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View Full Version : general sump pump suitable?


knickle22
10-15-2011, 11:24 PM
Due to stand restrictions i cannot fit a large sump under my main tank and because of this i am setting up a sump tank in my basement. how ever finding a pump to push appx 1200 gph to a height of 12' is pretty pricey. Just wondering if ordinary sump pumps such as the ones at home depot well work. or well they corrode from salt or release harmful chems to my tank?
I was looking at this pump as the flow chart shows pretty much the flow i need but is a fraction of the price vs the reeflo pumps. http://www.homedepot.ca/product/utility-sink-pump-1-4-horsepower/928227

lastlight
10-15-2011, 11:27 PM
Even though I have never owned such a pump I would assume a couple things:

- metal and lubricants unsafe for the hobby are present
- not designed for continuous operation

marks69
10-16-2011, 12:26 AM
not made for salt water, and will cost more to run that a reeflo, also really loud. they are also not made to run 24-7.
i'm running a barracuda for my basement sump, and have no complaints. i also run 2 reactors off of it, and pump water to my refugium. you may pay a little to buy it, but for the water it moves, and how long they last you won't regret it

beginnersluckpg
10-18-2011, 01:11 PM
Oops

marks69
10-18-2011, 03:42 PM
a dart won't work for a basement sump. i tried. but the hammerhead/barricuda works amazing

mike31154
10-18-2011, 05:14 PM
The thing to look for in a pump dealing with high head pressures is that it's pressure biased vs being flow biased. Pumps designed this way are more efficient & will save you money in the long term. Iwaki, Panworld, Blueline, Poseidon all offer pumps of this type. For 1200 gph you will need a fair sized bad boy, perhaps you could scale back your flow just a little and be ok with something a bit smaller.

I have a Panworld NH-150PS as well as a Poseidon PS4 (formerly Velocity) ready to go for a basement sump. PS4 is actually a flow biased pump, so I have to eat my words regarding the pressure biased pump, but it was a good deal & after comparing flow charts with PS3 (pressure biased), there's not a large difference at the head pressure I'm dealing with. The PS4 & PS3 look physically identical, so I assume the design difference is inside the volute. PS4 will pump a fair amount less than the Panworld, but I plan to use it during the winter since Poseidons are known to add a fair bit of heat to the water. Save $$$s by running less wattage on heaters. They're also one of the quietest pumps available.

Quote from the spec sheets:
"The PS3 pumps 240 gallons per hour at 24 foot head pressure to 720 gallons per hour at 3 foot head pressure through 3/4 inch male NPT threaded fittings.
The PS4 pumps 480 gallons per hour at 16 foot head pressure to 1080 gallons per hour at 3 foot head pressure through 1 inch hose barb."

As you can see, the PS3 generally provides less flow than the PS4, but the curve is nice & gradual all the way to max head (just under 30 ft), so flow drops off less drastically along the entire curve. The PS4 provides more flow & the curve is not bad until the head pressure gets around the 11 ft mark, then it drops off much quicker than the PS3.

Provided the flow charts are reasonably accurate, here are the approximate numbers at 12 ft of head:

Panworld 150 - 840 gph (I might be off here, chart is hard to decipher, 1000 gph sounds like a better number. This pump is similar to Iwaki 70)
Poseidon PS4 - 840 gph
Poseidon PS3 - 560 gph
Iwaki 70RT - 1200

As noted above, I'm not sure on the Panworld numbers. I test ran both the Panworld & Poseidon - the Panworld appeared to flow a lot more. If you really need 1200 gph, then the obvious choice is something like the Iwaki 70. I think a Panworld 200 would also do the job. You'd be looking at a fairly high wattage 24/7 though. Looks like the reeflo offerings would also do nicely.

mark
10-18-2011, 07:41 PM
a dart won't work for a basement sump. i tried. but the hammerhead/barricuda works amazing

for my basement sump, Reeflo had offered me a Dart with a modified impeller, they figured would be good for about 1000gph. Ended up with a Barracuda.

sphelps
10-18-2011, 07:51 PM
To use a smaller pump you can also consider lifting the sump closer to the basement ceiling to reduce the head pressure, I have less than 7 feet difference between my display level and basement sump level.

In regards to the utility pump agree with others, they are for short duty cycles and use more power, sometimes up to twice as much which can add up to close to $100 per year so your savings won't last long.

mike31154
10-18-2011, 07:51 PM
Here you go, this should do the job nicely for less money than the Home Depot job which is totally unsuitable for our application.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=79291

Aquattro
10-18-2011, 08:01 PM
Here you go, this should do the job nicely for less money than the Home Depot job which is totally unsuitable for our application.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=79291

yup, I was just going to post that :) This pump went up about 16 feet through 25 feet of 1" PVC.

banditpowdercoat
10-18-2011, 08:20 PM
Why so much flow through the sump? Ever thought about running a high flow Closed loop sys on tank, then use a smaller, cheaper pump to add the Sump loop.