The correct submersible bore pump is not the cheapest and not the most expensive and submersible bore pumps should never be selected purely on price.   Things are cheap for a reason - usually because they are unsuitable or just junk.   You are investing in a submersible pumping system that should last 15 - 20 years without seeing daylight and with only minimal maintenance on the above ground components.  

You will notice in the "Product Categories" list on the left side just (down a bit), that we supply the Grundfos SQN series, the Grundfos SP series, the ST series and the Franklin FHS series of submersible pump systems.   I have been designing, supplying, installing and repairing submersible pumps for many years and I have selected these specific brands of pumps because, in my opinion and experience, they represent the most reliable, efficient and cost effective models available in Australia today.

I am not saying that other brands are bad, I am simply saying that the ones that I sell are proven performers with an enviable reputation for excellence.   I only supply equipment that I would personally use on my own bore.   I wont supply cheap junk and that goes for all of the individual items, not just the pump and motor.   Our pumping systems are not cheap, they are made up of the excellent quality components that we can supply at a reasonable price.  

Trust me, you really don't want to experience having to pull the pump up out of a 50m deep bore because the pump fell off a plastic fitting or something equally as silly.   You want the confidence of knowing that you have invested in the most suitable, efficient and reliable submersible pumping system that was available.

Which Brand is the most suitable for you?

I'll keep this very simple and give some examples.

ST Series:   These pumps are suitable for nearly any bore where the total pumping head is less than 80m and the flow rate is between 10 litres per minute and 60 litres per minute.   The smallest bore casing that they will fit into is 100mm PVC.   A Franklin 304 stainless steel 2 or 3 wire motor is standard and we can supply these as a manual on/off unit or, fully automatic with an electronic controller or pressure switch and pressure tank.   Used on stock watering systems, tank filling, water transfer and, irrigation.   The ST series can run 24-hours per day.

FHS Series:   The Franklin FHS series are suitable for bores to 80m of head with flow rates between 10 and 300 litres per minute.   We supply the FHS series as a manual on/off system or, with an electronic on/off controller or, with a pressure tank and pressure switch.  

FHS Sub Drive:   The FHS series is also supplied in DIY kit form as a "Sub Drive" variable speed drive system with constant pressure for pumping at a constant pressure to your house, irrigation system, stock watering system, tank or, any combination of these.   The Sub Drive is a simple to install and set system that really does provide a constant pressure regardless of the the number of taps turned on (up to the designed flow).   While I still think that you are better off pumping from a bore into a tank with a bore pump and then from the tank into your house with a pressure pump, the Sub Drive is definitely a good alternative.   You get constant pressure and, a 5-year warranty.   Only suitable for a flow rate between 5 litres per minute and 100 litres per minute and, for a maximum head of 120m.

SQN Series:    The Grundfos SQN series is a skinny little thing at only 74mm diameter but not let that fool you, it is made in Denmark and is a fantastic pump.   This pump will actually fit down an 80mm PVC bore if it is straight and produce a flow between 10 litres per minute and 120 litres per minute for the SQN7 series.   Suitable for a head of up to 160m at low flows or 100m at higher flows.   Used on stock watering systems, tank filling, irrigation and, in water with a high salt content.   The SQN is all 316 stainless steel and incorporates a "soft start" so it can easily run off a small generator if required.

SP Series:    The Grundfos SP series of pumps have been installed in hundreds of thousands of bores around the world over many years.   The workhorse of bore pumps with all stainless steel components and an incredibly efficient and reliable Grundfos motor, this is the series to invest in for any bore but particularly for bores with a high head, high flow or even with very high salt content as they are available in 316 or 904L stainless steel.   Probably the most reliable system available and I would expect an SP series system to remain in perfect operating order for at least 15 years.   We supply the SP series in DIY kit up to 7.5 kW and over that size, we can arrange installation.   Extremely suitable for water transfer, stock watering systems, tank filling, irrigation, mining and industrial/commercial applications.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I pump straight from the bore into the house?   Yes you can particularly now that we have the Franklin Sub Drive constant pressure system however, I still don't think that this is a great idea as if you have a blackout, you don't have water.   When the pump eventually does fail, and it will eventually, you will be without water unitl you can repair or replace the pump.   In my opinion, you should really pump to a water tank and then have a pressure pump on the tank to feed water to the house.   The answer is yes but, think about the potential downfalls.

Can I pump directly from a bore to stock troughs?   Yes, however, the float valves on stock troughs are generally quite sensitive and "flutter" open and closed so the pump could cycle on and off far to often.   If you really need to pump directly to troughs, I strongly recommend that you also buy a large pressure tank so that the pump cannot cycle.

My bore is capable of 3,000 litres per hour, what pump do I need?   The real question should be " my bore does 3,000 litres per hour and I need 12,000 litres per day into my tank, which pump do I need?   I would generally recommend a pump that is capable of around 1,200 litres per hour for this job.   The pump will need to run for 10-hours per day but, the pump will be a lot smaller, the motor will be smaller and this will mean a less expensive system.   If we went for a pump that would pump 3,000 litres per hour it would be around twice the cost for very little benefit and, you would run the risk of damaging the bore.   Just because the bore can supply a certain volume of water per hour definitely does not mean that you have to pump it out as quickly as possible.   The correct pump is the one that is the most economical and efficient.

My bore has a low flow, how do I prevent the pump pumping the bore dry?    We would recommend a pump with a flow rate of less than the bore water inflow (inflow is the volume of water flowing into the bore through the casing from the surrounding soil and rock).   We could also restrict the volume of water that the pump was allowed to pump.  If you actually need to pump every drop of water that is available, we would supply a system with "low level probes" in the bore that would automatically stop the pump for a specific amount of time until the water level had risen.   We also provide flow restrictors and automatic protection systems.

Can I pump out of a river, dam or creek with a bore pump?   Absolutely.   Probably 25% of the DIY bore pump kits that we supply are actually installed in dams, rivers, or creeks.   We can supply a very safe and secure float system for installation in dams and, we can supply a protective "Torpedoe" for river and creek installations.

In the river, will the pump get washed away in a flood?    We have never lost one yet but, we supply the torpedoe and some very strong stainless steel cable which must be secured to the torpedoe and a really large tree.   Generally what happens is that the pump and torpedoe remain intact and attached to the electrical cable and poly pipe and, they just get pushed up onto the bank in the direction of the flow.   My advice though is to make sure that it is covered on your insurance policy.

How does the pump stop and start automaticlly?   An automatic system is supplied with either an electronic controller or, a float switch that goes into the tank, or a pressure switch.   The float switch in the tank is only suitable when the tank is within 20 metres or so of the top of the bore and it operates the pump in response to the water level.   Low water level and the pump turns on, the tank fill and reaches the high level and, the float switch turns the pump off.   On a pressure switch or electronic controller system the pump turns on when the pressure drops.   The valve in the tank opens or, the tap is turned on, or the valve opens, the pressure drops and, the pump starts.   The valve closes, the pressure builds up and, the pump turns off.

There are hundreds of questions that have not been answered here so if you are in need of a submersible bore pump and don't know which is the most suitable or just have a question, feel free to pick up the phone and call me on 1300 661 417 or send me an email to rod@borepumps.com.au with your contact phone number and the best time to call.   Do not write me a long email with lots of details, just send me your name and phone number and I will call you.