can anyone test a pump?

[ScottM]

I have a Velocity pump like this
http://www.marinedepot.com/pu_csl.htm
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_pumps_customsealife_velocity.asp?ast=&key=

but i don't know what size it is.
how can i test it?
amperage draw? its either going to be 98w (500-650gph) or 140w (1250gph)
its going on my procal reactor so i am guessing its a big deal if i get it wrong....

 

[Jim Tansey]

Looks like the fittings are different on the two, 1 inch NPT for the T-4, 3/4 barb for the T-3

Regards,

Jim

 

[Jim Tansey]

I have a mix-up on the fitting description on the prior post. 3/4 MPT on the T-3 & 1 inch barb on the T-4.

Jim

 

[ScottM]

your right the older style (which i have) the t4 came in the 1" but since they have been bought out the t4's are now 3/4.
confusing.


i really just need to know if its ~1000gph (t3) or ~600pgh (t2/t1)

 

[Matt L.]

Scott,

There should be a "nameplate" on the pump that gives a variety of parameters. I imagine you would have seen this, so I'm surprised there isn't one. Anyhow, one option is to try and call the manufacturer. But they went out of business. If someone has an inline flow meter (I may have one you can borrow. Let me look...), just put the pump in a bucket of water and do a zero-head discharge test (a/k/a run-out) and take a flow reading. It probably won't be 1,000gph, but it should be notably higher than 600gph. Likewise, a pressure guage added in-line right after the discharge would work as well, since for centrifugal machinery, there is an inverse relationship between pressure and head. Again, you would just put the pump in a bucket of water, put the pressure guage immidiately downstream of the discharge, and allow the discharge to be free. If you add a throttling valve, you could measure the pressure at maximum and minimum flow, which would give you two points on the pump curve. You'll want to do either of these options outside because the water will go flying. Speaking of which, there is a third method which is less accurate. If you could measure the height of the water stream shooting up in the air, that would give you the head in feet of the run-out (maximum discharge) point, although it may be hard to distinguish pumps based on the run-out head,

Matt

 

[denvig]

Get a 20' long hose and put it stright up in the air if water shoots out it's a t4

 

[KevK]

A watch and a big container. Run the pump for a minute, if it pumps about 13 gallons, it is a t-3, if about 20 gallons a t-4. Zero head is the easiest way to measure.

 

[jacko]

ditto on the experiment -- ladder, 2 five-gallon pales, tubing, stopwatch.