Gear test Attwood Tsunami T500


PRICE £32.99 • CONTACT www.marathonleisure.co.uk motor unit can also be


Pump features: compact design, barb or threaded outlet available. How secured: three screws through strainer base. Access to strainer: requires single tab to be depressed inwards and then pump body with hose is twisted through 30°. The


Johnson L550


Pump features: compact cylindrical body, choice of straight or right-angled outlet, screw-on two-barbed connector, optional rubber (joker-type) non-return valve. Tinned supply cable. How secured: Base strainer unit fi xed with three external screws to bilge fl oor. Access to strainer: motor cartridge with impeller is


PRICE £29.78 • CONTACT www.johnson-pump.com removed by lifting


plastic tab and twisting upper portion counter- clockwise, assisted by plastic wings. If the fi lter unit gets clogged, the strainer unit requires detaching from the bilge and then two


further screws removing to access chamber.


Rule 500 GPH


PRICE £21.37 CONTACT www.rule-industries.com


Pump features: a very compact cylindrical design,


three-barbed connector outlet. How secured: the fi lter unit is TMC 500 GPH


PRICE £27.79 CONTACT www.ecsmith.com


Pump features: the heaviest of the pumps tested, with a broad circular base strainer. Three-barbed outlet connector, good quality cable gland. How secured: base screws onto bilge with three screws provided.


Access to strainer: requires a knack to depress two lugs on strainer body so that the motor cartridge unit can be lifted off


without hose. The chamber below the


impeller would require strainer unit to be removed for effective cleaning.


Bilge depth: takes water down to 9mm.


SUMMARY: a heavy pump that performed well. Not the easiest to dismantle and with a heavy current draw, but provided the highest fl ow rate.


54


screwed to the bilge by four screws inside strainer unit. Side mount bracket available. Access to strainer: easily detached from motor body by depressing tabs inwards to release body housing with hose. This gives access to the inside of the fi lter, but the pump impeller is


Bilge depth: takes


water


level down to 10mm. SUMMARY: easy to


access impeller without


disturbing pipe, attachment screws also easy to get at. One of the less effi cient performers.


recessed in the housing and any debris would require teasing out. Bilge depth: takes water down to 9mm.


SUMMARY: a compact pump with easy access to strainer, but limited access to recessed impeller. A competent performer, it proved the most effi cient on test, with lowest current draw.


Shurfl o 500


PRICE £19.75 CONTACT www.shurfl o.com


Pump features: a fairly compact design with three-barbed outlet connector. Tinned


supply cable. How secured:


four screws through base strainer or two side mounting screws. Access to strainer: can be quickly


disconnected by pressing


in two tabs. Motor cartridge unit then lifts off with hose, but debris in the impeller housing would need teasing out.


Bilge depth: takes water down to 9mm


SUMMARY: excellent access to strainer, good performance. Has low current draw, but average effi ciency.


removed separately leaving the pipe unaffected and


giving access to the impeller. Simple to disassemble, once you know how.


Bilge depth: takes water level down to 9mm.


SUMMARY: design gives quick screw access to impeller and separate


access to inside strainer. Suction has double fi lter. An effi cient pump with low current draw. ECS 500 GPH


PRICE £21.48 CONTACT www.ecsmith.com


Pump features: This is a TMC 500 GPH pump (model 02307) branded for ECS, but of a less expensive specifi cation than the TMC pump we also tested. With a large and heavy profi le and a rounded square base, the outlet connector is set at 45° to the


horizontal with three barbs.


How secured: by four internal screws in


strainer unit. Access to strainer:


requires two lugs to be


pressed inwards,


pump body with hose then lifts clear revealing inside of strainer and impeller. Replacement of pump body requires precise location for both lugs to engage. Bilge depth: takes water down to 9mm.


SUMMARY: 45° angle delivery with good access to inside of fi lter and impeller, but the least effi cient pump we tested with a high current draw.


Whale Orca 500


PRICE £14.95 CONTACT www.whalepumps.com


Pump features: unusual-shaped body covers an


innovative delivery outlet in the form of


an involute. Three-barbed outlet connector.


How secured: three internal screws


provided attach the base to the bilge.


Access to strainer: the impeller is easily accessed by pressing two buttons which allow the main body to be detached:


however, the base of the strainer would have to be detached from the bilge if it got clogged. Reassembly is awkward as it is tricky to relocate the power cable and a sealing O-ring requires careful placement. Bilge depth: takes water down to 8mm, the lowest level on test.


SUMMARY: good access to impeller, low current draw.


Practical Boat Owner 551 August 2012 • www.pbo.co.uk


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