Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:52 pm
According to studies, the market volume for irrigation products has risen sharply in recent years. On average, every European spent around 8 euros a year on products such as irrigation pumps, garden hoses or pond liners. Garden and well pumps are also among the most popular irrigation products. They are essential for amateur gardeners and homeowners to provide irrigation and drainage. Commonly, however, the purchase of a well pump is anything but inexpensive. Consequently, there is a desire to maintain the pump as long as possible. The following article compiles helpful tips on how to properly use the pump and, consequently, extend its service life.
A well and garden pump is a valuable tool for maintaining your garden and providing water to your plants. To ensure optimal use and longevity of your pump, consider these tips:
1. Proper Installation:
- Ensure the pump is installed correctly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This includes proper placement, electrical connections, and securing the pump to a stable base to prevent vibrations.
2. Regular Maintenance:
- Regular maintenance is essential to keep your pump working efficiently. This includes cleaning the pump and its components, checking for loose fittings, and lubricating moving parts as needed.
3. Priming:
- If your well pump requires priming, make sure to prime it before use. Priming ensures the pump is filled with water and ready to operate. Follow the pump’s specific priming instructions.
4. Water Quality:
- Ensure that the water source (well, pond, etc.) is clean and free of debris. Using a pre-filter or screen can help prevent clogs and damage to the pump.
5. Protect from Freezing:
- If you live in an area with freezing temperatures, protect your pump and water lines from freezing. This may involve insulating pipes, using heat tape, or draining the system before winter.
6. Pressure Adjustment:
- Adjust the pressure settings on the pump as needed to meet the demands of your garden irrigation system. Ensure it’s not working at too high or too low a pressure for your specific needs.
7. Timer or Pressure Switch:
- Consider using a timer or pressure switch to automate the operation of your pump. This can help ensure that your garden receives water consistently without manual intervention.
8. Adequate Power Supply:
- Make sure your pump has a consistent and adequate power supply. Voltage fluctuations can damage the motor and reduce the pump’s lifespan.
9. Water Conservation:
- Use the pump judiciously to conserve water. Consider installing a rain barrel or other water storage system to collect rainwater for your garden, reducing the load on the pump.
10. Backup System:
- Install a backup power system, such as a generator or a battery-powered backup pump, to ensure your garden can receive water during power outages.
11. Regular Inspections:
- Periodically inspect the pump and its components for signs of wear, damage, or leaks. Address any issues promptly to prevent major breakdowns.
12. Professional Servicing:
- If you are unsure about maintenance or repairs, it’s a good idea to hire a professional to service your well and garden pump.
By following these tips and maintaining your well and garden pump properly, you can ensure that it functions efficiently and reliably, helping you maintain a healthy and well-watered garden.
Contents
Avoiding typical mistakes when installing well pumps
Submersible pumps, in particular, are literally a thing in themselves. If you make typical mistakes, you run the risk of being left high and dry in the end. It is important not to suspend the well pump on the motor cable. Instead, the unit must be supported by a safety cable or conduit during installation. If you disregard this, you risk breaking the cable or even crashing the pump.
Another problem that often occurs when starting garden pumps is the loud noise level. How loud the pump really is in operation depends on its motor and the location you choose. So, if you want to get the pump quieter, you should choose the right location. To install the pump, for example, basements and carports are ideal. If a quiet pump does become louder in terms of noise level, you can proceed as follows:
Use flexible suction hoses instead of fixed pipes. These do not transmit the “vibrations” as strongly as rigid pipes do. Consequently, the noise level will be considerably lower.
Vibration dampers also help to keep noise in check on a fixed pump. The less the pump has to be moved, the quieter it runs.
What you should not do under any circumstances is to cover the well pump with foils or carpets. Then it can happen that the pump becomes defective due to the lack of air supply. Even more, as soon as the motor runs too hot due to the lack of air supply, there is also an acute risk of fire.
Instead, you can use a special casing, the pump dome. This allows sufficient air to enter the unit. At the same time, this tool reduces the noise level. By the way, you can easily assemble this cladding yourself from garden bricks, insulation boards or even sheetrock. In this case, you should only make sure to use a heat-resistant and weatherproof material.
At best, from the outset, buy a quiet water pump, which in operating mode is no louder than 60-80 dB.
Use garden pump properly
In everyday life, things happen quickly that affect the functionality of the pump. A common problem arises from the fact that the pump does not properly draw in water. Then it may be necessary to bleed the pump. Often, however, the problem can be solved with the pump’s shutter. This can be opened, allowing the water to pass through until it overflows. After that, the pump can no longer suck in air, which makes it work perfectly again.
During use, the pump motor should not sink into the sand. As soon as the motor sinks into the sand or mud, it overheats and “dies”. So care should be taken not to place the well pump on the bottom of the well, and also not to leave it too close to the wall. If it is a submersible pump, it must be watered constantly. As soon as it runs dry, it lacks the “lubricant” and is defective after a few minutes. To avoid such and other damage, the well pump should ideally be monitored regularly. This can be done, for example, with a well camera that shows changes.
Cleaning and caring for garden pumps properly
Basically, garden pumps do not make many demands in terms of care. Thanks to their weather-resistant material, they only need to be thoroughly cleaned once or twice a year. To do this, you should first carefully read the instruction manual. Sometimes the pumps for garden fountains require different care depending on their type.
Quite elementary in cleaning remains to maintain the built-in filter at regular intervals. Even the best well pumps can become clogged as a result of poor cleaning or overloaded so that their motor no longer works properly. Consequently, this means for you to regularly clean hoses and line pipes from impurities. You should, of course, make sure that the pump is not connected to a circuit during cleaning.
Store well pump in dry and weatherproof rooms
If the garden or well pump will not be used for a long time, it is necessary to park it properly. In principle, such a pump can be stored in the shed or in a basement without any problems, but: the room must be dry and weatherproof. Before you “store” the pump for a long time, you should remove the residual water. If water accidentally remains in the pump during the winter, its metal parts may begin to rust, either inside or out. Even the strongest metal casing can crack as a result of frost, as a result of which the pump is no longer operational.