Re: Impellers, why so weak?
Things in this world... mechanical, electrical things... Actually have duty cycles.... and life cycles. You need to accept that as fact... and move on.
Even you.... have a life cycle.
They can (the manufactorers) design a pump that will last for 20 years, as long as you promise them you always run it in freshy fresh clean freshwater, with a PH of 7, with no weeds, with no sand, never salt, and with no debris or weeds.
The problem is, the pumps are designed to work for the masses. And unfortunately, the masses are usually dumb and lazy. The pumps are actually fairly durable when you consider what goes through them sometimes.
I've personally seen pumps with 7-800 hours on them, that were run in freshwater in temperate zones. They never froze.
The next biggest thing is, is that the boats (and so the pumps) were actually used. They were run a few times a week. They never had time to sit. Some of the freshwater pumps that i've seen with that many hours don't come out really that bad. They are clearly worn, but not awefull.
I've also seen pumps after a season comepletely toast because the owner runs it in salt twice a month for 3 months and tends to hit the sandbar coming in at low tide. Same owner never flushes with freshwater. Likes to rev his boat in neutral, winterizes late, and loves to troll through kelp beds.
Water pump designs aren't bad at all. And still so, they are improving.
I say, fix the nut behind the helm... before you worry about the nuts under the hatch.
Don't be soooo paranoid. The system that we live with called capitalism would quickly replace a crappy pump design with something better if there was something better when all is considered; like cost, materials, application etc. There are few exceptions to this, particularly over a decent time period. These pumps have been around forever because they are the best compromise for the job they have to do . . .
