Replacing a Paragon Sr Fresh Water System

[The Brockerts]

Well after 33 years my Paragon Sr fresh water pump finally died. The replacement looks to be out of my price range($3500 and up) so I'm going with a redundant Shurflo pumps since they won't last 33 years. When one stops switch over to the redundant one and rebuild the broken one. I found this picture of an example of this setup.

Wondering if anyone has done something similar to this and the pro's and con's

The Brockerts

 

[rslifkin]

Unless you need 2 for more flow, I'd just run a single pump and carry a matching spare with the connectors, etc. set up for a quick swap if needed. Keeps things simpler that way.

 

[Cigatoo]

We purchased our boat 5 years ago. Shurflow pump has worked fine. We do carry a spare. I could probably install it in less than 30 minutes. Not sure you need the redundancy. Looks like a nice setup but maybe overkill.

 

[DennisB1]

What failed on your paragon pump? I have one still fully functional.

 

[Insequent]

I'd suggest getting the Paragon repaired.

 

[HopCar]

I think that Paragon is the finest pressure pump made. I’d sure look into repairing it.
https://www.groco.net/products/water-pressure/paragon-sr/psr-12v

 

[tiltrider1]

I prefer screw pumps to membrane pumps. This is why I moved away from sureflow to Marco. I also install the same pump for my wash down system. This way if I loose a fresh water pump I can just rob the pump from the wash down system.

 

[Pau Hana]

I went with a Headhunter Mach 5 pump about 5 years ago- excellent pressure and silent.

 

[The Brockerts]

Ok, sometimes you get lucky... As I started to diagnose the problem more and measure space for new pumps I decided to clean the filters, check all connections, repressurize the accumulator, rotate the pressure adjustment knob on the pressure switch, I found one of those things or all of those things fixed the problem. Time will tell if my Paragon Sr pump continues to run for another year or 33. On to the next project...

The Brockerts

 

[DennisB1]

I have rebuilt the pump expensive but solved pressure problems.

The cylinder teflon pump element has a slot which keeps the cylinder from rotating as the cam rotates moving the cylinder up and down. The slot wears overtime and as a result does not build as much pressure. Just a thought if you have a recurring pressure problem assuming the motor still functions. The rebuild kit as I remember for the pump was in the area of $300 pre-pandemic.

 

[Flatswing]

Well after 33 years my Paragon Sr fresh water pump finally died. The replacement looks to be out of my price range($3500 and up).The Brockerts

Call Depco pump in FL, talk to the repair techs. My Paragon Sr. Had a minor leak at the pump seal. The electric motor is pretty bullet proof and the “wet” end can be rebuilt. In my case, I cleaned up the motor and support brackets, sent the wet end to Depco. They said it was quite worn, but since it was pumping fine, they replaced the seal for $15 plus shipping. I bought a new wet end from them for approx. $740 in 2019 anyway keeping the rebuilt as a spare. The other issue with these pumps is the pressure switch but I replaced mine with a Square D residential switch for $25 and carry a spare. I have also replaced the solenoid for another $20 last year.
Compared to the grief I read about wrt the Shurflows, my strong preference is for the Paragon Sr. At full open tap, it’s run cycle is less than 10 seconds every 40-50 seconds at 40 psi. Not the quietest but very dependable.

 

[RickyD]

Love my programmable Headhunter Excaliber. I'm getting almost 70lbs pressure. Very quiet.

 

[jimL]

We had the Paragon with a spare and each lasted about 6 months before needing a rebuild. After I rebuilt the Paragon, it still wouldn't work. I replaced it with a Shurflow Aqua King II in June - that lasted 5 weeks, the second lasted 8 weeks, and the third failed after another 10 weeks. Each time Shurflow sent me a replacement (we are cruisers), and now I'm going to Shurflow pump #4. I have two spares aboard. The screen prior to the pump is clean and I double filter all water coming on board. I am considering other options....

JimL

 

[Insequent]

We had the Paragon with a spare and each lasted about 6 months before needing a rebuild. After I rebuilt the Paragon, it still wouldn't work. I replaced it with a Shurflow Aqua King II in June - that lasted 5 weeks, the second lasted 8 weeks, and the third failed after another 10 weeks. Each time Shurflow sent me a replacement (we are cruisers), and now I'm going to Shurflow pump #4. I have two spares aboard. The screen prior to the pump is clean and I double filter all water coming on board. I am considering other options....

JimL

With that many failures you might want to check the voltage at the pump when it is running. Could it be that wire to the pump is very undersized and there is sufficient voltage drop to cause pump failures?

 

[Bmarler]

We had the Paragon with a spare and each lasted about 6 months before needing a rebuild. After I rebuilt the Paragon, it still wouldn't work. I replaced it with a Shurflow Aqua King II in June - that lasted 5 weeks, the second lasted 8 weeks, and the third failed after another 10 weeks. Each time Shurflow sent me a replacement (we are cruisers), and now I'm going to Shurflow pump #4. I have two spares aboard. The screen prior to the pump is clean and I double filter all water coming on board. I am considering other options....

JimL

That’s a lot of failures. As was mentioned, maybe check the installation in general to see if there’s any issues with wire gauge, or other issues like too much restriction on the pump inlet.
The next pump I buy will be one of these: https://www.fisheriessupply.com/marco-up12-e-water-pressure-pump/m164-681-15

I going to get away from diaphragm pumps and go with gear pumps instead.

 

[Flatswing]

With that many failures you might want to check the voltage at the pump when it is running. Could it be that wire to the pump is very undersized and there is sufficient voltage drop to cause pump failures?

It wasn't clear whether the motor or the wet end failed in your situation. The Paragon Sr requires a 50A breaker in 12v systems. Mine has #6 wires direct from the house bank (10' total return run). The main panel breaker only powers the solenoid/pressure switch. I would definitely check for a voltage drop, since different pumps are failing.