To suck or blow - that is the question

[PeterW]

So the plan is this. 3 or 4 IBCs buried under the patio linked together at the bottom with the first tank connected to the downpipes using filtered hoppers and the supply taken from the last in the line to limit the sediment transferring between them. I then plan to put a 5 micron filter and an activated carbon block in the garage before feeding the WCs, washing machine and outside tap with the supply. 

 

Question is - should I use a submersible pump or a jet pump...? Both will need some sort of pressure switch to sense a tap opening or a WC flush, but there the similarity ends. 

 

My thoughts are that a submersible pump will be cheaper and easier to maintain but by design it will pick up more sediment and that means the filters will need changing more often. Also, it will cut out at a higher water level. 

 

A jet pump will sit the clean side of the filters so will not be prone to pulling as much sediment - plan to pick up from just below the water surface with a floating pickup - but for a pump with a switch and a pressure tank it is much more expensive. 

 

Other option is to pick up from the IBC outlets and balance across all 3/4 tanks with the jet pump that slightly reduces the cost as the links will be 25mm MDPE. 

 

The commercial models tend to do in  tank pumps but that means you don't get the full water capacity. They also need a separate flow / pressure switch but not too worried about that. 

 

So has anyone else used anything like this and have any thoughts ..?? 

[Nickfromwales]

Are you using a medium sized accumulator as a buffer? Much better than pumping direct as the pressure / flow switch will be quite coarse on its own?

I'd deffo avoid the submersible and pump from upstream. Easier to clean / maintain and less crud to reduce longevity. 

Its 'suck' for me  

 

[PeterW]

@Nickfromwales as its only supplying bogs etc, I was looking at a jet pump with a 20 litre expansion vessel to hold the pressure and setting the pressure at about 2 bar at most. This is low tech and low cost !

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/231897223757?_mwBanner=1

Edited September 21, 2016 by PeterW
URL

[Nickfromwales]

Just ordered this one from eBay which arrived today. 

Was going with your one until I saw it had a longer lead time from the land of the bratwurst . 

If you turn the pressure down then the small vessel should suffice, but I'm pumping into a 200 ltr acc on my job from break tanks. 

Maybe an idea to fit some flow restrictors in the bog inlets to reduce the flow velocity a bit.