has anyone tryed using builge pumps as return pumps from a sump. I was looking at the johnson and rule lines of submergable builge pumps as a cheap nd reliable alternative to some of the aquarium brands. I am only a bit concerned about th noise, but the rule website claims they are silent. anyone have any experience with these types of pumps
anyone tryed using builge pumps
- Thread starter revant01
- Start date
I don't believe that bilge pumps were meant for continous duty. You might also want to look into it's performance under head pressure as well as electricity consumption.
Interesting article. It doesn't really talk about using them as a sump return, instead as a low-velocity in-tank powerhead.
I'm in the planning stages of a 155g setup I'm going to put together this spring/summer and I'm planning to put a 55g wet/dry/sump on it. This might be an interesting and inexpensive alternative to a heavy-duty external pump; instead put two 500-700gph bilge pumps right into the sump tank which would provide two-pump redundancy.
I guess the question(s) I'd have would be related to how loud they are and what their lifetime expectation would be under constant operation
I'm in the planning stages of a 155g setup I'm going to put together this spring/summer and I'm planning to put a 55g wet/dry/sump on it. This might be an interesting and inexpensive alternative to a heavy-duty external pump; instead put two 500-700gph bilge pumps right into the sump tank which would provide two-pump redundancy.
I guess the question(s) I'd have would be related to how loud they are and what their lifetime expectation would be under constant operation
i think i will go and buy one of the johnson pumps which i have found on sale and try it out. If it is no good i can use it for my brothers pond which is down the yard and doesnt get turned on much. As for reliability i cant really see a problem with continuous running. but i an still going to email the manafacturer to ask them if they can handle continuous operation.
They do go in boats where i assume they last for a long time and have to be reliable. plus they come with a three year waranty. That is way more than any of the aquarium pumps i could afford.
They do go in boats where i assume they last for a long time and have to be reliable. plus they come with a three year waranty. That is way more than any of the aquarium pumps i could afford.
Let us know how it all works out, and what you heard from the company. I'm very interested in this alternative for the tank I'm going to build.
personally i think it would be a bad thing......
1) metal in the pumps
2) heat from the motor
3) if it's a marine bilge pump...... isn't it dc????
4) most of those pumps (ac) aren't setup right, they need to be in a deep hole
5) continuous use will burn them out fairly rapidly if they aren't fully submerged, and even then they won't last very long
6) unless you buy big and/or expensive, they really aren't that strong.
there are other reasons i also can't think of right at the moment. we used these kinds of pumps extensively in an industrial environment where i used to work when the air-powered ones failed. it wasn't the right situation for the pumps i will give you, but they still weren't very impressive.
sorry
1) metal in the pumps
2) heat from the motor
3) if it's a marine bilge pump...... isn't it dc????
4) most of those pumps (ac) aren't setup right, they need to be in a deep hole
5) continuous use will burn them out fairly rapidly if they aren't fully submerged, and even then they won't last very long
6) unless you buy big and/or expensive, they really aren't that strong.
there are other reasons i also can't think of right at the moment. we used these kinds of pumps extensively in an industrial environment where i used to work when the air-powered ones failed. it wasn't the right situation for the pumps i will give you, but they still weren't very impressive.
sorry
I think some of youe concerns are unfounded.
the metal in the pumps is stainless and everything is designed for a long life in a marine environment.
heat from motor wont be any greater than normal aquarium submerged pumps
yea they are all eithor 12, 24 or 36 volt DC. This is is no problem as 12 V powersupplies are cheap and i already have a fiew lying around home.
The pumps are strong as they are designed to pump at a head of at least a couple of feet so have ample power. Most have a greater capacity than most aquarium pumps.
The only concern i have is the lifetime of the pumps. this is what i have to find out about. But i havnt had enough time, hopefully soon.
the metal in the pumps is stainless and everything is designed for a long life in a marine environment.
heat from motor wont be any greater than normal aquarium submerged pumps
yea they are all eithor 12, 24 or 36 volt DC. This is is no problem as 12 V powersupplies are cheap and i already have a fiew lying around home.
The pumps are strong as they are designed to pump at a head of at least a couple of feet so have ample power. Most have a greater capacity than most aquarium pumps.
The only concern i have is the lifetime of the pumps. this is what i have to find out about. But i havnt had enough time, hopefully soon.
Unfortunatly the designed lifetime of the pumps is only about 1500 hours. so they are no good unless you want to replace them three times a year. So much for this idea
