pump replacing

We've been in the house for 15 years. Have no idea how long the pump has been here. It is an A. O. Smith model no. C56M2R4/ 1.5 hp/ 3450 rpm. It was apparently sold by Sears back in the day. Pressure tank rusted out and has been replaced, now the pump sprays water when it cuts on. Bound to be some sort of seal. Question: replace or have the dinosaur rebuilt? I've not seen any new ones with 15 year warranty, but we really only use the well now for outside watering as the house is connected to county supply. Would 1/2 hp be enough?

I wouldn't try to rebuild a Pump that old.

To know what size Pump you need requires a lot more info than you have offered.

Another thing to consider; there are good Pumps and there are Chinese Knockoffs, Big Box Store Pumps etc.

bob...

J Tucker said:

It is an A. O. Smith model no. C56M2R4/ 1.5 hp/ 3450 rpm. It was apparently sold by Sears back in the day.

Click to expand...

The number you have given is a motor part number and doesn't identify the pump.

We need the following information:

What type of pump? It is probably a shallow well jet pump with one pipe going to the well. If there are two pipes going to the well it is a deep well jet pump. A picture would help.

1. How much water (gallons per minute) do you want to pump?

2. Is this occasional watering from a hose, or do you have an irrigation system? One or more hoses on sprinklers to run for extended periods unattended should be considered an irrigation system.

You can check your water demands by using a hose (or hoses) off your municipal system. Run it at a rate that you are going to want from the pump and check the flow rate using a 5-gallon bucket and a watch to determine the flow rate in GPM.

A 1.5 HP pump will provide a lot of water and is too large if you are only going to use a small flow rate. If you get a more modest pump you can keep the pump from cycling on and off while you are watering.

Many 1/2 HP pumps are pressure limited so you want to verify that such a pump will meet your needs.

If you are doing irrigation you will want to size the pump and irrigation system so the pump will not cycle on and off during extended watering. That can usually be solved with a jet pump by increasing the shutoff pressure on the pressure switch and putting enough hoses on the sprinkler system.