Submersible pumps - are they submersible?

[leon]

Don't laugh. And sorry for the stupid question.

just got a submersible trash pump delivered
Tsurumi Pumps Submersible Trash Pump — 3000 GPH, 1/2 HP, 2in., Model# HS2.4S-61 ( http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...-_-1206-_-CONF )

The manual says you're NOT supposed to submerse it in the water except for the bottom 4' or so and warns of all kinds of bad things that will happen if you do. Even though on the first page it clearly states "submersible".

Is it just a legal CYA fine-print or you actually not supposed to submerse this allegedly "submersible" pump?

What do you all think?

TIA,

[uncle Will in In.]

Follow the instructions that came with it.

[cfabe]

I don't think it's just CYA - they wouldn't put that in the manual if there weren't a reason for it. You can get pumps that are fully submersible, maybe not from northern tool but you can get them.

[Allen W]

Looks like a sump pump to me. yes follow the directions.

[leon]

Thanks!
I guess cfabe is right - it's submersible, just not fully submersible. Sure glad it doesn't matter for my purposes since it'll be floating on a little raft anyway...

[foxtrapper]

Did you look at the seal specs on that unit? They actually don't look water tight. Silicone carbide seals don't hold out water.

Many of the true drop in submersibles have the power cord double as the hanger cord. It's reinforced for the job. This one doesn't appear to have a reinforced power cord, and it's mounted in such a way to preclude using it thusly.

I'm rather inclined to suspect the unit will not hold up well to much submersion.

[agmantoo]

Yes you can submerse the pump. The extended specs state that it is good to 20 meters. Here are part of those specs.

Classification
Electric submersible pump
Protection class IP68
Depth of submersion max. 20m
Semi-vortex impeller with Agitator
Max. solid handling 7mm
Suitable for rain water, ground water, sand

[Jim-mi]

Most electric motors have quite an aversion to running under water...............nasty things happen.

[Macybaby]

My submersable pump has a float on it. It won't even turn on unless the water is above the top level of the pump.

My garden pumps spend thier entire lives running underwater. They all say not to run them out of the water as the motor can overheat that way.

BTW - nice looking pump.

Cathy

[leon]

foxtrapper - Not sure where I would find the seal specs. Up close the seals kinda look water-protected, not waterproof. But the cord is most definitely not meant to be used as hanger - there are 2 pages in the manual about it.

agmantoo - yep, that's what created this question ... After reading the manual though I'm not sure if I should believe the seller or the manufacturer. The warranty is from the manufacturer, so ... looks like the seller may be got carried away a bit or made a mistake. The funny thing is it looks like the pump was actually shipped from Tsurumi, not NT. There is nothing about acceptable depth of submersion in the manual. Who would have though Northern Tools may be a bit off with their claims, eh?

Jim-mi - thanks. Makes a lot of sense, right? Water ... electricity ...name two things that don't mix well

Macybaby - yep, it gets some pretty good reviews and my friend who is a general contractor swears by Tsurumi trash pumps. He says if the idiots he has for the crew (his words) can't kill them, not many things can. It also feels pretty solid and heavy due to lots of metal parts - a rarity these days I understand.

Anyway, if the top is waterproof enough to protect from an occasional accidental dip I'd be one very happy camper. And thanks much for y'all's opinions and thoughts.

[haypoint]

Seems like a confusion of terms.
When I hear submersible pump, I think of the 4 inch diameter, 2 or 3 feet long pump that you drop deep into a well.

A sump pump is made in a few styles. The pedestal sump pump can't be submerged. They have the pump part at the bottom and an electric motor at the top.

There is a sump pump that does get submerged. They often have a bulb float that shuts it off when the water level drops.

I can't imagine why they would call a trash pump a submersible and the link you sent isn't available now.

The GPM isn't much of a real world number. So much depends on the lift, length of pipe and how far above the pump you expect to push the water.

[Alex]

The pump you asked about is a SUBMERSIBLE trash pump and common. It may be installed fully submerged.

Please see, agmantoo's, EXCELLENT post above: as usual, he is correct, accurate, and clear. SOME of the other posts are also correct, some are incorrect.

Alex

[Wis Bang]

I used to utilize 'sewerage lift pumps' to process the waste water ffrom chemical tank cleaning. they were fully submerseable. When they quit running we would go to Granger and buy another. Opening up the pump would find the entire armature submerged in transformer oil. They had viton seals and the oil would be crystal clear after 6 - 8 months of pumping the rinse water/chemical effluent.

We processed about 25,000 gal a day. usually the impeller bearing/bushing would fail due to the grit in the effluent, mostly from the exterior of the tankers though we would clean 'Frac' tanks by pressure washing out the mud heels from well drilling and pipeline construction jobs.

These $700.00 pumps replaced a 'real' sewer pump that cost $2,500.00 and needed rebuilding about every 1.25 years to the tune of $1,200.00. When any of these pumps failed we would keep working w/ a $75.00 pump like the OP describes. We would pull it off it's 'real' job, de-watering sludge in a roll-off container where it sat in a 'well' made of two 55 gal drums welded togther and sliced up w/ a plasma cutter that allowed the sludge to drain before shipping to a landfill.

That pump was over 5 years old when I left there...