Bilge pump??

[325abn]

I have attwood bilge pump, 500/HR. My plan is to use this pump to pump sap from my storage take up to my feed tank, about 8ft.

Well the pump will not push the sap all the way up, it stops about 1.5 ft short. No biggie I only paid $10 for the pump but I still need to pump the sap up.

Does it make since that a larger pump like a 1200/hr will push the sap up higher?

[royalmaple]

You may be better off buying a cheap submersible pump, and it will last forever, unless you don't have power handy. Also saves on running batteries down and recharging. That would definately work.

Not sure on the 1200gph pump, I used a 500gph last year to pump I think about 6 feet high and it worked ok. I just think they don't have enough berries to push the sap up much more than that.

[Sugarmaker]

I agree with Matt, if you have elect get a submersible sump type pump. We have a small one and it pumps 12 feet to the storage tanks at the sugarhouse. The bilge pumps that I am using pump at least 6 feet with no problem and will pump higher but will loose some flow rate. ( We have a 300 GPH and 1 2000 gph on the truck for gathering.

Sugarmaker

[WF MASON]

I've used the Rule 1200 gph on reciver hitch dump stations , they will pump 12', but bigger is better, a guy was here the other day with a 110v pump he had bought from ebay , it was big 3000 gph or so , he was mounting it to the sugarhouse wall outside by the holding tank , it had a suction port and discharge port for a hose , looked like it would work well, he said it was like $120. bucks.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mapleman3 and myself both have a 1" submersible pump with no float swith, just plug and it runs. I pump 10' with it to pump up to my head tank and thru a water meter and both of us have used them for a number of years and it works great and was around $ 40 and I think it came from Home Depot, but mapleman3 can correct me if I am wrong.

[mapleman3]

Yep, I love mine, years of care free service. and like Brandon said.. Home Depot, I think its a beckett pond fountain pump...

[maplehound]

a regular submersible sump pump work great. Buy them at any hardware store and they run for years if you don't let them freeze.

[Russell Lampron]

I am not sure how high a larger bilge pump will lift. I have a Seachoise 1500gph pump. It works good for pumping the tank in the woods into the tanks on the 4 wheeler trailer. I'm not lifting it very far there.

I have a 1/3 hp submersible pump like Brandon and Jim. It has an adapter with it so that it can be used with a garden hose. It works great if you have the time to let it do it's thing. I also got mine at Home Depot.

If you want to move the sap fast the gasoline pumps like my Honda WX10 work great. I use mine to flush my mainlines and some of them are 1000' long. That was a little over $200 new.

Russ

[325abn]

I looked at a 1/6HP submersable@ Home depot for $70 had it in my hand but put it back and went to Walmart and picked up a 1250gal/hr bilge pump for $20.

If it works great, if not I will take it back and get the $70 pump.

I knew WM had this pump for $20 and just could not spend the $70 without trying the $20 one first.

[Russell Lampron]

325abn,

As long as you aren't trying to lift the sap too high the $20 pump should work fine.

Russ

[gearpump]

I have the Rule 1200 pump in my dump tank and it was very "unruly"! The problem we were having was the pump would stop working. The motor was turning and it was trying to pump. I had to unplug the cord a couple of times and then plug it back in and it would take off. Sometimes it worked great. It was very frustrating. I was thinking a vapor lock, so I put a check valve in and it did the same thing. I also put a spacer under the float switch to leave more sap in the bottom of the tank, but it only seemed to make it worse. Anybody have similar problems?

Marty

[Russell Lampron]

Marty,

It sounds like the pump might have something in the impeller keeping it from priming properly.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

Marty, I have a Rule 1500 and it does the same thing. I have had it for 3 years now and still have not had time to deal with it. Usually we are dumping so fast that it never has time to shut off.

[John Burton]

are the rule bilge pumps similar to an atwood ihave seen the atwood impellers come off the drive motor shaft partially on my boat ive taken it apart and pressed the impeller onto the shaft and it works fine

[danno]

I used to screw around with an old 2 cycle pump with the garden hose attachment. It leaked from the housing and never ran well even though I had rebuilt it a couple times.

When I moved my holding tank to a location with electric, I bought an $80 sump pump and love it. I can do 300 gallons out of my holding tank and into my truck tank in about 10. I have to pump into a caged tank so it has to go up about 8' - no problem.

I find if I stick the pipe a little lower in the caged tank I get better flow - I think it creates a siphon effect.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

1" Beckett sump pump sells for around $ 40 at Home depot and will pump around 1500 gph and I pump it with 10' head to my feed tank and it works great and has for several years. Might be getting small pieces of bark or etc in the impeller and damaging the bigle pump.

[The Sappy Steamer]

I agree with the guys about the submersible sump pumps. I mounted my small generator on the back rack of my atv and use the pump for everything from pumping into my truck tank, from my dump tank, through a omni house filter, into my feed tank, and even cleaning my tubing system. Mine is a 1/4hp Rigid and the thing is downright impressive.I tried a couple different bilge pumps, and a small electric tranfer pump,but never found anything suitable for my needs.I use the white potable water hose like the ones for campers on mine. I also have a two cycle transfer pump and only used it once!
Dan

[Ash Cat]

I've been using the same submersible sump pump for about 3 or 4 years. At times the impellor doesn't want to start turning, the motor just sits there and hums. Once you manually start turning the impellor, she starts right up. The motor also sounds like it lost its lubrication but I'm reluctant to lube it up for fear of contaminating my sap. Should I just run it untill it dies?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

$ 35 to $ 40 is not much to pay for a pump if it does burn up.

[Sugarmaker]

Both my Rule pumps have similar "air lock" or "stop pumping" or "wont pump" type problems. The remote one needs to bubble out the air, then switch it on and it works fine. It has a float switch built in but I by passed it and went to a manual switch after about one try.

The one in the dump and pump has float switch exterior and has similar problem with air lock. Pumps for a while then when the sap gets low it just cavitates and stops pumping until you shut it off and wait a second or two then turn it back on. We get by with both but they sure could work better. I may try to get a new switch for the on in the dumping station, I think that's the problem with it. The remote one doesn't like to be submerged into a tank of sap. The air bubbles seem to have to get out to allow it to start pumping . On this on I do have a check valve near the pump which might be causing this air trap problem? NEXT Year!

Chris

[gearpump]

Chris, I feel better knowing that you have the same exact problems I was having! It sounds so simple to fix, but I have had no luck. I was thinking that maybe a 2inch dia. pipe from the pump to my tank would work better then the 1inch. More room for the air bubbles? More testing is needed...

Marty

[ibby458]

The #20 Walmart Atwood pump I bought worked great - for 3 gathers, then it died. The $70 Rule pump is still running like a champ. I'm using the lightweight 1-1/4" ribbed sump pump tubing. The Rule pump is on a 24' length so it can reach the dump stations.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jeremy,

Wish I were closer as I could take some of those lobsters and scallops off of your hands for a good price!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brookledge]

I know this has nothing to do with bilge pumps but since it was mentioned just wondering whats happening with lobster prices? Is there a shortage causing the prices to jump recently?
Keith

[Fred Henderson]

I have the Rule 1200 pump in my dump tank and it was very "unruly"! The problem we were having was the pump would stop working. The motor was turning and it was trying to pump. I had to unplug the cord a couple of times and then plug it back in and it would take off. Sometimes it worked great. It was very frustrating. I was thinking a vapor lock, so I put a check valve in and it did the same thing. I also put a spacer under the float switch to leave more sap in the bottom of the tank, but it only seemed to make it worse. Anybody have similar problems?

Marty

I think that I my own case that my pump is running backward but I have not tryed to check it when it was running. I like you have been just unpluging it and then plug it in again.

[Sugarmaker]

Ibby, Gearpump
I think these Rule pumps are bullet proof (Specs say you can freeze them solid , just don't try to start them) and built for tough work but not sure how to solve the air issue. When they pump they are great. when they don't I scratch my head and try to cycle the pump on and off it till it does. They really have not let me down, they just have a few things to get used to and not sure I can send out a crew to gather that doesn't know the tricks. Still may get another external float switch for the dump station since I can manually run the switch up and down and it does not shut off the pump sometimes, indicating a bad switch. The other things I like is that they can tolerate running dry, and most parts at SST.

I dont think these pumps were made to be plunged into water/sap?


Regards,
Chris C.

[ibby458]

I plunge mine (while running) into tanks of sap virtually every gather. I don't have a check valve in the line, so if I shut it off, the line drains back. If I leave it running, it looses very little. Maybe having the bigger line makes it prime more easily?

[Toblerone]

I would like to use one of these bilge pumps at a dump station in the woods, but I am concerned that these pumps are not rated food-grade. Should I be concerned? I've never been inspected by any agency, but would these pumps pass an inspection?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

[royalmaple]

Dave-

I have used several different brands of them and I really can't see why they would give you any grief for using them for sap transfer. I know many guys out there using them and I would think it would be the least of some inspectors worries.

I'm sure there is more crap on my hands which are not rated food grade, than would be inside the pump.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Might want to make sure the pump doesn't have oil inside of it that could leak out over time. Myself and Jim(mapleman3) have a Beckett(?). Works great and $ 30+ at Home Depot.

[Sugarmaker]

Most of these bilge pumps are probably not food grade but the Rule ones I believe have stainless and plastic components.

chris

[mapleman3]

Yes Mine is a rule, 12volt bought on Ebay... Brandon was refering to the submersable I have in the bulk tank..... the rule has given me 2 years trouble free so far....

[ROBIEZ]

To get more lift out of your bilge pump try running on 24 volts. Hook two 12 volt batteries in series,positive to negitive,positive to negitive.This will give you more lift, but I do not know how long the pump would last. I would not recommend running the pump dry for an extended amount of time.I think as long as the pump is in liquid it would not burn up. I have tried this and it does work.