the inside black plastic section was melted and didnt get any traction to spin. Like Drew said, its really easy to check. They are mounted in the back of the engine compartment, three brass screws with a standard head. Just be aware that there is a black rubber seal that goes inside of a track for when you put it back.

Have fun on the trip with a sick wake!

Thanks for the response guys!

The first pump that went out would make noise, but the green impeller would not spin. I had checked it. I suppose I will do the same again next time I am out. I guess I feel like something must be up as it seems two pumps (nearly brand new) have failed so quickly. In my experience, my last Jabsco pump was unbreakable. I ran a single pump to fill/drain 3400 lbs ballast 3 times a week for 5 years. I only had to replace the impeller twice. Are the pumps getting made with cheaper parts?

Where are the fuses for the pumps?

Nate

Sounds to me like your impeller hubs are stripping. When you pull the impeller, if you look at the side that was facing in, it will be just barely out of shape...so little that it is hard to notice. If your pump was making noise, but the impeller wasn't spinning, I suspect that the pump was working fine and that they just replaced the impeller.

Going from vague memory:

Black impellers were first. They provided the fastest filling time, but had so much friction that they would often trip the pumps breaker. I believe they also had a brass hub.

Yellow impellers were second. They were less robust and had less friction, solving the breaker issue. They had a nylon hub that was notrious for stripping.

The green impellers are the current generation. They (I was told) hare silicone impregnated to help them free up while still providing the ability to self prime and have a more robust hub to prevent stripping.

If you are in a bind and don't have a spare, you can sometimes flip the impeller over and it may work or swap one from a working pump...about a 5 minute job. A spare green impeller will run you somewhere around $40.

Globe industries or products has new blue ones that guarantee to run dry for 15 minutes. The group I ride with, he just swapped all his green impellers for these new blue ones and there is a difference!

swap your impellars with the green or blue ones. After filling, when your sacks are full, run your pumps on empty for a few seconds, then stop. When your ready to empty the sacks, the impellars are already on the empty spin cycle. When done emptying, press fill for a few seconds, then stop. When youre ready to fill the sacks, the impellars are on the fill spin cycle.
Ive practiced this procedure and my green impellars have lasted 2.5 years with no problems.