How Do I Know If My Water Pump Impeller Is Bad?

Author : Efrain E. Silva

One of the parts that I am most thankful for, and since it was just Thanksgiving a few days ago ( or, at least, at the time I am writing this at home, he he heh ) , is my boat. It is a nice one made for marina action. Well, actually, it’s my friends, but he lets me use it sometimes, as if it were my very own to keep ( and I do like to pretend I am the sole owner and have paid off the thing in full, oh, the feeling of being rich ) though it is technically not. BUT not only my boat, am I grateful for, but to be even more nit - picky specific, I am thankful to have its water pump impeller and working well in place. My friend just checks it every year to make sure it does not need swapping. He is super careful, just like that, as am I. But HOW do you know when it needs to be changed out? Another great question — that is what I can devote the next minutes to answering….10 - 15, to be exact ( I am quite a quick blog writer, he heh ). And it should take you no less time to read this, unless you’re a speed reader, in which it might take you just 5….

But either way, we will make this quick and right to the point as I like to do ( but with a side of humor, he heh, as I deliver all my blog pieces ) . The first sign of an impeller that needs a switch - out is that it is always, or constantly, getting brittle ( and not like the candy I so like to eat, but much worse ). It becomes stiff or hard. This can happen from either of two scenarios, among others, but these two being the most, let’s say, common —- the impeller sits in intense heat for awhile, such as right on a marina deck in plain sunlight. Or, the other scenario is this one : You have not used the boat in several months, or even seasons ( heck, in some cases, you have not even turned it on or connected it for quite some time as you’ve been terribly busy with work and family matters….happens to the best of us, don’t sweat it ) . If your impeller is also completely dried out, that is a very bad sign, because it needs water all the time — that is, in fact, what lubricates it and keeps it going about. It takes in cold water and pushes it to the outtake, from where your engine gets a nice, cool refreshment, so to speak, and can not over - heat on itself ( major problem, too, one I mention elsewhere on several accounts ) .

I hope these are signs you surely will watch for. Keep all eyes on alert. And remember to check your impeller at least yearly, or if you use it super - often, check it per every 200 hours or so. It’s vital.