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Pond pumps
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Posted by knuttle z5in (My Page) on Sun, May 24, 09 at 13:03
| I have a 1300 gallon pond with three pools that are connected by weirs. There are two from the top pool, one from the second and one into the pump chamber that is about 18" deep X 14" X 18".
I had a 2700 gph pump in the pump chamber that developed a bad bearing. I replaced it with a Sunterra pump #20200 2000gph. The pump is separated from the pump box wier by a course filter. The pump feeds a 1.5 inch pipe that delivers the water about 24" up to the top pool.
While the new pump delivers the stated volume per wier measurements, it runs for about 10 to 30 minutes and quits pumping. Nothing seems wrong with the pump nor is the filter clogged.
Any suggestions to correct the problem. I would like to know what is wrong, because I don't want to take the pump back and continually have the same problem.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Pond pumps
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| knuttle, I think we'll need more info - presume the pump is not osing suction? If you're pumping faster than the flow into the inlet you could get air and loose suction, I don't know anytihng about that pump so maybe I can't really help. Does the pump blow a fuse, presume not since you didn't mention that item. Is it possilbe that something is caught in the inlet and gets sucked into the pump intake and when it shuts down the itme then flows back into the pipe - anthing caught in the discharge as well? Did you change any other parameters in the system when the pump was changed? It could be an internal electrcial overheating/electrcial problem causing the shut down. Are you able to put the pump into another pond location and have it run as a check run? What does the trouble shooting section of the pump manual say to do? Even though you do not blow a fuse, you could still have a power issue where when the pump does not get enough "juice" ti shuts down to avoid an overload condition within the pump?? having only a little bit of info, my thought is that something is causing the internal thermal overload protection to "kick in" and shut off the pump. Others may have more exoperience and be of more help - but this is my "two cents" worth. |
RE: Pond pumps update
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| After not getting the pump operational I left it in the pump chamber for a couple of days when we had company, I started the pump this afternoon. Plugged it in, pump started and ran correctly for about 15 minutes, then the flow dropped off to zero. There are no electrical problems as you can hear the pump when there is no flow. The pump is smaller that the previous pump so the house circuit is capable of handling the pump.
This is a submersible pump so there is no inlet pipe. |
RE: Pond pumps
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| If I understand correctly, the pump continues to run but no flow,if that is correct, it still possible something getting caught in the impeller or in the outlet just above the impellor as a submersilble pump still has an opening for the water to go through, can you tell if the impellor is turning when the pump is running and ther is no flow? ( you may not be able to do so, but try to listen to see if there is a change in the sound of the motor between having flow and no flow - there should be a sound change when th flow stops which is a possilbe indicatoion the impellor is not turning)I have a submersible and evey now and then I have to take off the bottom covering and clean out some trash. Typically their is a type of screen on the bottom and if some trash does pass through this screen, it sill could get caught above the impeller in the discharge opening and when the pump is turned off, the trash drops down, out-of-the discharge pipe until the pump is run again. I had this happen in my busiiness with a fuel pump that when running sucked a rag into the pump screen, then when stopped the rag would float away until the pump was again started. - just a thought |
RE: Pond pumps
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| two things you can check.get a strainer basket put the pump in it and fill it with lava rock.this will keep the junk from clogging the suck side of the pump.what size pipe are you using on the discharge? it should be at lest 11/2 diameter,2inch would be better.let us know how you make out. |
RE: Pond pumps
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| It is raining to day and I don't want to go out an play in the water. One of the ideas I had as to the problem was the fact that the impeller chamber inlet was about 1" and the outlet was an 1.5 inches. Would this cause it to stop flowing after a period of time? |
RE: Pond pumps
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| No, your outlet should always be as big or bigger than the inlet. My guess? --Try it without the filter. I have had pumps that draw enough that they suck the filter material until it compresses and blocks all the water flow. Do you have it plugged into a GFSI outlet? If it was overheating, it should trip the breaker. Can you bring it in and try it in a filled bathtub? Then you would know if it was the pump and not something clogging the inlet. WARNING! If you do try this, make sure the water stays IN the tub. I bought a 4200 gph pump last year and we had to try it out. Best to get someone who hasn't a clue to hold the pump while you plug it in. ~grins~
Try this with a GFSI outlet only!
sam |
RE: Pond pumps
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| Return this pump to the person you purchased it from. The wiring is incorrect and there is no way to fix it. You can try another one but it may have the same problem. It was a bad batch and it will be a hit and miss game to get a good pump. |
Here is a link that might be useful: NC Pond
RE: Pond pumps
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| After reading all of your post, I have solved my pump problem. One poster said he had problems with the prefilter. That turned out to be to my problem. There appears to be a design error in the Sunterra 2000GPH pump. As purchased the pump comes with a built in pre-filter which seemed to be a good idea. However the pre-filter is designed such that the water actually by passes most of the filter, but the pump can pull the filter material into the intake and stop the water flow. When you take the pump out the filter material is released from the intake, and there is apparently nothing wrong with the pump. I removed the pre-filter material and the pump has run constantly without stopping for about four days. Thank you for all of your help. |
RE: Pond pumps
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| frugalgardener: "Do you have it plugged into a GFSI outlet? If it was overheating, it should trip the breaker." I don't believe so (and I'm an electrical engineer). Ground Fault Interrupters measure the difference
in current out the hot leg and back into the neutral (the 2 power wires in a 2-wire plug). A difference in
these currents is flowing out somewhere else (to ground!) Just an excess of current will trip a normal circuit breaker, not a GFI. kuttle: glad you fixed it! |
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