Owners of large plots of land willingly choose solutions that make gardening work faster and easier. One of them is undoubtedly an irrigation installation that supplies water from a well or rainwater tank to sprinklers or garden hoses . However, its heart is an efficient pump. Find out which type to choose for the system you are designing and what to consider in the decision-making process!
From this article you will learn:
- what technical parameters of garden pumps should you pay attention to when choosing them,
- what affects the efficiency of the garden pump,
- how to adapt a garden pump to the user's needs.
Check out garden irrigation pumps in Onninen
It was already cheap. Watering your garden with mains water may prove to be very expensive in the long run. On the other hand, we do not want our garden to turn into a dry, barren land, and we cannot always count on a sufficient level of hydration thanks to rainfall due to climate change. The solution may be a pump powered, for example, from a deep well.
What types of irrigation pumps are there?
The first decision to make when choosing a pump for your garden is its type. The devices available on the market can be divided into several main types. First of all, you have at your disposal:
Self-priming pumps (surface)
However, there are reasons why self-priming pumps are not used in every irrigation system. They are limited by the suction height, which usually does not exceed 6-8 meters, and they also have a limited ability to pump water over long distances. For this reason, you should only choose a surface pump when the water table is at this depth and close to the source. The amount of water pumped also depends on the efficiency of the well. If there is a risk that it will not deliver the appropriate amount of water, you should consider choosing a different type of pump.
Submersible pumps
Submersible pumps are units consisting of, among others, a hermetic motor adapted to work in water. They are mounted below the water table, so they can draw water even from greater depths. Most models are protected against dry running - they are equipped with a float switch that automatically turns off the pump or electronic control systems. The corrosion-resistant housing ensures that the devices are not damaged by difficult environmental conditions. The discharge height of submersible pumps varies depending on the model. There are devices available on the market that draw water to a depth of up to 45 m. A certain limitation of submersible pumps is the need to periodically check the seal of the motor itself.
Submersible pumps
Submersible pumps are designed mainly for drawing water from boreholes and wells. The pumping height can range from less than 8 m to over 100 m (even 160 m). Its use is not limited by the depth of the well, but only by the internal diameter of its casing pipes - at least 100 mm (the wider it is, the greater the selection of models). It is necessary to introduce the pump unit into it to the appropriate depth (not to the bottom). To best adapt the device to the user's needs, you must first determine the depth range in which it will work. This will make it easier to choose a device with the appropriate capacity, but it must always be lower than the well capacity.
Submersible pumps are always installed below the water level. Thanks to this, they will be properly cooled at all times. The only important parameter for these devices is the pumping height , which can be several dozen meters or more. It is worth remembering that the higher this value, the lower the pump efficiency. The suction height measured between the lowest level of the water table and the pump axis is not important in this case.
Garden irrigation pumps
Which pump for garden irrigation?
Knowing the most important types of pumps, you can make a short summary, depending on the water source:
- A traditional garden (surface) pump is designed to draw water from rainwater tanks or shallow wells where the water level never drops below 6-8 meters. It is available in an electric variant (less efficient and requiring access to a power source) and a combustion variant (emitting pollution and generating noise).
- The submersible pump can pump water to a height of several to even 45 m. Its advantages include ease of installation, high mobility and simplicity of operation.
- The submersible pump is installed primarily in drilled wells and those where the depth of the water table may fall below 20 meters from the target reservoir. The advantage of this solution is the economical mode of operation and the elimination of noise because the device is located outside the home. However, the disadvantages include the high cost of pump installation and difficult access to it.
What should you consider when choosing a pump for garden irrigation?
Once you decide which type of pump to choose, you need to consider the specific parameters of this device. Of course, its efficiency will be crucial, which - as you already know - depends, among other things, on the suction and discharge height.
Pump efficiency is a value that determines how much water will be pumped in a given unit of time. It is worth noting, however, that decisions should not be made only with this parameter in mind. Installing a pump with too high a capacity may damage it. This will happen when new water does not manage to collect in place of the pumped out water. Therefore, not only the level of medium consumption should be taken into account, but also the well efficiency.
It is good practice to verify this parameter. This is done by pumping out the water vigorously for at least an hour. This way you can find out at what speed it collects in the well. If the process is very slow, you do not have to give up using this source for your garden irrigation system. All you need to do is select a pump with a lower efficiency and a sufficiently large hydrophore tank. The appropriate capacity will make it a buffer with a supply of water for current needs, and the well will be able to fill up again during this time.
Check out garden irrigation pumps in Onninen
A much worse idea will be to install a high-performance pump with a small water tank. Even if the well fills very quickly, any small loss of medium will require the pump to be started. Such frequent turning on and off of the device, in turn, has a negative impact on its service life.
The choice of a pump for a garden irrigation system should therefore depend on the curve presenting the level of decline in the device's efficiency as the suction or discharge height increases. Such equipment must operate in a range between its minimum and maximum efficiency. In an ideal scenario, the pump operates close to its point of highest efficiency, reducing energy consumption and extending the life of the unit.
Pumps for the garden can be found in the Onninen offer
Regardless of which pump you choose for your garden irrigation installation, you will find the necessary device in the assortment of our online wholesaler. Both submersible, self-priming and submersible pumps are waiting for you here. We especially recommend the following models to your attention:
Wilo DRAIN 10-7 – multi-purpose submersible drainage pump. It is characterized by solid workmanship and is equipped with a plastic rotor. It is perfect for pumping slightly polluted, rain and drainage water.
Grundfos UNILIFT CC5-A1 – single-stage submersible drainage pump, used for pumping drainage water and gray sewage. It is flexible in terms of installation and use - it is suitable for both permanent and portable use.
Flotec GARDENJET 750 – self-suction hydrophore pump used to supply the building with clean utility water.
Wilo HWJ 202-EM-2 – a self-priming domestic hydrophore that supplies the building with clean water. It is characterized by a 20-liter tank, noiseless operation and an engine suitable for continuous operation.
Wilo-Sub TWU 4-0414-C EM – multistage submersible pump, suitable for both horizontal and vertical installation.
Grundfos SCALA1 – a versatile, self-priming pump designed to increase the pressure in home installations as well as to water the garden. It is characterized by a compact structure and universal use.
It is also worth paying attention to rainwater units, which are new on the market. They enable pumping water from the rainwater tank, which in case of shortages is replenished from the water supply. This system comprehensively solves the problem of using rainwater to irrigate the garden. An example of an efficient air handling unit is the Wilo RAIN1-24 EM model. It is equipped with an automatic water inlet function from the water supply network, a self-priming pump, protection against dry running and an operation and failure signaling system.
Thanks to Onninen's wide offer, you can easily choose a solution that is perfectly tailored to the specificity of the building you manage or the needs of your clients.