Learn Me On Water Pumps

[crokett™]

I need a 12V water pump. Plan right now is to run it off batteries that are maintained by a solar charger. It needs to lift the water about 3' and move it about 6' to water some livestock. I'm looking at this one

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_527_527

It seems like it will do what I want.

[JosephP]

I like diaphragm pumps because they don't need primed and you don't damage them running them dry.  You can also shut off the out flow without causing it to cavitate.

However:  how big of a tank are you looking to fill?  This is 3 gallons per minute on a good day...when you are lifting, you are going to quickly drop gpm.

Does it have to be 12V...could you use an engine driven pump?

I got this Generac centrifugal pump on sale for $180 (I think that is what I paid a couple of months ago).  It does need primed, but it really moves the water.  Has all the hoses, and fittings that you need...so the price difference isn't quite as much if you can find it on sale again.

Otherwise, you are going to push into $300+ pretty quickly.

[Wild Turkey]

How much water do you need to move in how much time? It's rated at about 3 gallons/minute (think small garden hose) and a 3' lift may cut that some.

Will it need to lift the water to it's intake, or will it be "flooded"?

How much water will you need in a day? It seems to be a good pump but it's a SMALL pump.

[crokett™]

It really needs to be a solar pump. it could be engine driven but we'd be there every couple days running the engine. that's not ideal but it's doable.

I don't know how much water, it will be for goats. right now it's 2 goats who together might drink 2 gallons per day. It will need to lift the water to its intake. We could put it down close to the water if we have to but I don't want it freezing in the winter either, so Im thinking it needs to be up near the tank so that the water can drain out of the intake hose. Figure lift 3' or less and then it has to travel about 8' give or take.

[blackhat]

If the intake is going to drain, you need a self priming pump.  No pump is freeze proof.  End of story.  If you can't heat it and protect the pump housing from frost, it will break unless completely drained or filled with anti freeze.

[Wild Turkey]

It should do the job for two goats.

The diaphragm pump is self-priming so you could keep it above water, but the "demand switch prevents back flow" feature might keep water in the lines which would be a freeze hazard.

Is the water source going to freeze solid, or just get a coat of ice? The pump could still move the water but I'd worry about it freezing in the line on really cold days. Is your climate mild enough that's not a problem?

[fixtureman]

I would look at a fuel pump pump.  It woul be under the water and not freeze and it would be able to handle the amount you want.

[crokett™]

at the moment I think I'm looking for a submersible 12v pump - fuel or otherwise - with no backflow preventer. We will sink a sump in the stream bed and drop the pump in to it. It doesn't get cold enough here for moving water to freeze solid. With no backflow prevention the water can just drain back into the sump when the pump shuts off.

thanks for the suggestions.

[JosephP]

Would an inverter work to power a small sump pump???