Help with Blue/White Pump

[slash007]

I have a Blue/White pump that is for the Clear Coat on my IBA and I noticed that the chemical line was empty. Checked the pump and it wasn't sucking. Took it apart and found clogs near both the top and bottom check valve. Turns out the diaphragm was falling apart and clogging up the holes. Replaced the whole pump with one that was working perfectly fine before I left it for a spare, but still not getting any suction from the pump. Not sure what else to check. Any ideas?

 

[soapy]

Check valves on both sides of pump head have to be working for the blue white pumps to work. I don't use them anymore but when I did I found that if I used a John guest in line pushlock check valve on each side of the pump head in place of the regular check valve I had much better luck and they worked longer and were cheaper. They are white 3\8 OD tubing and run about $8 each.

 

[slash007]

Hmm. I checked those and they seemed fine, but I'll check them again. Anything else it could be?

 

[soapy]

Make sure the ceramic ball in the check valve is not stuck to the orings. Make sure inlet screen is not plugged.

 

[DiamondWash]

You may need to prime the pump what I do is unscrew the nut holding the hose on the bottom of the check valve and then get a cup of water and manually turn the pump on while having the check valve inside the cup you should see water pumping through the top hose then just hook your hose up again at the bottom and hopefully it will start to pump again.

 

[MEP001]

It's probably not the case since it's a new pump, but I've had the check valve seals swell from the chemical and the check balls couldn't move. They make a Teflon seal for them if that should happen.

 

[slash007]

I'll check the little ball and try priming. Thanks for the suggestions. I had thought about priming, but wasn't' sure how. This isn't a new pump, I was using it and it worked perfectly but then it was switched out for one with a lower output.

 

[MEP001]

I don't know if yours have it, but the Pulsafeeders I'm used to have a little valve on the outlet for priming. Sometimes you can just open the valve to remove pressure on the outlet to prime, some I've had to attach a vacuum pump to it and pull a prime through with a brake bleeder pump.

 

[slash007]

I appreciate all of the suggestions. I took the check valves off today and I could blow through both sides of the top one. Took it apart and cleaned and put it back together and pump is working great. Thanks everyone.