LR Pump and Pond

[Amber Gold]

New property owner has garage w/ a 220V welder outlet. Perfect for me to plug my vacuum pump into. About 20' from the garage is a pond. Plenty of cold water for the pump. This sounds like an ideal situation for a LR pump.

I'm wondering if a 1" PE water pipe into the pond, run above ground to the pump which will be at the garage. Then run a discharge line back to the pond. Question I have is if the pump will suck water up the pipe from the pond. The grade is about flat or a slight downhill grade from the pond to the garage. Water elevation of the pond is now pretty low, but I expect it to be full by maple season. Probably looking at 30' of pipe and 3' vertical lift...maybe 5'. I think this will work.

Thoughts??

[3rdgen.maple]

Stick a submersible pump in the pond to push the water up to the LR pump.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Amber gold is right. Its better to push the water up hill creating some back pressure on the pump. Depending on the pump to suck the water up is a disaster if it fails to prime. Plus once you have the pump running you will need to baby sit it if you have a power glitgh. Most pumps work best with a small amount of head pressure it keeps the seals tight.

[maplecrest]

a 5/16 pipe to the pond is really all you need. place a tank 55 or 100 gals next to garage. circulate water from full tank thru pump. then add 5/16 line to intake side of pump 'that will cool pump'. 5/16 line will freeze and thaw out comming from pond. tank of water will insure your pump does not go dry. let excess water over flow out of tank.

[3rdgen.maple]

Amber gold is right. Its better to push the water up hill creating some back pressure on the pump. Depending on the pump to suck the water up is a disaster if it fails to prime. Plus once you have the pump running you will need to baby sit it if you have a power glitgh. Most pumps work best with a small amount of head pressure it keeps the seals tight.

Well Haynes you really know how to confuse someone....LOL

[Randy Brutkoski]

It might work at that distance but at 100 ft. mine didnt work from a pond with a slight uphill. I have an Atl. Fluid A10 which is a 7 1/2 horse LR. I did the 2, 5/16 tubing to the pond from my vacumm pump and it did suck a little but not enough, my recirclulating tank would be boiling in 30 minuites. Good luck.

[Haynes Forest Products]

3rdGen What did I say thats confusing other than (glitgh):rolleyes:...............glitch:emb: Most pond type pumps they recommend that you throttle them down with a valve if you dont have much elevation rise.

[3rdgen.maple]

I was just trying to figure out what you meant thats all and got confused lol. You said amber gold is right push the water up hill. I just thought that pretty much is what I said. Did I miss something?

[Amber Gold]

Haynes, I was confused as well.

Maplecrest, I like your idea and it is what someone I know does. I was talking to him last night and he has two LR setups, one is similar to what you describe. The other draws it's cooling water from a groundwater well and I think he said it was an 18' draw. The pump sucks the water up, then sends it back down. He puts a check valve in the bottom of the line so it always stays primed.

The A10 has a 3/8" sealant liquid inlet, would I connect the 5/16" line there or tee it into the line coming out of the tank? If I leave the pump running 24/7 and using this setup with the stock tank and 5/16 line, do I need to be concerned with the pump freezing? I would like to build a shed roof for it, but not an enclosure...preferably.

Thanks for the input.

[TF Maple]

a 5/16 pipe to the pond is really all you need. place a tank 55 or 100 gals next to garage. circulate water from full tank thru pump. then add 5/16 line to intake side of pump 'that will cool pump'. 5/16 line will freeze and thaw out comming from pond. tank of water will insure your pump does not go dry. let excess water over flow out of tank.

This supply tank idea is a really great idea to make sure the pump gets enough water. I would put an overflow pipe in the side of the tank near the top and tee it into your return line to the pond. Keeps the mess from puddled water away and doesn't drain the pond.

[Haynes Forest Products]

3rd Gen I didnt see your post because it came on line as I was spell checking MY post:lol: Now I dont want to get things anymore confusing but some pumps have a small hole in them so they drain the water from the pump head. Now please dont take that as permission to start drilling holes in the pump. I have only seen them on sump pumps and it keeps water from freezing in the head. Its small asd the water squirts out as the pump runs but doesnt effect the check valve or the suction aspect of the pump. We use a similar idea in sprinkler systems that attach to the manifolds in place of a drain valve. Its a 1/2 threaded auto drain and when the pump shuts down and the pressure is gone it opens allowing all the water to drain out............$3.00.......I wish they made them for vacuum.

[maplecrest]

when 5/16 line is froze the circulating water from stock tank will get warm as randy said. i use a 275 gal plastic cage tank that gets warm but not too hot over nite.and overflows on ground. being in someones yard you will want to pipe that overflow away like back to pond. i tryed this in a brook once but drew alot of grit that plugged the filter.i do filter the water before pump

[3rdgen.maple]

I figured it was something like that that happened Haynes lol. I always thought that little hole had to do with the pump self priming never new it was to allow it to drain. Makes sense.
At my old place I had a creek running next to the yard and ran a sump pump to a sprinkler I had in the garden. Like maplecrest's problem with it picking up grit it always clogged the holes in the sprinkler. I ended up putting a 5 gallon bucket in the creek below the waterline and stuck the pump in that. It helped out a alot. ALso I would consider not having the intake line to the LR pump on the bottom of the tank. Leave it off the bottom a foot so you dont pickup the settlement. Filter is a good idea but something else to worry about.

[Amber Gold]

3rd gen, I was thinking the same thing regarding the bucket.

Thanks for all the input. I now know how I'm going to install my LR pump.