Cheap water pump

[ibmkg]

OK people as you know I am finding alternatives to those expensive water pumps. i.e. no more than USD 15 yet powerful than a USD 80 dollar pump .

My actual aim is a relatively inexpensive DIY WC solution.

List that I had was:

a) Car Fuel Pump ... Fault : Carbon bush wears out, will not work for WC.
b) Car's windscreen washer Fault: Not made to operate for long hours and low flow.
c) Aquarium pump: Fault: Low flow, low-pressure head and runs on AC.
d) Washing machine pump. Fault: Works on AC power.


Well, amongst all, option d comes with less disadvantages so I gave it a go.

Washing machine pumps are made durable. They are very long lasting; one can find it in junkyard or can remove it from old washing machine or order the part from a dealer. In any case, it does not exceed USD15.

It has good pressure head and nice flow. Keep in mind it is made to flush the washing machine (lot of water).

I did a test run in my loop and compared to MCP655, it has noticeably larger flow and better pressure. I am assuming its ~400GPH.


If you see the pic, it has a plastic impeller separated from rest of the pump. Thus it transfer very little heat (almost nothing) when compared to MCP655 in the loop. It cannot burn out since it has a fan that keeps it cool (keeps the winding cool). Nevertheless, if anything is to go wrong, all it needs is a winding replacement, which any one can do with a little Google help.

Comments are welcomed.

[Captain Slug]

I wonder what the head rate really is on that. You don't need much for draining.
A new Via Aqua 1800 is similarly priced and has decent specs without being so ghetto.
Head rate: 6 ft
gph: 480
watts: 28

[BGP Spook]

I went with the Via Aqua 1300 because it is cheap.

Don't laugh, it was my first post at PC.

You have to be careful when you assemble it.

The impeller shaft is probably two or three mm shorter than it should be.

This makes the shaft prone to jump out of its rubber bushings if it is not assembled carefully; this is especially true when it is turned on.

You can tell when the shaft has jumped because it makes a clicking sound, which is the anti-lock feature of the impeller.

The anti-lock feature is caused by the impeller impacting the walls of the pump.

But, if you assemble it correctly, it will not click at you.

[ibmkg]

Yeah the pump looks pretty dumb. Its upto my crafting skills to make something out of it. Maybe color it, chrome the metal area or simply enclose it in something attractive.

How can I calculate pressure head?

I got them for USD8 (i.e. USD 4 each).

I did a test run and noticed it had greater flow and greater pressure than MCP655 in the loop (looking at the return).

[BGP Spook]

How big and noisy are they?

Where did you get them?

You list "runs on AC" as a fault but with a little electronic trickery you can set it up to turn on with you computer, via a relay or something.

[mx]

How high can it push a water column vertically? (Gives you a rough understanding of it's maximum head pressure.)

How many liters per minute can it move between two buckets? (Gives you a rough understanding of it's maximum flow.)

[Captain Slug]

Originally Posted by BGP Spook

I went with the Via Aqua 1300 because it is cheap.

You have to be careful when you assemble it.

Yes, I figured out how to work around that issue by making sure to put the rubber cap on the shaft instead of the inlet cover before putting it back together.
It also helps to remove the anti-clog feature by gluing the impeller in place with a water-proof adhesive.

[BGP Spook]

Originally Posted by Captain Slug

Yes, I figured out how to work around that issue by making sure to put the rubber cap on the shaft instead of the inlet cover before putting it back together.

That was my ultimate workaround as well but my pump had been assembled incorrectly (not by me) and it took me about a week(working on and off) to realize the rubber caps came out of their recesses.

I have never tried to remove the anti-clog feature.

[ibmkg]

Size, well it is big.

Length = 170mm
Height = 85mm
Width = 80mm

Pressure Head = 13 meters (or 42 feet).

Actually, it is much more than that since I had only access to 13 meters of tubing. The flow was good enough and roughly, after 13 meters of tubing it was (fell to)118 GPH.


Noise; well I can hear the fan sound when I put my ear close to the pump. I could also hear water gush sound but that I think is due to water bubbles. For comparison, the sound is not annoying as my PSU fan is much louder and would cancel out the pump's sound.

One plus point with these pumps is that they have their own fan. Thus keeping the pump cool and in return generating less heat dump.

I am going to consider a smaller pump since this is overkill. To be honest I was a little greedy and I bought the biggest pump I could find.

Suggest if I should use a rheostate (something like those AC fan control nob, what is it called?).

Disadvantages so far: Ugly looks, Big size

[billbartuska]

Originally Posted by ibmkg

Size, well it is big.

Length = 170mm
Height = 85mm
Width = 80mm

Pressure Head = 13 meters (or 42 feet).

Actually, it is much more than that since I had only access to 13 meters of tubing. The flow was good enough and roughly, after 13 meters of tubing it was (fell to)118 GPH.

I doubt that. Head is how far UP the pump will lift water.

If you had a pump that delivered 118gph (2gpm) with a 42 foot head you would be able to sell all you could get your hands on for $200+ and I'd be first in line.

[ibmkg]

My mistake, I missed the 'vertical' part. I will conduct the experiment again in a day or two as I need a helping hand for this.

[ibmkg]

Pressure head (vertically) = 8ft (at 8ft the water came out of the pipe, increasing it further resulted in a halt)


I was not able to conduct the tests proper because:

a) Since I had a temporary reservoir on top of the pump, I placed it directly under the tap. Lifting the pipe resulted in water oozing out of the reservoir.

b) The pipe (tubing) that I was using had a pin size hole.

Not so satisfactory results after all. You people be the judge and suggest. Should I accept this pump or look for alternatives?

Furthermore, I still do not understand that MCP5655 is rated 14ft pressure head while in loop the flow and pressure rate of this junk pump (washing machine pump) seems greater.

[BGP Spook]

The MCP655 was designed for PC water cooling which means head pressure was a major consideration.

Your pump has been designed to empty a washing machine and given its operational criteria it doesn't require that much head pressure but does require substantial flow.
For example, it is unlikely that the washing machine would need to move water up 1 1/2 stories in a house. Typically, it wouldn't even need to move it 4 ft.

I think the type we use are called centrifugal pumps.

Subtle differences in the design of the impeller and the impeller chamber, along with the power of the motor, have effects on the static head pressure and the flow rate.

[i4turbo]

whats the pump out of??? make model...im thinkin of doin the same as u...thanks

[ibmkg]

Originally Posted by i4turbo

whats the pump out of??? make model...im thinkin of doin the same as u...thanks

I had been busy so excuses for late reply.

This pump originally comes in a washing machine. I would advise you get it from junk yard. Buying it from a shop would cost more than USD100.

If the junk yard guy is too lazy, you look for an old washing machine and pull this one off (is usually mounted by a single bolt). You would have to tilt the machine to do the job since pump is located at the very bottom. If there is a shield, remove it.

I would advise you to look for something else. I have not tested this pump thoroughly, unless you are ready to play and get wet.


BTW, do not pay more than USD 5. Walk away if he/she says 6. And be sure to test it at the spot. Supplying it 110VAC would result in spindle and fan spinning with no sound.