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low cost submersible solar pump?

Low Cost Pumps

There are now some low cost pumps now being offered for around $100. Has anyone tried one? Specs are not clear. For example, most list a single voltage (odd for a MPPT supply). No pump curves. Search ebay for: 24V 2m³/h 65M Brushless Stainless Solar Submersible Deep Well Water Pump MPPT WX

User Experiences

Unless my pump was super easy to get too, I would be wary of something that cheap.

I see that some of them are listed as brushless with a voltage range of 12V-72V.

I started out in 2013 with 2x Shurflo 9325's for pumping livestock water. Those pumps lasted about 2 years so then I tried the cheap Chinese copies of the 9325. They also last about a year. Considering the cost difference (say $700 for the 9325 and $100 for the China pump) I now only use the Chinese ones. I have 7 all up. Spare parts for them are not available so when one fails I just replace it with a new one. It looks to me as if the Chinese version is a direct copy of the 9325.

I believe that the Shurflo 9325 is a diaphragm pump with brushes. This is comparable to some chinese pumps, but not at all to the ones I referenced. The latter is brush-less and usually a helical rotor.You might try one.

Having sold hundreds of water pumps I will attest that better pumps costs more to make and sell. Quality well pumps should last well over a decade. At least shallow well pumps are likely easier to replace. Though I would not like the inconvenience of a failing water pump. $100 disposable well pumps - "signs of the times" I suppose. A decent aquarium pump costs roughly twice that.

When they do fail, how do they fail? burnt motor, leak, worn impeller etc? Can you swap parts from other pumps and fix them if you had to or is it the same thing that breaks over and over?

Good question. I have probably replaced over a 100 aquarium pumps over the years. They basically grow weaker over the years and out put decreases. They may take several minutes to restart after being unplugged, that is a good clue of impending failure. Some grow noisy. I believe the impeller magnets weaken over time. Sometimes we just replace the impeller but that fails to make it "good as new". Water Pumps cannot push air, they must be primed with water if the lines become filled with air after a power outage etc. Very, very few realize that. Well companies make bank replacing pumps that are not working because they have a lot of air in the lines.

I have gone through 7 or 8 pumps now, and the cheap Chinese pumps (IMO) last better than the American expensive ones like Dankoff (surface) and Advanced Power. I much rather spend $100 for a pump that fails in 3 to 6 months than $700+. With that said, I have good and bad Chinese pumps... some require 1.5 times of their wattage (strongly advised) in solar panels to pump properly. Also, make sure not to downsize the outlet pipe and use filter sock (and change often) if it is sensitive to particles.

I have purchased 5 of the Hallmark and Vevor brand. The oldest has been in 4 years in residential service. Not a single problem with any of them. The 220 vac pumps came with a standard 120 vac plug on them. Just cut off the plug and wire it to 220 vac. The last two I ordered via eBay were a problem. They first one was advertised to be a 220 volt pump . But when it came it said 120 vac on the motor. So I ordered another with the request that it be 220 vac. It got here last week and the motor says 220 vac 50 cycle. So we are screwed again. I realize that a 50 cycle motor will run on 60 cycle but the motor will try to run faster and probably be overloaded. I just may take out two or three of the impellers and run it on 60 cycle. The motors on the low cost pumps interchange with any of the standard USA pumps. If you have the capability of changing out you own pumps the low cost pumps are a good deal. But most well installers don't like them since they want to mark up the pump to you.