Anyone Using Whale Gulper Pumps Onboard?

[Christian Van H]

Hi all! Thinking of using Gulpers for emptying grey and waste water tanks... anyone have any experience with these diaphragm pumps? Thanks, Chris

[AnchorageGuy]

Been using one for years with no problems.

[Ram]

I forgot to open the valve after being gone for 6 months and started the pump, it broke a rod, so they are a little fragle

[Christian Van H]

Thank you both for your replies. These pumps look good, and very hard to clog. I'll probably use them. Thanks again, Chris

[gbanker]

and so the other day I was looking to see if there was an inline pre-filter. Could not find one so guess the pump is dealing with whatever is in the shower sump OK. Boat is five years old.

[Christian Van H]

Why, whats in your shower sump anyway?

[H/V Vega]

I have used several Gulpers over the years and the small bore models are pretty good. When the nylon gear wears out you just take it to a machine shop and have a new one made from bronze and the things then work nicely for years. The high capacity ones are trash. Forget them its just a marketing gemmic to charge more for nothing at all. Oh and try finding spares for them! So small ones are good kit once you change the nylon gears and the large capacity ones stay away from them. "We do not provide replacement joker valves for those pumps because they have no valves", quote Whale!

[Christian Van H]

Thanks Vega! I had to laugh, because I just bought the 1 1/2" gulper toilet pump on eBay new for $100. I see your point though. I'm going to open this one up and see if I can get bronze gears now. As for the smaller models, I'm with you. I'm planning to use the 220 model for both my grey water sump and also a unit as a main bilge pump. I'll have one more aboard for a spare. Thanks again, I'm off to find gears!

[H/V Vega]

I have two of the large ones I foolishly bought and now must live with. What I did after Whale told me "there are no valves in that pump" was to go out and buy two good plastic non return valves and bung one in front and one aft of the pump. Thing works better than new now. If you can get them cheap as broken ( that means the valves they do not have are leaking) do it and for a few what evers extra you have a pump that will work for years. I find with almost all of this "marine" stuff there is always one part that is made to fail. Find that part and replace it with something proper and the things will often go for ever. I could post a long list of various products that work that way..... and the bits to replace.

[Christian Van H]

Vega, can you remember where you found those bronze gears? Thanks for the help, Chris

[H/V Vega]

Well I am in East Asia right now so I just took the old one down to the local machine shop and said " make me one from bronze" and they did in about 2 days for about $15, may have been less. In any case well worth it and much cheaper than a "repair kit". Small machine shops can pop those things out quick and easy. Same is true for a lot of the things that go bust and need repairing.

[Christian Van H]

Thanks Vega! Oh, and the rebuild kit for the toilet Gulper is Service Kit#AK1557 and comes complete with the diaphragm and FOUR VALVES! You were right, and who ever you spoke with is wrong. Look here: Exploded thanks again, Chris

[H/V Vega]

That's the small version. Those are not bad just have the funkie nylon gears. Try finding the two joker type valves for the high flow models! Honest Whale told me, "Those pumps do not have valves". They are joker valves in any case and fail really fast. Forget them and the expensive kit.... put a non return valve in front and aft of the pump and they go forever.

[davidschiff]

came orignally on my SHANNON, WORKED well for years, replaced the flapper valves and lanolined the nylon gears.
re: the sound , but you know when they are working. one was in shower sump, the other was the ist stage bilge pump via a brass strainer. lived on her for 5 yrs. good pump.
my .02
david

[s/v Jedi]

We have 5 Whale Gulper 220 pumps: gray water tank (installed and no need for service for 4 years now, pumps all our gray water overboard, full time 24x7x365) and one for each section of the boat (two watertight bulk heads) as 2nd bilge pump (installed and no need for service for 4 years now). The 5th one is to make sure the other 4 don't break down (new in box, some call it a spare).

I also have a rebuild kit. I never had trouble with gears. I like it that there's no exterior metal parts.

cheers,
Nick.