Strangeness... I replaced my old bronze check valve off my main bilge pump
with a new bronze one. Basically identical to the old. It's only been a
short time and it seems to be jamming in the closed position, so that when
the automatic kicks in, the pump runs without ejecting water. This only
happens after there's a fair amount of water in the bilge, as when I've run
the engine for more than an hour (packing gland needs to be tightened, but
that's another project).

The check valve is about a foot from the Rule. Same place as before within
an inch or so. Certainly, I can return it for an exchange, but this will be
the second exchange, and besides WM being sick of exchanging it, I'm sick of
exchanging it also. Could have gotten two funky ones in a row, but perhaps
there's another explanation? The other pump/check valve doesn't seem to have
the same problem, and the only difference is that the check valve is a bit
farther away, maybe 2 feet from the pump.

Right now, the fix is pop the hose and stick a long-neck screwdriver in the
intake side of the valve, jam it a couple of times, then it seems to work
fine for some period of time.

Suggestions? Should I try a plastic one?

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com