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Date: 1 March 2015. Warranty Paperwork (SeaSense bilge pump)
© janice142
One of the advantages of living afloat is that we are in touch with the outside world. Like the other day, when I heard the bilge pump come on I did not hear the water splashing outside. I immediately knew there was a problem. Checking, my 800gph primary bilge pump was not removing water.
This pump is easily accessible. Each Monday I remove the grate and clear out any hair that might be accumulating. Skipper sheds, and my hair is long too. Because I don't want any issues, clearing is a part of my routine maintenance and thus far has been successful.
Today, alas, that was not to be. There was a bit of seaweed that had gotten caught in the impeller and broken the unit. Yes, the shaft still spun but that's not enough. The blades on an impeller form a centrifugal force that remove water from the bilge. Mine wasn't working so I needed to resolve that ASAP.
Fortunately, finding the paperwork is not an issue. All too often when items break finding the purchase information is one more thing to go wrong. When stuff is already not good, hunting down missing paperwork is a real pain in the transom.
Aboard Seaweed I've solved that issue. My system is simple. As items are purchased I place the paperwork in a folder. I am organized, so items are in alphabetical order too.
My folder is from Target. It was in their dollar section so the quality is not great, but it works. I don't like the vents at the bottom corners though. Also, the plastic is icky -- not sticky, just what I would call crisp. It is not of good quality however for a buck, it is still fine after five or six years. Jeesh!
The doggone
folder won't fall apart. It still serves the purpose so I can't
justify buying a replacement.
Have you ever noticed when you want to buy a new product, Old
Faithful keeps on and on, and on?!?
This pump is my primary. It's the first one that comes on when water gets into the bilge. Made by SeasSense, the 800gph automatic pump is a good one. This is the first failure and I've been using this brand since discovery. According to Calder's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, bilge pumps should be judged (among other things) by weight, and the SeaSense is a hefty unit.
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The SeasSense 800gph bilge pump is an automatic, and at $40 (full freight at a sporting goods box store) affordable. When I purchased this unit, I made the following notes:
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There's a secondary
reason I write on the paperwork (photo above) the date |
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My inked notes make
finding the data critical to my issue easy. I know that this
is under warranty.
As you can see, I've kept
the wiring instructions, plus the model number from the card
on the package and my receipt. All else has been thrown away.
These three items,
attached together with a piece of tape, were filed
alphabetically in my paperwork folder. Retrieving same was
easy -- and so too was the return policy.
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I phoned the company on Monday morning, emailed the required proof of purchase and damage later that afternoon. I followed up with a phone call, speaking with Heather in their office. Now, days later my new unit is in hand and already installed.
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Side note regarding installation of 12-volt items: Whenever
I'm hooking up new goodies, before I do the final wiring I
verify the unit works. I've had DOA items, so this is my
sanity saver.
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I have two 2k Johnson pumps and the single 800gph SeasSense in Seaweed. Algae has a 500gph pump too. Have I mentioned that I don't like bailing?
Life's good afloat. It's better when bailing is kept to a minimum.
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Memory Lane: There was this fellow who had annoyed me. It had rained during the night and I was an early riser. Before he woke up I carefully rowed my dinghy over next to his and very quietly bailed mine out and into his. Then I went home (back to the 40'er) and waited for Tom to roll out of his quarter-berth. He did eventually, and had a lot of water to bail out of his *Zodiac.
*Zodiac is a brand of inflatable dinghy. |
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In dirt days I kept paperwork with the appliance. Do you do the same or have filing system?
What pumps do you have aboard your boat?COMMENTS:
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