Mike ReyherThe Whale V Mk6 Hand Pump is known for it’s quality construction, simplicity, and reliability. But it’s also known for its leaking sometimes right out of the box. Well today we’re going to show you the simple fix and step-by-step how how to stop the leak.
So the Whale V Hand Pump has become a popular choice for simple van builds for some of the same reason it’s popular on sail boats. It’s simple and reliable. Fresh water is important for anyone adventuring out of grid or at sea so a reliable water pump becomes one less thing to worry about on your adventure.
But the Whale V pump is also known for a problem where it leaks onto the countertop. It’s not like you are going to go thirsty but its just another thing to have to clean up after. My wife Becky came up with her own way to limit the mess but luckily some folks have figured out the permanent fix and it’s cheap and simple.
In short, the fix is to add an o-ring under the plunger cap to “squeegee” any water clinging to the plunger shaft. So the idea is simple but there are a few details that are critical like getting the right size o-ring and how to disassemble the pump in oder to get the 0-ring in place so it can do its job. I found this suggestion on an on-line sailing forum along with a lot of complaints about this leak. It’s kind of a bummer but easy to fix one you figure out how to take the pump apart enough to get the o-ring into place.
I made a YouTube video that walks though the process of taking the pump apart and fitting the new o-ring.