Countryline (soldby tractor supply)

[Ludington]

I'm wondering who actually makes the country line submersible pumps that tractor supply sells.
My pump failed back January time frame. Since it runs my geothermal heat, plus supplies the house, we needed to get back up and running. The only choice we had was from tractor supply.
It's been running fine (with the exception of a noticeable clunk when it shuts off. Ive Assumed this is the check valve shutting) I don't know the longevity of this pump but would hope it runs a few years. It averages about 30 - 50 maybe 75 cycles a day (since it supplies the geo when it runs) does anyone have any experiance with these ? I'm hoping there actually an ok pump. My original myers predator pump lasted 20 years.
I think I would have preferred a grundfos sq , but you need to order those things, (and lord knows what the love of my life would do or say if I told her it was going to be 3 days) Can't just leave one sitting on the shelf for years waiting for the one that's running to fail. (I guess they dry out)

 

[Valveman]

All pumps are made cheaply these days. That pump from TS is probably made by Pentair, Franklin, or one of the other brand names, as they all make pumps under many different names like Myers, Flotec, etc., to sell at the box stores. SQ is a good pump but not worth the extra money unless you have smaller than 4" casing.

Since all pumps are made cheaply these days, it is important to eliminate as much cycling as possible, as that is what destroys pumps. 75 cycles a day is over 27,000 cycles per year. Adding a Cycle Stop Valve to the system will make any pump last longer. After 30 years of selling Cycle Stop Valves, I believe pump companies are making their pumps cheaper because of the CSV. When pumps last longer than 7 years average as planned, they shorten them up and make them cheaper. The CSV makes pumps last longer, so they keep making them cheaper and cheaper.

 

[Ludington]

I like the soft start feature of the sq, and dry well protection. I don't think I'll see the 75 very often, if ever... Probably closer to 30. It got up to 91 and 92 here and I counted the cycles.. only 30. So, let's call it 40, so now we're down in the 14k range. I read somewhere pumps should go 100,000 cycles and more if there allowed time to cool between cycles. So far, if my geo ran continously, it would alow about 3 minutes between cycles. And so far, my well has only cycled 2x at the most during a hp run. It runs 10 - 12 minutes with 10 or more between runs. I just wondered if the country line pump was a low end and maybe I might get 5 years out of it. Was looking to see if anyone had actual experiance with one.
And maybe how long could you buy a backup pump and have it on the shelf... saying I bought a grundfos sq 2 wire 200v pump.

 

[Valveman]

Soft start is only important if the pump is starting (cycling) too much. Soft start is really not good for regular 4" submersible motors with the water lubricated Kingsbury type thrust bearing. The SQ can do it because it has ball bearings and is oil filled. But waiting 5 seconds fo the water to get moving can sometimes be a problem. Any cycles you can eliminate will make the pump last longer. They know exactly how many times pumps normally cycle, and they build in about 7 years worth on average. Not a nickels worth of difference between any box store brand pumps these days. They put so little "meat" into pumps anymore than eliminating the cycling is the only thing you can do to make them last. The CSV will eliminate many cycles, deliver much stronger constant pressure to the showers, and stop that water hammer "clunk" you are hearing on pump shut off.

You can store a pump end for a long time. But the motor end will need to be checked after being stored for any length of time. The 4" motors will leak out coolant and need to be topped off. The 3" motors may leak oil over time, and the ball bearings maybe stuck or pitted after storage. Motors with ball bearings need to be spun a couple times a year at least to keep the bearings usable.

I keep spare pump ends for my wells. But using Cycle Stop Valves my pumps have lasted 20, 30 even 40+ years so far, so a spare motor would be getting pretty old and sticky by now. And I have a heat pump too.

Most people tell me it doesn't matter how much energy their heat pump is saving because they cycle the well pump to death every year or two. I think you are just lucky yours has lasted as long as it has.

 

[coperli]

Soft start is only important if the pump is starting (cycling) too much. Soft start is really not good for regular 4" submersible motors with the water lubricated Kingsbury type thrust bearing. The SQ can do it because it has ball bearings and is oil filled. But waiting 5 seconds fo the water to get moving can sometimes be a problem. Any cycles you can eliminate will make the pump last longer. They know exactly how many times pumps normally cycle, and they build in about 7 years worth on average. Not a nickels worth of difference between any box store brand pumps these days. They put so little "meat" into pumps anymore than eliminating the cycling is the only thing you can do to make them last. The CSV will eliminate many cycles, deliver much stronger constant pressure to the showers, and stop that water hammer "clunk" you are hearing on pump shut off.

You can store a pump end for a long time. But the motor end will need to be checked after being stored for any length of time. The 4" motors will leak out coolant and need to be topped off. The 3" motors may leak oil over time, and the ball bearings maybe stuck or pitted after storage. Motors with ball bearings need to be spun a couple times a year at least to keep the bearings usable.

I keep spare pump ends for my wells. But using Cycle Stop Valves my pumps have lasted 20, 30 even 40+ years so far, so a spare motor would be getting pretty old and sticky by now. And I have a heat pump too.

Most people tell me it doesn't matter how much energy their heat pump is saving because they cycle the well pump to death every year or two. I think you are just lucky yours has lasted as long as it has.

Your perspective on the trade-off between energy savings from heat pumps and potential pump burnout due to frequent cycling offers a different angle. The effectiveness of CSVs in increasing pump life suggests a potential solution to this dilemma.

Thank you for contributing your expertise and challenging my initial thoughts on soft start. I appreciate your detailed explanations and real-world experience. Your knowledge will be helpful not only for me but also for others seeking information about submersible pumps and their longevity.

 

[Valveman]

Just looking at the energy use of a product does not tell the whole story. Most people do not realize how much energy it takes to mine, manufacture, transport, and install components for a well pump system. All that energy is wasted every time a pump fails. The longer a pump last the more energy it is saving, no matter how much energy it uses when it is working.