Water pump

Dizzy28 · Postby **Dizzy28** » March 10th, 2025, 9:20 am

My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » March 10th, 2025, 12:12 pm

better yuh buy a goulds even second hand

i just pickup a spare goulds at a garage sale weekend
$2k for a j5s with a 5gal pressure tank and nice lockoff valves etc

you can find them often of fb too

Dizzy28 wrote:My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.

Postby **Dave** » March 10th, 2025, 12:25 pm

Dizzy28 wrote:My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.

How often was it used?

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » March 10th, 2025, 12:55 pm

those small chinese pumps utilize smartheads
they can’t push the volume to pressurize a pressure tank.

so it likely runs longer than a pump which using a pressure tank and pressure switch

however the supposed benefit is that a smarthead trades off against the motor doing a lot of stop/starts which burns more current and stresses the motor mechanically

Dave wrote:
Dizzy28 wrote:My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.
How often was it used?

Dizzy28 · Postby **Dizzy28** » March 10th, 2025, 1:33 pm

Dave wrote:
Dizzy28 wrote:My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.
How often was it used?

With the way water pressure is. 4 days a week in most weeks all day long.

Dizzy28 · Postby **Dizzy28** » March 10th, 2025, 1:36 pm

pugboy wrote:better yuh buy a goulds even second hand

i just pickup a spare goulds at a garage sale weekend
$2k for a j5s with a 5gal pressure tank and nice lockoff valves etc

you can find them often of fb too

Dizzy28 wrote:My Total SH pump finally fully died over the weekend. That would be 19 months of service from that.
Already passed in Water Source this morning and got myself a Pentax.

To late on the pump since I already buy the Pentax. Lets see how this one plays out and then Goulds for sure next time.

alfa · Postby **alfa** » March 10th, 2025, 1:40 pm

I see pentax launch a line of stainless steel housing pumps. This could be a gamechanger

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » March 10th, 2025, 2:32 pm

pentax does work but a little less powerful than equivalent horsepower goulds
and more likely to burn if tank runs dry
so you should install a float switch in the tank to protect the pump

Postby **Dave** » March 10th, 2025, 4:30 pm

Can the cheaper ones be repaired or it doesn't make sense?

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » March 10th, 2025, 5:07 pm

if motor burnt the cost to rewind ain’t worth it

motor rewinders dont do pentax either
they do goulds

Dave wrote:Can the cheaper ones be repaired or it doesn't make sense?

alfa · Postby **alfa** » March 10th, 2025, 5:23 pm

The mechanicals can be rebuilt easily though, did mine recently by changing bearings, seal, machining pitted shaft and installed a new diffuser. At the price almost half the price of a Gould's I always prefer the Pentax especially seeing that both rusts just as fast.

As for dry tank motor burnout I'm not sure how it happens as the motor would be running on no load with minimal current draw. It's the start stop that stresses the windings.

Also I could never understand how people let tanks run dry. I put a weighted string outside connected to a half filled water bottle that floats on the inside. When there's tank is empty the weight will be at the top and vice versa

Val · Postby **Val** » March 11th, 2025, 3:24 pm

pugboy wrote:pentax does work but a little less powerful than equivalent horsepower goulds
and more likely to burn if tank runs dry
so you should install a float switch in the tank to protect the pump

Yes to your first statement, Pentax delivers less flow than the equivalent Xylem by HP.
Both Pentax and Xylem use motors that have thermistor protection so if they overheat, they will trip, as will happen during long periods of dry run.
100% agreed on the float switch, as thermistor protection isn't foolproof, and your motor still has to get really hot to trip, but the float will stop your pump from starting well before any dry run, and if set right, will prevent you from picking up the dregs in your tank when it runs low.

Personally, I use both Pentax and Xylem pumps at home, both have good support and you can find spares locally easily).

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » March 11th, 2025, 4:38 pm

not all the pentax have the overheat protection
if you watch the label with specs there are little boxes where it is or is not checked off

Dizzy28 · Postby **Dizzy28** » March 12th, 2025, 9:05 am

Pentax got installed yesterday when I was in work. Didn't take it out the box. When I came home I was stunned to see the size difference between it and the Total despite both being 1/2HPs.
The Pentax is almost twice the size.

alfa · Postby **alfa** » March 12th, 2025, 9:39 am

Dizzy28 wrote:Pentax got installed yesterday when I was in work. Didn't take it out the box. When I came home I was stunned to see the size difference between it and the Total despite both being 1/2HPs.
The Pentax is almost twice the size.

Peripheral vs centrifugal pump. Same HP different sizes

alfa · Postby **alfa** » May 11th, 2025, 12:56 pm

I see Pentax launch a stainless steel line a while now. Any reviews on it?

VexXx Dogg · Postby **VexXx Dogg** » May 11th, 2025, 5:02 pm

alfa wrote:I see Pentax launch a stainless steel line a while now. Any reviews on it?

Installed

hp inox on a new home build. Haven’t moved in yet, but during testing performance is identical to the

hp cast iron version . The only difference is supposedly “less rusting” but time will tell. Cost difference was negligible.

eitech · Postby **eitech** » August 4th, 2025, 6:38 pm

What are good alternative pressure tank brands for replacement of a welxtrol on a goulds 1/2 hp?

Skillys · Postby **Skillys** » August 4th, 2025, 8:08 pm

eitech wrote:What are good alternative pressure tank brands for replacement of a welxtrol on a goulds 1/2 hp?

A.O smith and Zilmet

alfa · Postby **alfa** » August 4th, 2025, 8:48 pm

eitech wrote:What are good alternative pressure tank brands for replacement of a welxtrol on a goulds 1/2 hp?

Zilmet distributed by Watersource. Got an 18L going almost 7 years now

Skillys · Postby **Skillys** » Today, 8:15 am

Where can I get a waterpump cover to fit a pump with a pressure tank?

Chimera · Postby **Chimera** » Today, 10:43 am

You may have to put the tank separately.

pugboy · Postby **pugboy** » Today, 12:25 pm

only one you can buy off shelf is rotoplastics plastic housing but i doubt even smallest pressure tank will fit under it.
btw you can put the pressure tank anywhere downstream from the pump

fokhan_96 · Postby **fokhan_96** » Today, 12:34 pm

pugboy wrote:only one you can buy off shelf is rotoplastics plastic housing but i doubt even smallest pressure tank will fit under it.
btw you can put the pressure tank anywhere downstream from the pump

This. For some reason I just hate to see a pressure tank mounted directly on top a pump.