Neil Gunton
New Member
Hi, I hope this isn't a completely stupid question, but I can't get any answer from the manufacturer, so I'm turning to the community.
Basically I am looking at a Wayne PLS100 lawn sprinkler pump to potentially get water for drinking from the creek below our yard in the event of an extended natural disaster (mainly I'm concerned about earthquakes around where we are, services could be knocked out for weeks or months).
I am looking at this pump:
https://www.waynepumps.com/product-selector/lawn-pumps-portable/pls100
This one has everything I want/need, in that it is relatively cheap, lightweight, portable, and runs off standard 110 voltage (I would be running it from a Honda EU2000i). I wouldn't be needing to run it 24/7, just at times to fill a tank or (maybe) provide pressure to a hose for fighting fires.
The only thing is, this pump is "not rated" for potable water. So I tried calling Wayne to ask them what it is exactly about this pump that makes it not suitable, but they just kept saying the same thing over and over in different words - i.e. it's just "not suitable". It became obvious that it's just a matter of legal liability, they cannot give me any information at all that might lead me to believe that I could use it for potable water under any circumstances.
Ok, so now this makes me really curious. What does this pump introduce into the water that might be harmful, if anything? Or is the "non potable" rating simply due to the fact that this pump has a certain price point (around $160) and they have positioned it in such a way that they don't want it competing with their other products that are "rated" for potable? In other words, is it just a marketing delineation? Or is there some actual potentially harmful substance that's introduced into the water during pumping? I would be filtering the water after pumping, through multiple ceramic/carbon filters, and treating it with calcium hypochlorite. I asked the guy if the pump had lead in it, he did say no, but he wouldn't tell me if there were possibly other chemicals that might be present in the plastic parts that could leach into the water. I am aware that some plastics are safe for potable water and others aren't (I learned that when researching buckets). Apparently they use chemicals for the manufacturing process to release the bucket from the mold. Is that pretty much the possibility here? And if so, can anyone tell me what those chemicals might be, and if they are something that would be taken out by a good ceramic/carbon filter system? I would be using a Monolithic bucket filter, followed by the bleach treatment, and then another treatment with a Katadyn Gravidyn gravity bucket filter.
Please tell me if I'm being stupid by even considering this, or stupid for thinking it might be a problem.
Or, if you have any knowledge of alternative pumps that would suit my purpose, I'm all ears. It has to run off 110v due to the little generator, and preferably be lightweight and portable. We live about 200 feet from the creek, and about 10 feet above it.
Thanks!
Neil
Basically I am looking at a Wayne PLS100 lawn sprinkler pump to potentially get water for drinking from the creek below our yard in the event of an extended natural disaster (mainly I'm concerned about earthquakes around where we are, services could be knocked out for weeks or months).
I am looking at this pump:
https://www.waynepumps.com/product-selector/lawn-pumps-portable/pls100
This one has everything I want/need, in that it is relatively cheap, lightweight, portable, and runs off standard 110 voltage (I would be running it from a Honda EU2000i). I wouldn't be needing to run it 24/7, just at times to fill a tank or (maybe) provide pressure to a hose for fighting fires.
The only thing is, this pump is "not rated" for potable water. So I tried calling Wayne to ask them what it is exactly about this pump that makes it not suitable, but they just kept saying the same thing over and over in different words - i.e. it's just "not suitable". It became obvious that it's just a matter of legal liability, they cannot give me any information at all that might lead me to believe that I could use it for potable water under any circumstances.
Ok, so now this makes me really curious. What does this pump introduce into the water that might be harmful, if anything? Or is the "non potable" rating simply due to the fact that this pump has a certain price point (around $160) and they have positioned it in such a way that they don't want it competing with their other products that are "rated" for potable? In other words, is it just a marketing delineation? Or is there some actual potentially harmful substance that's introduced into the water during pumping? I would be filtering the water after pumping, through multiple ceramic/carbon filters, and treating it with calcium hypochlorite. I asked the guy if the pump had lead in it, he did say no, but he wouldn't tell me if there were possibly other chemicals that might be present in the plastic parts that could leach into the water. I am aware that some plastics are safe for potable water and others aren't (I learned that when researching buckets). Apparently they use chemicals for the manufacturing process to release the bucket from the mold. Is that pretty much the possibility here? And if so, can anyone tell me what those chemicals might be, and if they are something that would be taken out by a good ceramic/carbon filter system? I would be using a Monolithic bucket filter, followed by the bleach treatment, and then another treatment with a Katadyn Gravidyn gravity bucket filter.
Please tell me if I'm being stupid by even considering this, or stupid for thinking it might be a problem.
Or, if you have any knowledge of alternative pumps that would suit my purpose, I'm all ears. It has to run off 110v due to the little generator, and preferably be lightweight and portable. We live about 200 feet from the creek, and about 10 feet above it.
Thanks!
Neil
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