How to maintain your pump?

Like any equipment exposed to salt, sand and sun, a pump must be maintained, otherwise it could stop working prematurely. Which is a shame as the lifespan of a well-maintained pump is almost limitless.

Maintaining your pump is a habit to take at least once a year and which only takes a few minutes. So get a rag and some grease and let’s go 😉

Explanations

All pumps are greased from the start, but their operation can be altered by sand and/or salt that gets into your pump, or simply because of its more or less intensive use.

In order to maintain all the performance of your pump, we advise you to maintain it as regularly as possible by lubricating all the friction zones using a lubricant such as silicone grease.

Points to consider in particular are:

• The inside of the tube.
• The piston seal.
• The inside of the pump body.

Step 1: Clean the pump

The grease initially has a whitish appearance, but after a certain period of use, the color of the grease tends to darken, due to dirt which may have entered it, or due to deterioration of the piston seal. So you have to clean it first.

To do this, take paper towels and a degreaser.

• Disassemble your pump by unscrewing the top of the tube.
• Remove the seal from the lower part of the pump
• Clean and degrease the seal, the place where the seal was positioned, the piston and the inside of the pump.

Step 2: Pump Lubrication

When all these areas are cleaned, lubricate all sensitive areas, the inside of the pump, the piston and the seal. Then reassemble your pump, it is ready for use again. By carrying out regular maintenance (at least once a year), you will extend its lifespan and do something for the environment.

Problems and resolutions


« I inflate, but the pressure gauge needle does not move»

Do not panic, the needle of the manometer will only start to move from a certain pressure (around 5psi). The board can therefore seem hard without being sufficiently inflated. Feel free to inflate more. In any case, hand pumps are not designed to be able to exceed 20 Psi.

If in doubt, you can perform a very simple test to check that your pressure gauge is working properly. All you have to do is remove the hose, block the air outlet with the palm of your hand, and activate the pump. If the pressure gauge needle moves, it is operational.

You can also check that the pressure gauge is correctly screwed to the pump. You can screw it or unscrew it using the palm of your hand.

“There is a leak at the valve of the board”

During the first use or after a few sessions, small air bubbles form around the valve. Nothing serious since it is the valve which is simply loosened.

The valve is made up of two parts, a female part which is located in the board into which the male part is screwed from the outside. During successive inflations and deflations of a board, or quite simply during the first inflation, this valve can loosen slightly, and cause a slow leak, generally only detectable in the presence of water. In this case you only need to use the tightening key included in the repair kit to tighten the valve (with deflated board), a small quarter of a turn is generally sufficient, it is necessary to tighten completely. It is the tightening of these two parts which ensures the tightness of the valve. This is part of the checkpoints and maintenance of your board.

“When I inflate, there is air escaping between the pump and the hose”

Again, nothing serious, when you inflate, you will put a large amount of pressurized air in your board, kite or wing. Some of the air you compress may escape from the pump, but this “lost” quantity remains tiny compared to the volume injected. And knowing that the valves in boards, kites or wings, are equipped with a non-return valve, the injected air does not come out.

“I’m having trouble connecting the pump hose to the inflation valve”

Some pumps are equipped with a small screw inside the hose. The role of this small screw is to press the push button on the valve of the board when it is inflated. If this speed is too long, it will come into abutment against the valve preventing its operation. All you have to do is take a small Phillips screwdriver and tighten this screw, simply by performing 2 or 3 turns.

“There is a constant leak between the nozzle of the hose and the valve of my inflatable SUP”

This loss of air usually means a loss of tightness. If your pump has a seal at the end of the hose, check that it is present. In case of loss, this type of seal is very easy to replace.

“My pump whistles or makes a lot of noise when I inflate”

This type of noise is symptomatic of a lack of lubrication inside the pump. The piston seal will “squeal” as it rubs against the walls of the pump. As mentioned above, a little lubricant will solve the problem.

“I can no longer inflate with my pump, the pump piston no longer has any resistance”

This type of problem is very often linked to the absence of a seal on the piston. Due to lack of maintenance, sand, salt or dust can get inside the pump body. The piston which normally slides against the internal walls of the pump will encounter too much friction and eventually come off.

The piston seal has most certainly come out of its housing, and is at the bottom of the pump. All you have to do is open the pump, retrieve the seal, reposition it, and lubricate the inside of the pump.

“In the double action position, I can only inflate in one direction”

The piston is equipped with two small non-return valves whose role are to allow the pump to operate in double action. If one of these two valves is missing, damaged, or clogged with sand, for example, it no longer plays its role. To check their condition and correct operation, unscrew the body of the pump, take out the piston and turn it over, the two valves are located under the piston.

Pump and after-sales service

By performing regular maintenance on your pump, you will be able to keep it for years.

In case of breakage or loss of a part of your pump, almost all parts can be changed. So in case of concern, you can contact us so that we can help you out.