Cheap pump update

[2stupid2fixit]

as promised, my 3/4 horse cheap (under $200) ebay purchased pump has given me zero trouble. If you want the details of the pump ask me, I am not a paid advertiser. I thought it would not last 6 months for the price I paid but more than a year has gone by and no complaints.

 

[Reach4]

My pump was first installed in I think 2001. You think your pump making it through a couple of years is notable?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[2stupid2fixit]

My pump was first installed in I think 2001. You think your pump making it through a couple of years is notable?

Yes. Don't know if you remember but when I had to change my pump over a year ago I was worried that I'd just be wasting time and money by sending a $160 mostly plastic pump down the hole. Some suggested grundfos, others suggested replacing with a goulds like I removed. The cheapo is still going strong.

Your pump, on the other hand, installed in 2001, is probably of higher quality and was probably considerably more expensive.

 

[Blue Oak]

Let me get this straight. You installed a pump that you didn't think was going to last 6 months? Was the plan to replace it every 4 months for the rest of your life?

 

[Valveman]

I think the plan was to see how long the cheap pump will last. Please keep us updated? I have said many times that the brand name pumps have been cheapened up so much there is not much difference anymore.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

Let me get this straight. You installed a pump that you didn't think was going to last 6 months? Was the plan to replace it every 4 months for the rest of your life?

No. The plan was not to just keep replacing it. When I said that I didn't expect the cheap pump to last 6 months, that was a bit of an exaggeration with sarcasm.

At the time, I had very little money and a broken pump. When searching for a new pump, the options were between $800 and over $1200 for "quality" name-brand pumps. I decided to take a risk on a brand new 3/4 hp 2 wire $160 free shipping pump on ebay. When it arrived I went to the small town hardware/feed store that happened to sell Franklin Electric pumps. I put my cheap pump next to the $900 Franklin and besides the power cable, there did not seem to be a whole lot of difference. Both were close in weight , both seemed to have the same gauge stainless steel shells... but the insides are whats important.

 

[Valveman]

No. The plan was not to just keep replacing it. When I said that I didn't expect the cheap pump to last 6 months, that was a bit of an exaggeration with sarcasm.

At the time, I had very little money and a broken pump. When searching for a new pump, the options were between $800 and over $1200 for "quality" name-brand pumps. I decided to take a risk on a brand new 3/4 hp 2 wire $160 free shipping pump on ebay. When it arrived I went to the small town hardware/feed store that happened to sell Franklin Electric pumps. I put my cheap pump next to the $900 Franklin and besides the power cable, there did not seem to be a whole lot of difference. Both were close in weight , both seemed to have the same gauge stainless steel shells... but the insides are whats important.

Probably not that much different on the inside either.

 

[Banjo Bud]

My dad bought a new pump 40 years ago. After 30 years he bought a new one and gave the other one to me. I had it for 10 years, then I installed it. It was still in the original box.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

My dad bought a new pump 40 years ago. After 30 years he bought a new one and gave the other one to me. I had it for 10 years, then I installed it. It was still in the original box.

I kept the goulds/franklin pump that was down the hole since 1974-ish, I still have it. While this pump lasted as long as it did, even after being abused for about a year since the pressure tank had a broken bladder, it still lasted. That was around 1989-90. I do NOT think, in the world we now live, that it is at all reasonable to expect a pump to last 43 years. Even if it were built to MIL specs and cost me $50,000, a component lasting 43 years is a thing of the past. Doesn't natter, I would not live long enough to see the end of another pump that could make it to 43 years.

I am just giving updates on my $160 3/4 horsey 2 wire. I have a 62 gallon pressure tank. About 2 weeks ago I spent the entire saturday with the pressure washer hooked up to the system drain for at least 8 hours while I cleaned all the algae off my front deck. I know that cheap turd of a pump got a splendid workout in short cycles at that point... but its still running. I have read online reviews of Hallmark pumps, and what I can tell you is that online reviews are worth shit. There is no middle ground, it is love or hate, no reviewer says "well it was kinda okay...". This makes me think the best positive reviews are coming from those who sell Hallmark pumps, and the bad reviews are from those who bought them. The stories I have read of the failed ones make me blame the installer. They say things that make me wonder how they put on their clothes without a full staff helping. These are the same mechanically declined people "reviewing" things that get angry because tennis rackets and baseball mitts do not come with an instruction manual.

My rant ends here. I will keep trying to break my cheap pump and let you know what was the straw that broke the Tian's back.

This forum and all that I had to learn about pumps and pressures and water and drilling and everything else that makes a good water system work for a dwelling got me into the NGWA. I take my Certified Pump Installer exam soon, so the next time I say I am trying to wreck a pump, it will be be from a punp wrecker, CPI

Lol.

 

[Valveman]

Probably nothing wrong with the 74 model pump end. It is usually just the motor that fails. 8 hours of cycling with a tank that holds 15 gallons is not much of a test. Running like that everyday on a irrigation system, chicken farm, or other heavy use would be a better test. I have run test that took 12-15 years of daily abuse to get a result. Even cheaply built pumps will last a long time in a lightly used water system. That is why some variable speed pumps last as long as they do. So, that pump may last you a long time.

Reviews without a picture could be from anyone. I agree most bad reviews are from people who can't even read the instructions. They make themselves look foolish by complaining about things that clearly show they do not follow instructions.

I use to teach classes at the NGWA. Most organizations still cater to their biggest contributors or advertisers. A lot of those classes are geared to teach about the most profitable products, not the most advantageous methods. As with any schooling, your real education begins when you start doing business in the real world. A lot of stuff that is taught in class or works on paper will mislead you when you try to actually make things work. Someone who has worked on a few thousand pumps can be a much better teacher than anything you can learn in class.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

Probably nothing wrong with the 74 model pump end. It is usually just the motor that fails. 8 hours of cycling with a tank that holds 15 gallons is not much of a test. Running like that everyday on a irrigation system, chicken farm, or other heavy use would be a better test............ Someone who has worked on a few thousand pumps can be a much better teacher than anything you can learn in class.

All good points. In truth, the cheapo pump has never been stressed or abused, and there are not a whole lot of people living in my house. I doubt that it has ever been starved for water, and I havent seen evidence of a lightning strike anywhere near the well head. I am actually posting these updates because I also think that pricey name brands have the cherished specs and service expectations and the same mean time between failures as they farm the manufacturing out to Guangdong, China and cover the failures with a call center with call takers that say things like "Sir How I Can Help You". Not pointing fingers but this same phenomenom has happened in every category of products we buy.

On the other hand I did keep the 1974 era Gould's wet end. The bearings look nice. The impeller had calcium on it but no pitting. Maybe I should just ante up for a new franklin motor for around $475 (two cheap ebay pumps worth) and drop that back down. Let's see. I'll cover that bridge when I cross it, which means cheapo pump must break first.

As far as NWGA probably money got to them too. The thing is, my career has been telephone and cable. Mostly telecom. I thought it would be odd to ask a well company for a job seeing how my resume is all telephone. So I learned a few things on my own