Northern Lights genset impeller

[BrightAyes]

I need some advice, I have a 2006 4.5 kw Northern Lights Genset (Lugger) & I only get ~ 300 hours on the water pump">raw water pump impellers I am fastidious about priming as to not run them dry. Northern Lights says I should get ~ 800 hours like I do on my Yanmar. Does anyone know of a better impeller that will last longer. My last one failed at ~ 230 hours. The northern lights part # is 25-12009 on the # on the rubber is Jabsco UK, 18673-0111. Made in Italy- Neoprene.

[Lepke]

300 hours in how many years. Rubber products have a life span if they're used or not. I assume you have a strainer... Are you running in dirty water, silty river, near surf, etc. I've had experience with starting engines that were mothballed or otherwise sat for extended periods. It was common for rubber seals, etc., to fail.
I carry spares, but don't know or record the life of my impellers.

[windsmaker]

Had simllar problem with northern lights impeller, jabsco,

Are Jabsco impellers 18673 as good as a Northern light 12009 impeller?

Also a sierra impeller is available to replace the NL 12009.

which one is best?
thanks

[BrightAyes]

I have not solved this issue, I use impellers from my Northern Lights dealer and change them out at 300 hours to avoid the hassle of fishing rubber impeller pieces out of the heat exchanger.

The other thing I do is to ensure the impeller is primed and wet, before I start the genset after a impeller replacement. I believe the Northern lights impellers are made by Jabsco. and I have not tried other brands. The pump is a Jagsco pump.

I didn't answer your question, but his is all I know and the 300 hour replacement schedule works for me.

[a64pilot]

Different genset of course, I have a baby Nexgen, but I gave up on impeller pumps for a generator. I understand the need for my main engine as the RPM is all over the place so water flow needs to vary with RPM, but a generator runs at one set RPM, so water flow is constant.
I removed the Jabsco pump and installed a 115 VAC Airconditioner pump instead, they have no impeller to fail of course and run for thousands of hours before failure. You do have to have it below the water line as it does not self prime, I connected it directly to gen output so whenever the generator is making power, the pump is on.


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[J Clark H356]

I usually change my Northern Lights 5kw generator impeller at 250 hours. It was fine at 250 and now has 326. I have a Speedseal life with the Teflon disc And it helps the life. I suppose I should recheck it now, but imagine it will be ok. Mi use Northern brand impellers.


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[HKTim]

A64pilot. What pump capacity are you using. I am about to do the air con pump install for my genset and just trying to gather some Intel on the best capacity pump for the job. My genset is a 7 kW northern lights.


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[MikeFergie]

This depends on how high out the water your genes that is.
I have seen many cats that put a March pump that runs off the genset AC and bypass the impeller pump for the same reason you are having.

They have no problems since


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[a64pilot]

Mine is I think 510 gallons per hour rated, which is much more than my little generator needs, but it does not seem to suffer from the excess flow. I thought I would have to install a valve to turn the flow down, but I didn't. I wanted to keep the pump the same as my AC's have for commonality of spares, I could of course have just bought the correct flow rate pump.
I'd call Northern Lights and ask how much water flow does my generator need? Then get an AC pump that exceeds that by a little.
I've seen them much larger than mine, and I'd assume your bigger generator would need more water flow than mine, but then it may have a much more efficient cooling system and may not? So I'd call the manufacturer and ask.
If they can't or won't tell, then I bet you have a Jabsco pump, and with the part number of that pump, you could look up its specs easily.



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[kcoepeek]

Has anyone had an impeller imediately get shredded after replacing? It was lubricated.

[J Clark H356]

Only when I forgot to open the thru-hull after changing. I have a speed seal, so mine lasted 10 minutes.