Rule Bilge pump low flow but clean filter screen

[SKing]

My 2021 C30cb bilge pump has low volume flow. I was doing maintenance and for the first time filled the bilge with clean water to check the pump. It pumps but the flow rate is not anywhere like the specified 1100 gal per hour. I removed and checked the screen wetvaced the bilge to get out all debries. Still consistenty low flow. My questions are...

1) It looks like the factory uses sealant on the hose plus 2 clamps. The sealant adhears so well it feels like i will damage something if I continue to try to remove the hose. I would like to remove the hose and see what the flow looks like before going further.

2) approximately 1 ft after the pump is a grey plastic inline device. Is this a backflow? It is fastened with sealant and clamps as well.

Anyone with experience I would appreciate your thoughts.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dAMwqXcCXUNybDoJ7

 

[knotflying]

The gray device is a check valve to prevent water in the hose from going back into the bilge and then the pump tries to pump it out again. I would check the check valve. They are merely a rubber flapper. Separate the gray devise by removing the screws and make sure the flap is not stuck, obstructed or stiff. When separated run water in the bilge and see how the flow is. You could also have a blockage in the hose after the check valve. While it is still apart I would force water from the hull fitting back, basically a reverse flow to clear out any blockage and also see that it is a clear flow. If you are in the water you can do this at the dock in your dingy or worse case try ding it up from the bilge.

 

[GaylesFaerie]

You could also have a blockage in the hose after the check valve.

Check for a crimped hose too, at least for the portion that you can see/access.

 

[Mike and Sarah]

We had no flow from our aft bilge pump on our 2021 R31 when testing. Pump would run but nothing over the side of the boat. The glued on fittings were a pain. I ended up removing the pump and unscrewed the fitting the hose was attached to. We then used a hose from the marina water supply and tried blasting out the blockage. It took several attempts going from the bilge hose and then the port on the outside of the boat. We finally basted a bunch of stuff out and all works good now.
The debris looked like fiberglass and wood shavings.

 

[SJI Sailor]

+1 to all above. Extra (presumably dropped and not important!) screws, washers, cable ties, fiberglass shavings, etc, can show up for a long time. I periodically inspect the bilge with a flashlight, pump it out with a stick pump, and occasionally use bilge cleaner.

BTW I'd also suggest to acquire at least 2 replacement pumps of the exact model. When our forward pump failed last winter (freeze related) we discovered the exact model had been discontinued but it (forward pump) was essentially impossible to replace with any other model due to access difficulty. Eventually tracked down the discontinued model in stock somewhere and ordered several.

 

[SKing]

Thank you. Also have anyone figured out a procedure to test the forward pump. I was thinking of disabling the aft pump and filling the bilge with enough water to exercise the forward pump. But I don't know how high the water level would have to be.

 

[knotflying]

By the way, on the aft pump you may also want to make sure the impeller is cleared of debris. As far as the forward pump. I assume you tried it in manual mode? Ranger has used different pumps over time so how to test is different for each. If you have the black box water sensor and can reach it you can touch the two embossed circles with wet fingers and the pump should engage.

 

[SKing]

The reason I would like to test it with water is because of the real likelihood of those lines being plugged as well. I can test the "spinny" part easily. My back went out this week so I will get to this next week and post what I find.

 

[Mastercraft]

Dump two five gallon buckets of water in bilge as fast as possible and both forward and aft pumps should go on at same time. This works for a 2017 R29.

 

[knotflying]

The reason I would like to test it with water is because of the real likelihood of those lines being plugged as well. I can test the "spinny" part easily. My back went out this week so I will get to this next week and post what I find.

The forward pump has no check valve. You should be able to use a hose at the hull outlet and force it backwards into the bilge.

 

[SKing]

I finally got back to the boat and correct everything. Here is what I learned. Reminder this is a 2021 C30.

I separated the aft bilge hose at the check valve. (This is easy and reassembled easily also). Then I tested the flow of the bilge pump letting the water recycle in the bilge. It had a nice volume of water flowing. You need to know where your aft bilge pump fuse is before starting this process since it will cycle forever until you remove power.

I used a city water hose to force water from the hull fitting back towords the bilge. Then reversed the process and forced water from the check valve fitting overboard. Flow was good.

Reassembled and tested flow of aft pump. All OK.

I pulled the aft fuse and filled the bilge until I had 1 in of water at the forward bilge pump. (This had enough water to have the transmission case 1 in under, and the drive shaft fully submerged. But all electrical was still above water). Watched the forward pump flow. All OK.

Replaced fuse and pumped out bilge. Wetvaced bilge. I will continue to wetvack the bilge on a regular basis since that small task is better than what I just did.

Tested both pumps with the manual switch. OK

The hoses are clear when new but cloudy after a year on the aft pump. You can still shine a light through the hose and check for debries but you can't access all ares with this method.

Thanks for everyone's feed back.
Steve