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.
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.