I have Rule pumps on my boat. They have been OK, albeit short lived. They seem to die after a year or so. I also feel that Rule is not the best brand available. So, what do you boat guys run for a high end bilge and live well pumps?

Rule pumps unfortunately just like a lot of other products now.
MADE IN CHINA.
Johnson pumps still made in USA.
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I went to the Attwood Sahara couple yrs back, no problems. Has float switch which seems to be much more reliable than Rule's magnetic switch. The Rule would come on and never shut off.

Thanks I will check out Johnson and Attwood Sahara.

shurflo bait century 1100 livewell pump. has a 3 year factory warrantee.
Anything else buy at westmarine and get the extended replacement plan.

Johnson has always had a 3year warranty...save your sale slip

Thanks guys. Appreciate the info.

I have had both the Rule and Attwoods, both last only 1 to 2 years. After lots of review reading I went with Johnson this year when the Attwood seized. Time will tell if the investment proves out.

Interesting. It seems that everyone I spoke with and the experience I have had, lead me to believe that 1 to 2 years is the norm. Is this because of the salt water environment?

A lot of products like this have built in obsolescence....not made to last so the consumer has to buy another every few years.
Rule has a gold series pump with a 5 year warranty.

big fan of whale pumps for bilge with integrated switch. No moving parts with for the float switch and very low power drain. For the $ the giant rule is OK for emergency pumps but they don't hold up in day to day stuff.

I had a graco bronze pump...that sucker lasted for 12 years and moved some water but it drew a lot of power.

Take a look at the whale system.

big fan of whale pumps for bilge with integrated switch. No moving parts with for the float switch and very low power drain. For the $ the giant rule is OK for emergency pumps but they don't hold up in day to day stuff.

I had a graco bronze pump...that sucker lasted for 12 years and moved some water but it drew a lot of power.

Take a look at the whale system.

will do.

If you do not need insane amounts of flow, the high pressure low flow pumps hold up better and tend to be more reliable. Keep in mind a 5 GPM low flow high pressure pump gives a true 300 GPH, where as a 1000 GPH high flow low pressure pump only gives that in a full flow situation (they slow down alot with plumbing, head, and if you are filling at the bottom of a big tank).

The low flow high pressure ones do chew up more amps but have the benefit of being self priming so do not airlock. Just get one rated for constant use as otherwise they can burn out.

Jon

Now I'm getting confused.

So the bilge pump would be a high flow low pressure but a live well pump would be a low pressure high flow and long run time pump, right?

There are both styles out there called bait pumps. But really you do not need a bait pump, you just need a pump made to run all the time that creates enough flow for your situation.

Ones that look like a washdown pump are low flow high pressure (ie 45 PSI, 5 GPH might be a rating you'd see).. These are self priming and typically I think diaphragm driven, however some of the nicer ones can be flexible impeller driven too.

And ones that look like a bilge pump with special fittings (ie a rating you would see is 1200 GPH). These are hard impeller driven, like a bilge pump. The motors are smaller and they draw less juice, but do not pump at a guaranteed rate and generally are more cheaply built. This is typically what folks run but not necessarily the best depending on livewell size and the way the plumbing works (ie airlock, low flow if there is pressure involved in getting to the tank).

Jon

OK thanks. I understand.