Buying a new submersible well pump: timing, brands etc?

[richg]

Good morning folks,

This question relates to the lifespan of a submersible well pump and what are the best pumps out there today as I am thinking about buying a new one to have on hand when the current one croaks.

To start, the old pump died 04/2011 and it was replaced a 4" Goulds Bruiser 7SB05422c, 2 wire, .5 HP, 230v, no control box. The Pressure tank and switch were replaced at the same time. The well is located on the bank of a spring-fed stream and is not all that deep....when the plumber removed the old pump, he said the pump was only down about 75 feet and that the well regenerated very quickly. We have iron in the water but not much in the way of sediment. Right now the Goulds pump is working fine but I am concerned that it will cr@p out when we least expect it. There are only three of us in the house so the pump is not being pushed to the limit, however, I am toying with the idea of buying a new, top-quality pump now as to have it on hand for the day when the Goulds pump croaks.

1. The current pump is 8.5 years old; what is a reasonable lifespan?
2. Given the specs above, what make of pump would you recommend? There is so much conflicting information out there....Goulds, Little Giant, Red Lion etc. I don't mind paying for the best.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Valveman]

Not much difference in the quality of any of those brands of pumps. They have all cheapened up their pumps until real quality is a thing of the past. Grundfos and Goulds are my two favs. But the Bruiser line is Goulds cheapo, the GS series is better. A 1/2HP, 7 GPM is very common. You should be able to pick one of those up when needed. Storing a submersible motor is not a good idea. The water/antifreeze inside can leak out or even evaporate through the Stainless Steel skin. If you don't know how to check the fluid level and top it off, just wait to purchase a pump until it is needed. Cycling on and off is usually what destroys pumps/motors, so eliminating the cycling is a better preventative measure than storing a spare pump.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[richg]

Not much difference in the quality of any of those brands of pumps. They have all cheapened up their pumps until real quality is a thing of the past. Grundfos and Goulds are my two favs. But the Bruiser line is Goulds cheapo, the GS series is better. A 1/2HP, 7 GPM is very common. You should be able to pick one of those up when needed. Storing a submersible motor is not a good idea. The water/antifreeze inside can leak out or even evaporate through the Stainless Steel skin. If you don't know how to check the fluid level and top it off, just wait to purchase a pump until it is needed. Cycling on and off is usually what destroys pumps/motors, so eliminating the cycling is a better preventative measure than storing a spare pump.

Howdy:

Thanks for your response. Yes, the plumber who installed the pump said the Bruiser was a cr@ppy pump and that I got ripped off. The original pump died on a Sunday morning and I bought the pump from a well driller who charged me an arm and a leg for "emergency service" even though he just sold the pump and didn't do the install. I'll check out the Goulds GS and see what's available. Thanks again.

 

[Valveman]

Pump ends will store for a long time. But after a year of storage the motor fluid needs to be checked and topped off before installing. Maybe you could store a 7 GPM pump end as a 1/2HP motor should be easy to pick up when needed.

 

[LLigetfa]

I replaced my 12 year old 10GS05 Goulds with the same size Grundfos 8 years ago and I am very happy with the Grundfos. It performs much better than the Goulds did but then the Goulds ingested a lot of sand.

 

[richg]

Folks,

Because I am a total pain in the @$$, I called Goulds to see about purchase of a pump in advance of installation. They advised that they have recently switched to Faradayne motors; the Faradyne tech said that long-term storage of a new pump is fine as long as it is not subjected to freezing temperatures. I may start by purchasing new well components such as 12/2 submersible wire, torque arrestor, shrink-fit connectors etc and build up an installation kit in advance of pump failure.

 

[Valveman]

Folks,

Because I am a total pain in the @$$, I called Goulds to see about purchase of a pump in advance of installation. They advised that they have recently switched to Faradayne motors; the Faradyne tech said that long-term storage of a new pump is fine as long as it is not subjected to freezing temperatures. I may start by purchasing new well components such as 12/2 submersible wire, torque arrestor, shrink-fit connectors etc and build up an installation kit in advance of pump failure.

I hate it when the tech for the company doesn't know what he/she is talking about. Freezing won't hurt since they are filled with anti-freeze, but after time the anti-freeze/water will leak or evaporate through the seal or SS skin. So, storing for any length of time is not good.

 

[Reach4]

How about storing it with the motor immersed in RV antifreeze solution? Maybe upside down in a 4-inch PVC section.

 

[Valveman]

How about storing it with the motor immersed in RV antifreeze solution? Maybe upside down in a 4-inch PVC section.

I don't see why that wouldn't work. Just need to remember to keep the 4" pvc topped off. But what a pain!