Which residential water pump to buy?

[Chimera]

Smart head is sheit eh.

Get a pressure tank and switch. You will save on current

[bluefete]

88sins: So I recently installed a pump. I get water 24/7 so I will not be using it often.

Should I lock off the mains and let the pump run every so often to prevent what you described below?

If water only goes like once a year for me does it make sense to buy a pump which will hardly be in use, if so what brand?

Once you have tanks ground level, it's always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it

Imagine water gone w/o warning while you in d shower mid-soap/shampoo. Yuh really wanna have to go outside and try to get water out the tank or ask someone else in the house to do it for you?

And what happens if/when wasa decide your area getting too regular a supply and cuts it down to 3 or 4 days per week? No telling what wasa go do or when or why, and them ketchin you off guard and unprepared can be a real inconvenience.

Like I said, better to have it and not need it. Just run it a few times for the year so that the impeller doesn't rot out and the bearing don't seize up and you good to go

[pugboy]

your wasa pressure is always high such that pump will never come on?

pump should be run as shaft seal can stick if not used

[De Dragon]

88sins: So I recently installed a pump. I get water 24/7 so I will not be using it often.

Should I lock off the mains and let the pump run every so often to prevent what you described below?

If water only goes like once a year for me does it make sense to buy a pump which will hardly be in use, if so what brand?

Once you have tanks ground level, it's always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it

Imagine water gone w/o warning while you in d shower mid-soap/shampoo. Yuh really wanna have to go outside and try to get water out the tank or ask someone else in the house to do it for you?

And what happens if/when wasa decide your area getting too regular a supply and cuts it down to 3 or 4 days per week? No telling what wasa go do or when or why, and them ketchin you off guard and unprepared can be a real inconvenience.

Like I said, better to have it and not need it. Just run it a few times for the year so that the impeller doesn't rot out and the bearing don't seize up and you good to go

You can activate the pressure switch to jog the pump now and then.

[bluefete]

^^De Dragon: Thanks.

[Supra GT-FOUR]

88sins: So I recently installed a pump. I get water 24/7 so I will not be using it often.

Should I lock off the mains and let the pump run every so often to prevent what you described below?

If water only goes like once a year for me does it make sense to buy a pump which will hardly be in use, if so what brand?

Once you have tanks ground level, it's always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it

Imagine water gone w/o warning while you in d shower mid-soap/shampoo. Yuh really wanna have to go outside and try to get water out the tank or ask someone else in the house to do it for you?

And what happens if/when wasa decide your area getting too regular a supply and cuts it down to 3 or 4 days per week? No telling what wasa go do or when or why, and them ketchin you off guard and unprepared can be a real inconvenience.

Like I said, better to have it and not need it. Just run it a few times for the year so that the impeller doesn't rot out and the bearing don't seize up and you good to go

You can activate the pressure switch to jog the pump now and then.

Should put a caution warning here as 110v is present at pressure switch contacts/terminals.


Use an insulated screwdriver.

[pugboy]

a garden tap close to the pump out line is always a good idea, opening would trigger the pressure switch

[bluefete]

your wasa pressure is always high such that pump will never come on?

pump should be run as shaft seal can stick if not used

I should add some context here.

The pump is not on. It is plugged in but because I get water regularly, I do not have it on. I only put it on when / if water goes.

Saves electricity as well. Not sure if that is a good thing based on the feedback received.

[pugboy]

better to leave it plugged in and adjust pressure switch so it only comes on at very low pressure
if shaft seal sticks them pentax can burn the motor

[cornfused]

Leave it on try to make sure the pumps come on about one timer per week, as said above seals and shafts can get corroded

[pugboy]

the pentax seem to not have high torque starting so a slightly seized shaft seal won’t spin and burns
happened to 2 practically new 1/2hp ones of mine
they only use a starting capacitor like a lasko fan
whilst goulds has fancy stuff with contactors

[gastly369]

Goulds 20 years going strong... Change pressure switch worn contacts and pressure tanks few times... Paint back but running like butter

[Chimera]

Allyuh does take on servicing pumps? Or only when it give trouble send it in for a service. Is there basic servicing you can do yourself at home?
I real wanna get a cycle stop valve to see if it works as advertised yes.

[pugboy]

a cyclestop valve is simply a mechanic smarthead
nothing more nothing less
doesn’t fail like a smarthead though

for high usage location makes a lot of sense now as pump cycles less and pressure tanks are super expensive now
for high demand installs when a pump cycles on under full throughout load is when it burns the most current just like start stop driving

[Chimera]

The issue I have with smart heads is they turn on as soon as you open a pipe.
If u just rinse your hand or brush your teeth or full a dog bowl the smart head kicks on.

Multiply that for everyone in the household.

A 20 Amp or saw draw every time it comes on

I set my pump to 40/60 but I have that pump running some drip irrigation as well with psi regulators.

So I could do with a constant 50 or 55 psi pressure rather than having to deal with it dropping to 41 42 48 etc....


That's my reasoning for the cycle stop valve. With the pressure tank

[pugboy]

normally you use a cyclestop valve with a small pressure tank which acts as a buffer for the low usage tap turn ons
ideally the pump WILL be on longer but running at a moderate load

[De Dragon]

the pentax seem to not have high torque starting so a slightly seized shaft seal won’t spin and burns
happened to 2 practically new 1/2hp ones of mine
they only use a starting capacitor like a lasko fan
whilst goulds has fancy stuff with contactors

You'd be surprised at the kinda high horsepower motors a little rust and build up will overload

[gastly369]

Pumps simple to fix for the diy peeps not hard

[pugboy]

yeah once motor windings not burnt, i have a few spare that i collected over the years and changed bearings etc

there are also guys who refurb pumps and sell cheap, i bought a goulds from a guy for $1500 which is a steal at current prices.

Pumps simple to fix for the diy peeps not hard

[pugboy]

that’s the issue with ac single phase motors

the pentax seem to not have high torque starting so a slightly seized shaft seal won’t spin and burns
happened to 2 practically new 1/2hp ones of mine
they only use a starting capacitor like a lasko fan
whilst goulds has fancy stuff with contactors

You'd be surprised at the kinda high horsepower motors a little rust and build up will overload

[Chimera]

yeah once motor windings not burnt, i have a few spare that i collected over the years and changed bearings etc

there are also guys who refurb pumps and sell cheap, i bought a goulds from a guy for $1500 which is a steal at current prices.

Pumps simple to fix for the diy peeps not hard

Yea plenty ppl ask shops to repair pumps and then don't ever go back for them. They then sell it to recover cost of repair.

I got a 2 inch high pressure gas irrigation pump with the lpg attachment for $1000 the other day.

The lpg conversion alone is $500 normally

[cornfused]

Tried and Test Pump and Tank systems are the best

I am not sold on CSV because of the following

1. The leave a longer running time for the pump and using more electricity. A lot of bull out there to counter that point

2. The design of the CSV seems to be a modified PCV pressure control valve or a PCV with a leak

3. More pump starts , the CSV with small tank will start the pump frequently less cycles , look out for water hammer

4. A variable frequency drive VFD seems to be better with softer starts.

[pugboy]

yeah, those are the typical arguments, really need somebody with a clamp meter to check the current usage.

they both have the pump running on vs a pressure tank using the built up pressure stored water in it to buffer usage and keep pump off until the pressure tank water is drawn down.

the csv people say that they burn less current because the csv chokes the output of the pump to a set amount eg 50psi depending on model chosen, they also claim the regulated output IS a soft start, ie no water hammer
so in effect the pump is on but not pushing max load and will never push more than 50psi through it.

do smartheads have a regulated output or simply work as an electronic on/off controller ?

Tried and Test Pump and Tank systems are the best

I am not sold on CSV because of the following

1. The leave a longer running time for the pump and using more electricity. A lot of bull out there to counter that point

2. The design of the CSV seems to be a modified PCV pressure control valve or a PCV with a leak

3. More pump starts , the CSV with small tank will start the pump frequently less cycles , look out for water hammer

4. A variable frequency drive VFD seems to be better with softer starts.

[Chimera]

Lemme ask something..

In my situation my 5 gallon tank has a digital pressure switch which I have set at 40/60. I can see the pressure counting down when I open a pipe....

So I can see if I open a pipe to wash my hand...it count down from 60 to 57.....open again....57 to 53.....again.....53 to 49......pump never activates during that time because it doesn't need to....
So several times I can open pipes for small tasks without the pump activating....

Now I have different drip irrigation attached to my pump....different sections.....

As it is now I can only open one section at a time because if I open two it won't get enough pressure.....the pressure will be around 45/48 and won't build up past that because of how fast the water is being used.


Wouldn't the csv in my case give me constant 55 psi pressure all the time.....

I assume that a constant 55 psi pressure means the pump will come on much faster and frequent if using for small tasks?

But if using for bigger tasks like running 45 mins drip irrigation....I would get my constant 55 psi ( with a csv valve set at 55 psi) ?

[pugboy]

if with multiple section open and your pump running, you only seeing 48psi then that is all the pump is capable at pushing with the demand of those multiple sections open
so with a csv you would still be limited to what the pump could push

[Supra GT-FOUR]

Tried and Test Pump and Tank systems are the best

I am not sold on CSV because of the following

1. The leave a longer running time for the pump and using more electricity. A lot of bull out there to counter that point

2. The design of the CSV seems to be a modified PCV pressure control valve or a PCV with a leak

3. More pump starts , the CSV with small tank will start the pump frequently less cycles , look out for water hammer

4. A variable frequency drive VFD seems to be better with softer starts.

VFDs are used on 3 phase motors and usually require 3 phase supply.
Some can run on single phase 220v (the VFD creates a 3 phase output from the single phase input).

All domestic pump motors are single phase (usually 110v).

[Chimera]

if with multiple section open and your pump running, you only seeing 48psi then that is all the pump is capable at pushing with the demand of those multiple sections open
so with a csv you would still be limited to what the pump could push

Wouldn't the csv create a back pressure that pushes the constant 55 psi (that I choose) u ever check out the interactive demo on csv website

[pugboy]

it’s possible but not sure
is this an existing system?
i think i have an extra csv if i can find it

[Chimera]

Yea it's a system I have now.

I using one goulds pump to run my house water as well as drip irrigation for about a acre of citrus

[Chimera]

Actually only getting 31 psi when one of the bigger irrigation zones open