These Frequently Asked Questions are a supplement to the Owner's Manual and Safety Instructions. Please review
the
Owner's Manual for safety warnings and precautions, and assembly, operating, inspection, maintenance, and
cleaning
procedures.
Sump pumps are used for removing groundwater from basements and crawlspaces. They can be fully submerged
in
water.
Sewage pumps are used to lift household sewage water from a collection basin and send it to a
gravity-fed sewage
line or septic system.
Utility pumps are used for removing water from flooded areas, spas, and window wells. They can be fully
submerged in
water.
Transfer pumps create suction on the inlet hose and are used for moving water from one place to another.
They
cannot
be submerged in water.
Well pumps are used to draw water from a well or cistern that is less than 25 feet deep. They are
connected to a
pressure tank system and run automatically with a factory-installed pressure switch.
Lawn sprinkler pumps are used to draw water from a cistern or natural water source that is less than 25
feet
deep.
They can supply up to two conventional sprinkler heads for typical watering applications.
Gas Engine pumps are used for outdoor water removal. The clear water, semi-trash, and full trash
descriptions
indicate the type of debris such as mud, rocks, sand, and sludge that can pass through the pump without clogging
it.
Fountain and Pond pumps are used for decorative water features. They are intended for continuous run
applications.
A manual pump must be manually turned on by plugging it in and turned off by unplugging it (or with a switch if
equipped this way). It requires the user to remain with the pump and monitor the pump flow, so that they can
turn it off when the water moving task is finished; otherwise, the pump will run dry and be damaged. An
automatic pump is controlled by a switch that is linked to a float, electronic sensor, or pressure device. This
type of pump can turn on and off on its own without a person monitoring it.
Non-submersible pumps like transfer, well, and sprinkler pumps will typically need to be primed before they will
start pumping water. This means the pump housing that encloses the impeller will need to be filled with water to
start moving water. Locate the priming port (typically found near the outlet port on the top of a pump), fill
with water until full, reinstall the priming cap to make a tight seal, and turn on the pump. It may take 15 – 30
seconds for the pump to prime and start moving water. Note - make sure the priming cap and intake hose are
tightly sealed and not pulling air into the pump; otherwise, the pump will lose prime and not move water.
Pumps can build pressure to lift water (measured in feet of head lift), or they can create flow (measured in
gallons per hour – GPH). Pumps can also do a combination of lifting and flowing with their output power. If a
pump uses more power for lifting water, it means there is less power to create flow. A pump Head versus Flow
chart shows how a pump’s output flow will decrease as it uses more power for lifting. Hose/pipe length, reducer
fittings, and elbow turns will increase head lift and therefore reduce output flow.
Since the pump must build pressure to the factory preset pressure before turning off, the system must
continuously hold pressure throughout the entire system. This means a foot valve (also known as a check-valve)
must be installed at the entrance of the inlet or suction pipe. There must be a pressure tank and fully closed,
leak-free piping on the discharge side of the pump system. If the pump is turning on and off, this could mean
that the pump is trying to re-pressurize the system because of a leak. This could be caused by a leaking foot
valve at the suction end of your inlet pipe down in the well or simply a leaking faucet. Please conduct a
thorough check of the entire system and follow the instructions from your manual.