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Cheapo heater aux pump: first use report


UWSkier

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23 minutes ago, UWSkier said:

Used this again this morning for the first passes of the day.  I really dig having a working heat tube with the engine switched off.  That's definitely neat.

Curious how long you get usable heat with motor off - I imagine the block is a pretty big heat storage vessel - my buddy is ordering this for his Sunsetter; can't wait!!

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16 minutes ago, Rednucleus said:

Curious how long you get usable heat with motor off - I imagine the block is a pretty big heat storage vessel - my buddy is ordering this for his Sunsetter; can't wait!!

I dunno.  I only ran it for about 2 minutes with the engine off but I didn't notice any drop in heat output.  The heater blowers pull quite a bit of juice so I wouldn't run it for more than 10 mins or so.

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On 10/19/2018 at 7:54 PM, UWSkier said:

I stuck this in the return line up by the driver's feet and wired it to a spare "Acc" switch I have right next to my existing heater switch.

When underway, the pump doesn't make any difference, which is good.  Even if you switch it off.  The existing system pushes right past the pump with no issues when underway.  At idle, the pump definitely increases the heat of the air coming out of the heater tubes.

I've got one of these sitting on my desk, waiting for the rain to stop.  When you say you put it in the return line, is it before the heater box (pushing the water), or after it (pulling the water)?

Thanks!

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Just now, powbmps said:

I've got one of these sitting on my desk, waiting for the rain to stop.  When you say you put it in the return line, is it before the heater box (pushing the water), or after it (pulling the water)?

Thanks!

I have it inline after the core.  This is (I'm pretty sure) where Heatercraft says to mount their pump as well.  I figure this way it's not putting positive pressure into the core and it's dealing with slightly cooler water.  I'm sure it'd work just as well on the feed line.  I know @braindamage has his pump configured this way and his works well also.

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32 minutes ago, UWSkier said:

I have it inline after the core.  This is (I'm pretty sure) where Heatercraft says to mount their pump as well.  I figure this way it's not putting positive pressure into the core and it's dealing with slightly cooler water.  I'm sure it'd work just as well on the feed line.  I know @braindamage has his pump configured this way and his works well also.

Cool, thanks.  I will try installing it after the core as well.

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@UWSkier Thank God you tested yours! Still haven't been able to try mine!  Jeep engine issues, wife got into an accident, and the whole 8month old at home. OH yeah and work! 

But I'm glad it works well! 

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1 hour ago, Ryan1776 said:

@UWSkier Thank God you tested yours! Still haven't been able to try mine!  Jeep engine issues, wife got into an accident, and the whole 8month old at home. OH yeah and work! 

But I'm glad it works well! 

First TRUE test of it this morning skiing in 55 degrees with a moderate breeze.  Worked great!

  • Like 2
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  • 8 months later...

It does help at idle.  Mine makes an audible "tick-tick-tick" noise, but only noticeable when in the drivers seat (it is behind the footrest).

My memory is so bad, I forgot I installed it last fall.  Only remembered when I heard the noise, thought my blower motor was crapping out, and stuck my head under the dash.  

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On 8/2/2019 at 11:34 AM, UWSkier said:

@Rednucleus and @powbmps did you guys end up installing these?  Curious how they worked for you.

I brag about your $10 Amazon pump all the time versus the heatercraft $150 pump 

usually when talking about the heater craft Y pipe I installed instead 

,  for me the Y pipe was the easier install at a price of $65 including bakes shipping and local brass/bronze npt and SS clamps for the return to manifold plugging I had to do different cause I couldn’t get out the manifold return fitting out

my 3 piece star brite sub wall made by a local shop for my rgb ring and FA sub instead of the lousy footwell is sort of a real pain installing and removing  because it’s tight as a drum sandwiched around the fiberglass under dash opening with many many SS screws you don’t want to strip plus the screws from the sub grate snd sub itself minding the RGB stub wire ,  disconnecting the euro vent hose , a real pain just getting the sub itself out and in because of the  tight tolerances from the screw holes for sub in the 3 part wall assembled 

i don’t have your heat when motor off which is perfection BUT

my heat at idle is very very very warm at 3 vent openings 

Of the 3, My under dash   euro vent relocated to lower sub wall  absolutely roasts our feet and gatorstep keeping feet much Warmer instead of blowing down from above factory location 

at speed it changed from warm to downright toasty hot but we aren’t out when it’s 55 air degrees so obviously frame of reference may be different 

so if you have easy access or replacing heater core damaged , your way is better and cheaper just much more work for me

Wired  to the existing heater switch makes yours sweet,  I just wasn’t in the mood to disassemble my 3 piece wall 

no disassembly for heater y except relocation of return hose and cutting its length snd being upside down doing it all !

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  • 2 months later...

So late this summer I went to turn on this pump and it wouldn't pump.  Thought maybe it was frozen up or something since it hadn't been turned on for 6 months.  Pulled it apart and there was a small leaf wedged in the impeller housing.  Pulled that out, connected power, and nothing.  I gave it a turn by hand, then connected power and all good.  Been working great for the last few weeks.

When I thought the motor was frozen I contacted the seller on Amazon.  They sent me another one for free, no questions.  Free is good.  I like free.

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14 hours ago, UWSkier said:

So late this summer I went to turn on this pump and it wouldn't pump.  Thought maybe it was frozen up or something since it hadn't been turned on for 6 months.  Pulled it apart and there was a small leaf wedged in the impeller housing.  Pulled that out, connected power, and nothing.  I gave it a turn by hand, then connected power and all good.  Been working great for the last few weeks.

When I thought the motor was frozen I contacted the seller on Amazon.  They sent me another one for free, no questions.  Free is good.  I like free.

ha! I came here to ask you if yours was still alive. Mine has died too. But I haven't taken it apart to look yet.
I noticed I lost warm air at idle on the cool nights in September, but never thought to check if the pump worked. :blush:

Free is always good! 

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I don’t have heat with motor off with Y but if I had to pull my ridiculous sub wall to check this pump I think I would cry,  the foot well or the older boats completely open is one thing but a 3 part wall sandwiching the opening with long stainless screws as well as the tight Fit of the sub in the center circle opening of that 3 part wall with the LED light snd cover that cones out first snd then the wall, no thank you 

friend did the heatercraft  pump, I guess that would suffer same fate if some trash blocked it

Edited by granddaddy55
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7 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

I don’t have heat with motor off with Y but if I had to pull my ridiculous sub wall to check this pump I think I would cry,  the foot well or the older boats completely open is one thing but a 3 part wall sandwiching the opening with long stainless screws as well as the tight Fit of the sub in the center circle opening of that 3 part wall with the LED light snd cover that cones out first snd then the wall, no thank you 

friend did the heatercraft  pump, I guess that would suffer same fate if some trash blocked it

Ha! I'm real happy I installed mine behind the cooler under the seat and just pulled a vent tube to the captain chair. x

For 17 bucks a piece I an buy almost 9 of them before one heatercraft pump. And I agree, I bet if something got into it, it would block it as well. 

Edited by Ryan1776
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re "something got into it"

i've added inline hose connectors to aid in easy winterizing.  the suck side has faucet washers w stainless screens.

those screens should take care of most of that debris.

if the heat output starts to fall off it's a quick chore to swap out washers/screens.

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2 hours ago, tvano said:

re "something got into it"

i've added inline hose connectors to aid in easy winterizing.  the suck side has faucet washers w stainless screens.

those screens should take care of most of that debris.

if the heat output starts to fall off it's a quick chore to swap out washers/screens.

That's a good idea.  When I reinstalled my pump after checking it, I put it in 180 degrees rotated from how I'd had it before.  The pump makes a 90 degree turn from inlet to outlet.  I had it sitting with the point of the 90 facing the ground.  I reinstalled it with the point of the 90 facing the sky.  Will see how this fares but should help in situations like mine as the outflow when the engine shuts down should carry crap away from the impeller.

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