Lake water pump cracked housing - trying to determine best option with changed needs

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Stephenson

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I am a bit out of my general knowledge zone ... bought a small lake house three years ago so still learning in-outs of winterization (Smith Mountain Lake a bit south of Roanoke, Virginia).

I drained the pump for the winter, but had previously noticed stress cracks in the iron pump housing probably from previous freezes - this year it leaks water across an 8" crack likely due to much colder than usual and inexpert draining :-( ... it is a Sta Rite HMSF-1FL, horizontal pump with a 1 1/2 HP motor and pressure tank - was used by previous owner for landscape irrigation (300 feet uphill with 75 foot elevation increase above the pump) and for general dock and boat cleaning with two faucets. The system is mounted on a platform about 10' above the usual lake water level. The pump cycles on/off very quickly with just water hose on the dock running. I like the pressure, but sense I am way over motored with 1 1/2 HP.

The irrigation system was both unnecessary and long ago abandoned.

I would like to simply replace the housing, but the motor and pressure switch are original (probably 15 years old?) - and, I can't find much on line related to this procedure - looks like you prise the motor away from housing a bit and spin the rotor out of the vane assembly). A new pump/motor/switch is pretty expensive, and may now be significantly oversized for just the dockside clearning and one additional faucet about 50 feet away at the same level as the pump.

I don't want to change out the suction line or modify the pressure lines - too much of it to economically replace, but could use reducers, etc, if a smaller pump with different in/out line sizes made economic sense. If I did replace the entire system (except the tank), I would like to keep the location the same for wiring and line connections.

Thoughts on most reasonable course of action?

Thanks!!
 

Valveman

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You can probably get a new 3/4HP for what it will cost to fix the 1.5HP. It will run 2 hoses fine. You could also add a CSV1A if you want to keep it from cycling while using just one hose.
 

Stephenson

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Thanks, Valveman,

Yeah, don't need the 1 1/2 hp anymore ...but the choices on pumps are a bit befuddling ... FN, SN, HN and a couple of specialty materials like stainless and plastic. I have a pressure tank on a T off the pressure side ...would like to use the same piping connections, as well. Any idea on which pump from http://www.sta-rite.com/ResidentialSearchResults.aspx#ProductType=Jet is a suitable solution? I must be missing the distinctions between the various models ....I understand why the multi stage on my broken one, given the distance needed to pump, but it gets confusing on these others. Thanks!
 

Stephenson

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Valveman,

Spent awhile on phone with tech from Sta Rite today ... We kinda settled on a HNC or HND ...I think the 1/2 hp would be fine ...SN would require a bit of re piping am trying to avoid, but would be about 30 bucks cheaper! Is there ANY reason for me to pop for the 3/4 hp?
 

Stephenson

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Trying to attach photo of my old hmsf ....
 

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Valveman

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There is not a nickels worth of difference in performance between the SN and HN. They both look the same to me, so I don't know why one would be plumbed differently than the other. The 1/2HP will give you 10 GPM and the 3/4HP will deliver 20 GPM. Without a CSV the 1/2HP will cycle less. The 3/4HP would give you 20 GPM when you need it, and a CSV would make it work as low as 1 GPM without cycling. The CSV lets you put in as large a pump as you may need, and still let you run it like a small pump without cycling the pump to death. Without a CSV you want the smallest pump you can live with, but that may mean you won't have the volume to do all the things you want.
 

Stephenson

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Valveman ....the HN doesn't have to be plumbed differently than the SN, I was just looking to save time by finding a solution requiring less work :)
 

Stephenson

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Installed last weekend. The usual trips to the local farm store for various pipe and fittings. Couldn't reuse a couple of fittings as simply could not break them loose - didn't have torch available.

Toughest thing was getting the darn thing primed ...not the pumps fault ...recall in my initial post, said I was going smaller pump cause had disconnected the irrigation system? Well, what I should have said was I thought I had disconnected the irrigation system. :)

So, filled priming chamber, turned on pumped it ran and ran ...got pressure from the two faucets ...but it would never run the 50 psi cutoff ...stopped at about 28 psi and kept on running. I found the pvc priming ball valve (located at nearly lake level was cracked, so went to store and got another and installed ...still didn't run to the switch cutoff, so I thought perhaps wasn't getting enough water ...jumped in and shinnied down the piling to clean off the intake at the 10 foot point. Still didn't run to shutoff.

Sat down and thought about it a lot! Could only come up with a big underground leak ...looked everywhere under dock, back yard, etc. Nada. Wandered up to the front of the house ...gah! Yep,the irrigation heads were running water ...some idiot (maybe me) had plugged the irrigation computer back in ...and, this also meant i had not blocked off the who irrigation system ...just part of it. Cycled the timing computer to off for each zone ...confirmed the valve heads had stopped. Unplugged the timer. Walked back to dock. Turned on pump. Ran to cutoff in 10 seconds.

Good learning experience ...so, now have pump for dock ...and, have water pressure all the way up to two additional faucets 400 feet away and up the hill - if using the either of the toe up the hill, the ones lower down have to be shut off ...a fair trade off. Won't be using the irrigation system, though :)

Got the pump from supremewatersales.com ....Derrick in Naples, FL ...great pricing and quick delivery.
 
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