A Whale of a Fail: Emergency bilge pump

[TBW]

Really like the idea of using AC cooling water pumps as backup.
Will set this up asap.
Sure you should check and check and check.
But do you expect to buy a new spare and take it apart to look inside?
To me it is simple, do not buy any more Whale. I have one somewhere in the engine room on a shelf. Will throw it away today; never really worked.
A few others out there that have good reputations.
Hard to imagine they did not have FedX on the doorstep to pick it up and send a new one.
A trade name is everything to a (reputable) company.
TW

[Kalinka1]

I've just skipped to the last page after reading the first. so if this has been mentioned I apologize. Are you sure this was a genuine whale pump or a Chinese knockoff? I have two original gusher 10's on board.At least 45 years old. Have a spares kit. Check them at least 5 times a season if not more. Any problems have been mine with stuff other than water in the bilge. This is clearly owner operators responsibility.

[Reefmagnet]

I've used the cooling water">engine cooling water intake to pump out the bilge of a boat when none of the bilge pumps worked.

[hpeer]

I’m skipping reading most replies cause I don’t have time at the moment.

Long story short I found out Whale has been sold and is now part of some other operation. Once upon a time I was able to call up Whale in the USA and get some spare parts. Tried that two years ago and hit a brick wall. I tried to get the parts from England and found they would not sell to a Yank.

My impression was that the product went with the company sale but the staff always gutted and didnt give a hoot. They used to sell diesel transfer pumps in the USA through Northern Tool Supply but these are no longer available. They MAY be available in the UK but I never found anyone there who knew what they were talking about.

In general I love the pumps, the company will kill them.

Anyway, just my impression.

[heron237]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Omg. Sand down the bump and get on with it.

The pump was never tested by the skipper for function, blame the skipper, with this kind of attitude quoted, it's no wonder he got a boilerplate liability limiter. Whereas the poster who tells of a happy ending gets a new pump. The skipper is responsible to do a preflight test every once in a while, trust but verify grasshopper.

[piloto]

When you can snatch the pebble from my hand sensei.

[rbrake]

Ten year old pump made of an aluminum casting? Excess paint or corrosion lifting the paint?

[Coltrek]

Almost every one of those diaphragm Whale hand pumps I have ever seen is corroded and inoperable. They need to swap the casting out for plastic.
I would never buy one of those for an emergency pump, altho I am not sure what alternatives there are, as these are the only ones of this type I have seen.

[Tampabayfireman]

Regardless of the company response, it still resides on the captain to assure that the boat is seaworthy, and in that, all emergency equipment works. I check and test every pump often (at least once a month for normal, 3/yr on manual). And by test, I will fill the bilge and see if the pump can actually move the water, not just come on. Turning the switch on and hearing the pump run is not the same as seeing it actually move water out of the boat and a normal rate. I have in the past had one fail that motor ran but didnt move any water. Same for the automatic floats. Took a nearby lightning strike that only killed the float switches on two pumps and high water alarm. So only way you know they dont work is if you actualy put water in to move the floats

PS: I also have a bilge counter instaled so I know if the pump has been cycling, and how many times..

[Tollesbury]

Hi there, I don’t often post here, but I read and learn from many - greetings and thank you all!
Just dropping by to say that I fitted a new Whale bilge pump last season. The instructions clearly stated that the pump should be checked regularly, including wet.
As my bilges are invariably dry, that involves adding water to the bilges periodically and then using the various pumps to prove that each works.
For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t sail offshore without having conducted such a test on all pumps immediately before departure.
I also wouldn’t try to shift blame to the manufacturer!
OK - signing off.

[svmargi]

Given that defect, the pump obviously never worked. That one would never have tested the pump in the first place is indeed foolish and no cause for complaint after such a long time of neglect.

[transmitterdan]

Aluminum pumps don’t respond well to “periodic testing”. If they are left with salt water inside for a few days they quickly corrode up. The paint helps but does not cure the problem. So after every use they need to be flushed with plain water and if possible dried out.

So testing these pumps is a PITA to do right.

[01kiwijohn]

Technically, they have no liability however, as an ex customer service manager, i'd have been delighted to send the complaining customer a 50% discount rebuild kit and use the supplied photo to educate our production staff in how their actions may directly effect the lives of the customers who pay their bloody wages!

[PLANET EXPRESS]

We have a whale “ manual emergency pump” and we periodically test it using ac condensate that collects in the bilge. It has failed 2 times once on a piece of fishing line maybe 1/4 inch long and once on a piece of wire insulation maybe same size. There is a screen but putting smaller mesh size just won’t make sense because, if we really are sinking there will be all sorts of crap in the bilge sloshing around and would close screen. I guess it’s just one of those things where having a large capacity pump that you can pull out and plug in is needed.
Have no faith in it anymore and if had to use in an emergency would be suprised if it worked.
I imaging it would go something like “ Get the plunger stick and pump the bilge......is it working OMG it is?”
LOL

[Draughty]

Having recently thrown away a 2 year old Whale Elegance Faucet/Shower set which had already been replaced once under warranty I am not in the least surprised to read this stuff. The product was rubbish.
I'll vote with my wallet; Whale has joined Crewsaver as a company I will never deal with again.