Water Pump

[Pushit]

To pump shower pressure level to a second and third floor bathroom. Can anyone suggest capacity and reliable brand?

[longball53098]

Mitsubishi or Hitachi make quality pumps.

[kamalabob2]

The Hitachi Water Pump Brochure available at most Hitachi dealers has a good "chart" explaining capacity of various pumps. Mitsubishi might offer the same and a google search will help in this question. In our situation the solution to obtaining water pressure on a 2nd floor in several bathrooms was to purchase a "pressure tank". In our home we are real happy with the 500 liter pressure tank as we have DRASTIC LY reduced how often the electric water pump needs to operate. The pressure tank saves money on the electric bill and cuts down NOISE of the pump. There seem to be "pump, tool, tank" shops in Issan that work on larger buildings and community water systems. Competitive prices and they are used to dealing with clients concerned about electric bills. Both Hitachi and Mitsubishi market models of Inverter Pumps in Thailand. Mitsubishi also markets a "Super Pump" if you have large water needs. I've spoken to a factory representative of Hitachi at the Architect Expo who spoke English and on the telephone with a Mitsubishi water pump Engineer who understood and spoke English. It might be worth your time to e-mail both companies and see what they suggest for your situation.

[kamalabob2]

Hitachi Chart from Brochure attached. e-mail is listed as [email protected] at the bottom of the brochure.

[Pushit]

Thanks Guys, Bob I picked up the Hitachi brochure today, excellent chart, problem solved.

[technocracy]

Well I've always been of the belief that you should buy something from a company that specialises in the products they make. That's why I purchased a Grundfos MQ 3-45 and it's been in permanent use for the past 18 months and hasn't missed a beat.

Will provide ample pressure for 3 showers simultaneously and requires absolutely sod all attention. The pressure on the 2nd floor in our house is exactly the same at the first and since it can provide 4m3/h at a head height of 18m it'll do a 3 storey no problem. Plus the MQ series is IP54 rated to boot.

Sure it's more expensive than any Mitsu or Hitachi but it's a proper pump made by a company that specialises in making pumps.

Personally I've never been impressed by any Hitachi or Mitsu pump I've looked at - they always seemed a bit on the agricultural side of things.

[longball53098]

Just a question about Grundfos vs Mitsu or Hitachi?>

Maybe the Grundfos is the better unit---------don't know about this-----------but if/when the pump fails and at some point it will.

Which of the 3 brands can be serviced and repaired and returned to operation the easiest here in LOS.

Can a "local" repair guy get the parts and fix any of the 3? Or is the higher priced and less common brand more difficult to fix?

[longball53098]

One more question please?

Where can you purchase the Grundfos products? In the Rayong area preferably?

[pattayapip]

One more question please?

Where can you purchase the Grundfos products? In the Rayong area preferably?

Just bought one from HomePro (Carefore Pattaya) Not got it installed yet but have high hopes after reading this Forum

18,000 Baht (Ish)

[longball53098]

One more question please?

Where can you purchase the Grundfos products? In the Rayong area preferably?

Just bought one from HomePro (Carefore Pattaya) Not got it installed yet but have high hopes after reading this Forum

18,000 Baht (Ish)

Oooohhh! Spendy

How many showers/sinks and such will this supply?

I will be interested to hear how it performs.

[technocracy]

One more question please?

Where can you purchase the Grundfos products? In the Rayong area preferably?

Just bought one from HomePro (Carefore Pattaya) Not got it installed yet but have high hopes after reading this Forum

18,000 Baht (Ish)

Oooohhh! Spendy

How many showers/sinks and such will this supply?

I will be interested to hear how it performs.

18k! I am sure the last time I looked in Homepro in Udon it was around the 11.5k mark!

The 3-45 is 1hp pump and will easily supply 3 high flow showers simultaneously with minimal pressure drop. But will supply 4 or 5 taps no problems - they often have a demo in the Grundfos shop here in Vientiane where they have a 150l water container with 5 or 6 taps (can't remember exactly) plumbed up around the top. The MQ3-45 is plumbed upto the taps and the input is in the container - hey presto open up all the taps and they all get full pressure. Obviously the pipe work is short but it's still shifting a fair bit of water.

It's very low maintenance (like I say 18 months and I ain't touched it), automatic start/stop on flow and pressure, even pressure through anti-cycling feature, low-noise, overheat protection, overload protection, build-in protection against dry-running and has a built in non return valve - basically once it's installed all you do is press the on button on the top and leave it to it.

Edit: Forget say on the maintenance it comes with a VERY detailed manual (I mean about 40 pages thick) with a complete breakdown of the unit. So if there isn't a dealer near and you're competent with a screw driver you could DIY. Obviously returning it to a dealer is far better an idea!

Edited August 1, 2008 by technocracy

[longball53098]

One more question please?

Where can you purchase the Grundfos products? In the Rayong area preferably?

Just bought one from HomePro (Carefore Pattaya) Not got it installed yet but have high hopes after reading this Forum

18,000 Baht (Ish)

Oooohhh! Spendy

How many showers/sinks and such will this supply?

I will be interested to hear how it performs.

18k! I am sure the last time I looked in Homepro in Udon it was around the 11.5k mark!

The 3-45 is 1hp pump and will easily supply 3 high flow showers simultaneously with minimal pressure drop. But will supply 4 or 5 taps no problems - they often have a demo in the Grundfos shop here in Vientiane where they have a 150l water container with 5 or 6 taps (can't remember exactly) plumbed up around the top. The MQ3-45 is plumbed upto the taps and the input is in the container - hey presto open up all the taps and they all get full pressure. Obviously the pipe work is short but it's still shifting a fair bit of water.

It's very low maintenance (like I say 18 months and I ain't touched it), automatic start/stop on flow and pressure, even pressure through anti-cycling feature, low-noise, overheat protection, overload protection, build-in protection against dry-running and has a built in non return valve - basically once it's installed all you do is press the on button on the top and leave it to it.

Edit: Forget say on the maintenance it comes with a VERY detailed manual (I mean about 40 pages thick) with a complete breakdown of the unit. So if there isn't a dealer near and you're competent with a screw driver you could DIY. Obviously returning it to a dealer is far better an idea!

Silly question but does this 40 some page manual speak in English? Or just pictures and Thai?

In your application is the pump drawing from a water tank? Main government supply? Well? or all three? And how far away from the pump are the showers and sinks? And what size pipe is the supply to these?

Thanks

[Pushit]

Just a question about Grundfos vs Mitsu or Hitachi?>

Maybe the Grundfos is the better unit---------don't know about this-----------but if/when the pump fails and at some point it will.

Which of the 3 brands can be serviced and repaired and returned to operation the easiest here in LOS.

Can a "local" repair guy get the parts and fix any of the 3? Or is the higher priced and less common brand more difficult to fix?

I'm going to follow up on the service/repair issue next day or so as am buying a unit very shortly.

[technocracy]

Silly question but does this 40 some page manual speak in English? Or just pictures and Thai?

In your application is the pump drawing from a water tank? Main government supply? Well? or all three? And how far away from the pump are the showers and sinks? And what size pipe is the supply to these?

Thanks

Ok - my mistake the reason the manual is thick (94 pages thick!) is because it has 11 languages in it! I remember now there was 2 manuals the other manual had another bunch of languages but since none of them were english I binned it!

The actual instructions only cover 8 pages. In this pages it states maintenance and I quote:

Under normal operating conditions, the pump is maintenance-free. However it is recommended to keep the pump clean.

Do not remove the pressure tank from the pump unless it has been vented through the air escape valve.

Never touch the electronics unless the pump has bee switched off for at least 5 minutes.

Then Services Kits:

Service kits are available for the MQ pump. The service kits consists of the following replaceable parts:

Shaft seal

motor

eletronic units

hydraulic components

The back page has a full expanded diagram of the pump and all the components.

I'm sure I remember seeing a service manual also but can't seem to find it - maybe someone else who has one can confirm if they do come with one or not.

My pump is drawing water from a 2000 litre storage tank the pipe size is 1" in and out. The showers and sinks vary in distance our main bathroom upstairs is around 8m away and 3.5 upwards. Where as the other are about 17m and upto about 22m away but are on the ground floor.

Lets put it this way the shower furthest away is a Cotto shower and it's actually painful on the skin if you use it fully open.

All the hot water in the house is also pressurised via a Siebel Eltron water heater which is located upstairs.

Personally I cannot rate the pump highly enough, it's probably the best accessory I purchased during the contruction of the house that along with the Siebel Eltron storage heater.

[longball53098]

Silly question but does this 40 some page manual speak in English? Or just pictures and Thai?

In your application is the pump drawing from a water tank? Main government supply? Well? or all three? And how far away from the pump are the showers and sinks? And what size pipe is the supply to these?

Thanks

Ok - my mistake the reason the manual is thick (94 pages thick!) is because it has 11 languages in it! I remember now there was 2 manuals the other manual had another bunch of languages but since none of them were english I binned it!

The actual instructions only cover 8 pages. In this pages it states maintenance and I quote:

Under normal operating conditions, the pump is maintenance-free. However it is recommended to keep the pump clean.

Do not remove the pressure tank from the pump unless it has been vented through the air escape valve.

Never touch the electronics unless the pump has bee switched off for at least 5 minutes.

Then Services Kits:

Service kits are available for the MQ pump. The service kits consists of the following replaceable parts:

Shaft seal

motor

eletronic units

hydraulic components

The back page has a full expanded diagram of the pump and all the components.

I'm sure I remember seeing a service manual also but can't seem to find it - maybe someone else who has one can confirm if they do come with one or not.

My pump is drawing water from a 2000 litre storage tank the pipe size is 1" in and out. The showers and sinks vary in distance our main bathroom upstairs is around 8m away and 3.5 upwards. Where as the other are about 17m and upto about 22m away but are on the ground floor.

Lets put it this way the shower furthest away is a Cotto shower and it's actually painful on the skin if you use it fully open.

All the hot water in the house is also pressurised via a Siebel Eltron water heater which is located upstairs.

Personally I cannot rate the pump highly enough, it's probably the best accessory I purchased during the contruction of the house that along with the Siebel Eltron storage heater.

Many thanks for the clear, precise info. This pump sounds like what I need. I have been looking at the Grundfos website and getting more info.

The general price range for the MQ3-45 seems to be about 12k baht at places like Global House and HomePro

And?----------------Just one more question? When you open a valve do you notice any lag in water pressure say a few seconds from the time the water flow begins to when the pump kicks on? In my rental with a Hitachi pump there is at least a few seconds or so of a noticeable drop in pressure before the pump brings it back up to the constant pressure

Thanks again

Edited August 2, 2008 by longball53098

[pattayapip]

Silly question but does this 40 some page manual speak in English? Or just pictures and Thai?

In your application is the pump drawing from a water tank? Main government supply? Well? or all three? And how far away from the pump are the showers and sinks? And what size pipe is the supply to these?

Thanks

Ok - my mistake the reason the manual is thick (94 pages thick!) is because it has 11 languages in it! I remember now there was 2 manuals the other manual had another bunch of languages but since none of them were english I binned it!

The actual instructions only cover 8 pages. In this pages it states maintenance and I quote:

Under normal operating conditions, the pump is maintenance-free. However it is recommended to keep the pump clean.

Do not remove the pressure tank from the pump unless it has been vented through the air escape valve.

Never touch the electronics unless the pump has bee switched off for at least 5 minutes.

Then Services Kits:

Service kits are available for the MQ pump. The service kits consists of the following replaceable parts:

Shaft seal

motor

eletronic units

hydraulic components

The back page has a full expanded diagram of the pump and all the components.

I'm sure I remember seeing a service manual also but can't seem to find it - maybe someone else who has one can confirm if they do come with one or not.

My pump is drawing water from a 2000 litre storage tank the pipe size is 1" in and out. The showers and sinks vary in distance our main bathroom upstairs is around 8m away and 3.5 upwards. Where as the other are about 17m and upto about 22m away but are on the ground floor.

Lets put it this way the shower furthest away is a Cotto shower and it's actually painful on the skin if you use it fully open.

All the hot water in the house is also pressurised via a Siebel Eltron water heater which is located upstairs.

Personally I cannot rate the pump highly enough, it's probably the best accessory I purchased during the contruction of the house that along with the Siebel Eltron storage heater.

Many thanks for the clear, precise info. This pump sounds like what I need. I have been looking at the Grundfos website and getting more info.

The general price range for the MQ3-45 seems to be about 12k baht at places like Global House and HomePro

And?----------------Just one more question? When you open a valve do you notice any lag in water pressure say a few seconds from the time the water flow begins to when the pump kicks on? In my rental with a Hitachi pump there is at least a few seconds or so of a noticeable drop in pressure before the pump brings it back up to the constant pressure

Thanks again

I am away at work but was fairly sure it was 18k ish, but i could be wrong

It will run 4 Bathrooms and 2 Kitchens, but with only 2 of us in the House not used Simultaneously

As for manuals, follow this link to find all the info you need, including a full picture by picture take it apart and replace/service manual !!

http://net.grundfos.com/Appl/WebCAPS/Literature?userid=GSI

Cheers

[technocracy]

And?----------------Just one more question? When you open a valve do you notice any lag in water pressure say a few seconds from the time the water flow begins to when the pump kicks on? In my rental with a Hitachi pump there is at least a few seconds or so of a noticeable drop in pressure before the pump brings it back up to the constant pressure

Thanks again

Lag is about half a second at most - barely noticeable.

12k sounds about right.

Edit: Just looked at that service manual - I am sure I got a copy of that with my pump.

Edited August 2, 2008 by technocracy

[longball53098]

Great stuff and info,,,many thanks again and the web site has all you need for service

[Pushit]

Can anyone advise the difference between a centrifugal pump and a pump with a pressure tank attached. Pros' and Cons'. Grundfoss specs look good but I'm looking for an outdoor unit.

[lopburi3]

I have two of the Grundfos units and very happy with it. First unit failed after several years (starting cap) and was not sure what or how long it would take to repair so bought a new unit to install as not set up for non pump use. As it turned out they have a repair facility near new airport and were able to quickly fix (could have been same day if we needed it). Not sure if upcountry shops would have repair knowledge however. After 20 years of using the largest Mitsubishi pumps find it outstanding. Pressure is over 60 psi so it will test your plumbing when you start. There is only a 2oz pressure tank (for leaks) in pump so it runs when water runs and there is about 1/4 second before back to full pressure when tap opened and pump not running yet. We are a very heavy user (average 2000 liters per day) so it gets a workout. We placed inside kitchen and the noise it not objectionable (much less than air cooled pumps which were outside).

[Pez]

To pump shower pressure level to a second and third floor bathroom. Can anyone suggest capacity and reliable brand?

My first place in Bkk had a multistage pump which was fine - 400Wates!!!!!!! My new place, 3 bathroom 2 floor has a 200W Mitsu which delivers more than I have ever demanded at half the power!!!

[longball53098]

Can anyone advise the difference between a centrifugal pump and a pump with a pressure tank attached. Pros' and Cons'. Grundfoss specs look good but I'm looking for an outdoor unit.

I will show my ignorance about pumps here.

I believe that a centrifugal pump is a type of pump versus a reciprocating or a rotary type of pump.

I believe a pressure tank can be fitted to any type of pump.

This being TV and we have many experts here I'm sure I will be "corrected" straightaway.

[dotcom]

The Grundfos IS an outdoor unit. You will have to have a controller for it too.

Here is my set-up.

Smaller units have the pump - header tank & stop start (pressure) switch integrated into one.

Most all pumps for home use are centrifugal. A piston pump might be used to fill rooftop tanks at great heights.

[dotcom]

Here is an integrated unit. The header tank is stainless steel.

Normally these integrated pumps run for about 10 years & then you have to junk them & buy another. That's because the impeller gets corroded & becomes too small to move enough water. Hope this helps.