Replacing pump, need help.

Okay: dying pump is 4" .75hp Myers "Rustler", 12GPM, 2-wire/230V. It's down 160', installed in 1998. System has an Amtrol WX-203 tank, 30/50 pressure switch.

Shopping for a replacement, and the info you pros supply is priceless. Looking for something Franklin-motored(dying pump was, and lasted 15 yrs.) Research shows Myers no longer uses these motors(?) So if you were replacing your daughter's pump, what brand/series name would you hunt down?

Also, am I disrupting the "math" of the system if I bump up in power(e.g. a 1hp, higher GPM?) I have an instinct that more power means the pump will work less hard, but I have a stronger instinct that I'm just a car guy who's wrong(again) and that I should just replace it with exactly what worked for 15 yrs; altho, of course, I can't. They don't make the same exact pump anymore.

Thanks. You guys rock.

Considering the tank that is being used Im surprised it lasted this long.

I wouldn't install anything that doesn't have a Franklin motor, so I would highly recommend a Franklin stainless steel pump. The downside is that you probably aren't going to get it online, so you will have to find a pump supply house that will sell it to you or possibly a friendly pump installer that will sell it out right.

I am sorry but no one protects the dealers anymore. Franklin will sell to anyone. Here is one with a Franklin pump and motor, they just can’t put the model number on the Internet. Plenty more on Google.

http://www.hhpac.com/products/franklin-electric-well-pump

Don't be so fast to judge the "other" brand. I have been using the Centri-Pro (and it's twin pentek) for years with no problems. As much as they would like you to believe, Franklin wasn't the only company that had submersible motor technology. I didn't choose to switch, but when franklin decided to enter the pump business they made my decision for me. I will use any brand but I haven't had any trouble with the alternates. PM me if you have more info, I would like to hear it.

craigpump said:

Considering the tank that is being used Im surprised it lasted this long.

I wouldn't install anything that doesn't have a Franklin motor, so I would highly recommend a Franklin stainless steel pump. The downside is that you probably aren't going to get it online, so you will have to find a pump supply house that will sell it to you or possibly a friendly pump installer that will sell it out right.

Click to expand...

Texas Wellman said:

I have been using the Centri-Pro (and it's twin pentek) for years with no problems.

Click to expand...

Centri-Pro and Pentek 6” and larger motors are just Hitachi motors painted blue. I have always had good luck with Hitachi motors. I have heard from a few people that Pentek was having problems with the splines on the 4” motors, but they supposedly have they fixed. I have also heard from others that the 3 HP and 5 HP motors were giving some problems.

What are some of the oldest motors you have running? Have they lasted long enough to give us a track record?

Craig: So the tank is inadequate/too small, or a cheap brand? I'd just as soon replace it if so. 2 person house, one bathroom, no irrigation. But the reserve does seem to make the well cycle about 5-6 times for a long shower(common) or a long dishwasher run(also common.)

Was only leaning toward a Franklin-powered unit because of the consensus here; take the 2 to 1 vote in this thread, for example. And there's a good chance this will be done by an installer, I'd say 50/50. I just want to be sure the guy doesn't sell me something you guys will wager to fail in a few years, so all three opinions matter. Thanks for 'em.

Red Lion pumps with Franklins--worth it? And do/do not bump up in horsepower? Can I bump up in gallons per minute?

Too bad none of you are neighbors. I'd like to have any of ya' do the job.

Thanks again.

I like to see at least one minute run time, preferably more. A wx203 @ 40/60 has about 9.5 gallons in it between pump cycles. A pump rated at 12gpm doesn't have much run time with a wx203.

I think WellXTrol makes the best tank on the market with the best warranty. The only time we don't use them is in a very damp environment or when the water lines don't have enough coverage to prevent freezing and a bleeder is required.

My personal experience has been that the newer 4" Grundfos and Centripro motors don't give the same service as a Franklin. We seem to pull a lot of GS series Goulds with Centripro motors that have quit a lot sooner than they should have. Combination of 2 and 3 wire units. We have installed 3 and have pulled the same 3 Grundfos pumps with Grundfos motors in the past 4 years, none were the SQE's. in comparison, we have installed few hundred Franklins and had 2 or 3 failures in the same 4 yr time period, one due to lightning.

I remember as a kid working for my father in the early 70's that the Franklins would quit whenever there was a thunderstorm.

I have no experience with Red Lion pumps, matter of fact, never seen one. But I think they have plastic motor mount and discharge and I'm just not big on that type of pump contruction.

That's excellent experience-based advice; thanks, Craigpump.

(I, too, thought a run time of under thirty seconds and repeating that many times during a shower/laundry/dishwasher job seemed kind of worrisome over a span of years. I'll get a bigger tank.)

And I'll aim higher than Red Lion. Should I increase HP/GPM?

Double the size of the tank and it will still cycle 3 times during a shower instead of 6. But if you go with a CSV, it will only cycle 1 time for a shower, even if the shower is a month long. Using a CSV to control the cycling also means you can use an even smaller tank. Eliminating pump cycling solves a lot of problems, and cost less than a big tank. You still need a quality pump, but any pump, even a cheap one will last longer if you eliminate the cycling. See these links.

http://www.cyclestopvalves.com/simple/home.php

http://www.cyclestopvalves.com/prod_psidekick.html

Don't increase the GPM of the pump. It won't build as much pressure unless you also increase the horsepower.

Valveman: I'm very intrigued by the CSV and psidekick info. I've been reading your postings all weekend. Still formulating a battle plan, but I like the concept a lot, and I'm leaning your way. Many thanks.

Thanks for the PM. I hope it is OK for me to reply here. The Pside-Kick would go on the pipe coming through the wall from the pump. Then just attach the pipe going into the house to the outlet side of the Pside-Kick. Nothing new about the CSV, we have been doing this for 20 years, and there are many 20 year old CSV’s still working. Here is a link to a video of replacing a big tank with a Pside-Kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRrJ9AAe7GM