# Priming Northstar 30 Gal Pump



## dwightevansjr71 (May 20, 2020)

I am having a hell of time getting my pump to pump pressure. It runs, but the psi is at 0. When I disconnect the inlet line to the pump and hook up a dummy line and push water through it, it pushes at the prescribed 30psi. As soon as I disconnect and hook back up to the tank inlet line, nothing. I assume I have air and the pump isn't strong enough to suck it through. How do I prime this thing? Especially with that rigid tank inlet line.


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## Automate (Aug 14, 2020)

Pump should be able to prime its self. Make sure all your clamps on the suction side are tight. It does not take but a little air leak to kill the prime. Could also be a hole or split in your suction line.


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## Uk0724 (May 1, 2019)

I literally just went through the same thing with my 40 gal. I changed every hose and connection. Even took the pump head off and cleaned it. Changed the gauge.

The new pump just came in and it works great now. My sprayer was 1 yr old.


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## dwightevansjr71 (May 20, 2020)

Uk0724 said:


> I literally just went through the same thing with my 40 gal. I changed every hose and connection. Even took the pump head off and cleaned it. Changed the gauge.
> 
> The new pump just came in and it works great now. My sprayer was 1 yr old.


This is pathetic. I literally had to replace the pump last year after 2 uses. Is there a better pump option?


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## dwightevansjr71 (May 20, 2020)

Automate said:


> Pump should be able to prime its self. Make sure all your clamps on the suction side are tight. It does not take but a little air leak to kill the prime. Could also be a hole or split in your suction line.


Everything is tight. I read some stuff online about taking the inlet line out and priming it with a garden hose, but damn! for the price point, I do not feel like I need to be doing all this. Do you know of a better option pump?


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## Liledgy (Aug 21, 2018)

my northstar 16 g wouldnt pump this year. i removed intake from tank, made sure it was clean, funneled water into into inlet side. still wouldnt pull water. i disconnected outlet hose. blew air thru inlet and liquid rushed out. i then added more water thru funnel and it started pumping normally. i mustve had some thing stuck in outlet hose or in the pump that it couldnt push out. anyway its all good now. this will be my third season with northstar.


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## Automate (Aug 14, 2020)

Sprayers stored in an outside shed over the winter need to have antifreeze run through them


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

I had the same problem last summer, I bought a new valve assembly right away as a spare and took to disassembling what I had, I found no gouges, rips, tears, holes or anything in the valves, but it still would only pump when force primed, any speck of air would halt it. I swapped the new valve plate in it and was back in business. I've now purchased a whole spare pump to swap in if needed since its only four fasteners and the liquid QD's, then I can repair the pump later instead of farting around while I have a tank of juice ready to go. I also now perform a pump test with half a tank of straight water before adding my chem and topping it off. I don't know who all is aware of this but the Northstar pump are private label rebrands for Northern tool by Everflo and are nut and bolt interchangeable:

https://everflopump.com/

EDIT: cross ref list I've put together:
2.2 GPM pump Northern 2682272 (Everflo EF2200QA)
3.0 GPM pump Northern 2683062 (Everflo EF3000QA)
4.0 GPM pump Northern 2684062 (Everflo EF4000QA)


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

dwightevansjr71 said:


> Uk0724 said:
> 
> 
> > I literally just went through the same thing with my 40 gal. I changed every hose and connection. Even took the pump head off and cleaned it. Changed the gauge.
> ...


I had a problem similar to this and I found it was not the pump at all I was the regulator.


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## dwightevansjr71 (May 20, 2020)

Dkrem said:


> I had the same problem last summer, I bought a new valve assembly right away as a spare and took to disassembling what I had, I found no gouges, rips, tears, holes or anything in the valves, but it still would only pump when force primed, any speck of air would halt it. I swapped the new valve plate in it and was back in business. I've now purchased a whole spare pump to swap in if needed since its only four fasteners and the liquid QD's, then I can repair the pump later instead of farting around while I have a tank of juice ready to go. I also now perform a pump test with half a tank of straight water before adding my chem and topping it off. I don't know who all is aware of this but the Northstar pump are private label rebrands for Northern tool by Everflo and are nut and bolt interchangeable:
> 
> https://everflopump.com/
> 
> ...


Is everflo a better pump?


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## dwightevansjr71 (May 20, 2020)

CenlaLowell said:


> dwightevansjr71 said:
> 
> 
> > Uk0724 said:
> ...


The regulator would cause the pump only to work when forced primed?


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## Dkrem (Mar 16, 2019)

dwightevansjr71 said:


> Is everflo a better pump?


its exactly the same pump. The everflo valve block I bought popped right into the northstar housing.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

dwightevansjr71 said:


> CenlaLowell said:
> 
> 
> > dwightevansjr71 said:
> ...


Mine did


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