Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,
I'm looking for a pump with a high head, ie which can pump quite high, relative to its hourly volume. I only really need to turn over about 3000L/H, but it needs to go about 3m or 3.5m (up to the ceiling of a dome, back down through vertical growers). I know I could get a 4000 or 5000L/H pump to do this job, but I'm wondering if there are any pump types that are specifically designed to pump high rather than overdriving a regular pump if you know what I mean.

Any help would be appreciated!

I very much doubt you could get a 4000lh centrifugal to pump 3000lh at 3.5m even the high throw impellers would not make it. Positive displacement pumps would do it easy but there are not many for those flow rates.
It all gets down to how much you want to spend on the pump and how much power (watts) you are prepared to use.
Iwaki make some very nice pumps (some high throws) but you have to pay a fair bit for them and they are usually externals.

Another option if you get really stuck is to pump twice.

What I mean is mount a reservoir or holding tank 1.5m off the floor, pump to it from the ground tank and then have the holding tank pumping to the grow towers. Not perfect but another option to consider.

Also remember that you measure head from the surface of the water or tank the pump is submersed in.. not at the pump itself.

i haven't tried these at all but the specs may tick the boxes...

check the 26HF or the 32HF on the 'specification' tab
http://www.riopump.net/products_pumps/h ... _desc.html

That is risky unless you know what you are doing
I take it the 3000l is based on FT turnover (another fixed in concrete notion). You could have a kickass pump on a timer to take care of the vert GB's and something to aerate the FT. Filtration would be my concern.

Thanks guys.



I am starting to think that this is the best option: I will pump everything halfway up, to a reservoir, where it will overflow into the grow beds or whatever, and have a second pump in the reservoir which sends water up to the towers.

Yep , I reckon Charlie is on the money too

Probably a Q that has already been answered ad nauseum but, other than not being rated for potable water despite being a sealed unit, what are the reasons for not going with a utility submersible pump like this and using a piggyback float switch if applicable? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_792_792

Sump pump with float switch avaiable from our hardware stores over here for $50 up. I use one rated at 8000 litres and 250 watts on a 15/45 cycle.