Collection: Garden & domestic water pumps

Garden pump or domestic water system?

Both draw water from a well, water butt or tank and put it under pressure. The difference is in the control: you switch a garden pump on yourself, whereas a domestic water system starts by itself as soon as you open a tap and stops when you close it.

What to look for

• How you will use it. Watering and filling by hand: a garden pump is enough. Fixed draw-off points, a toilet or a washing machine running on rainwater: then you want an automatic unit, otherwise you will be standing at the pump all day.
• Suction height. A self-priming pump lifts water from about 7 to 8 metres; above that no suction pump works at all. If the water sits deeper, you need a borehole pump that hangs in the well.
• Pressure at the tap. Reckon 1 bar per 10 metres of height, plus the pipe losses, plus the pressure the sprinkler or tap itself needs.
• Dry-running protection. An empty water butt or a well that runs dry is the most common cause of death for these pumps. Choose a version with protection.
• Suction line. On the suction side you need a spiral-reinforced hose or a rigid line with a foot valve; a flat hose collapses there. See the hoses.

Is your water brown or hard? Then look at water treatment. Unsure about the pressure you need? Work it out with the pump calculator or call 085 - 210 08 97.