Pump sizing, selection, installation and commissioning issues in rainwater harvesting systems

Learn to avoid the most common challenges related to sizing, selection, installation and commisioning pumps in rainwater harvesting systems.

When sizing, selecting, installing, or commissioning pumps for rainwater harvesting systems, you can face many issues that range from increases in energy consumption and wasted time to poor household comfort and extra costs.
 
Let’s explore them in more detail. We’ll begin with pump sizing and selection difficulties. Incorrectly sized and selected pumps in rainwater harvesting systems can negatively impact energy consumption and water comfort and lead to time-consuming call backs.

Residents can experience:
* Increases in energy consumption by up to 40% when compared with the ideal booster pump
* Increased purchase and operating costs when selecting a pump that’s too large.
* Or poor water pressure at the usage point.

The most common root causes for issues when sizing a pump for a rainwater harvesting systems can be:
* Incorrect or missing information about the distance between the rainwater tank and the pump  
* A lack of understanding in how to choose the right pump or select correct and compatible components like suction pipe and its dimension.
* Poor sizing tools or lack of sizing tools.
Grundfos offers a complete rainwater harvesting pump portfolio designed to guarantee an easier, more intuitive sizing and selection process.

Let’s move on and explore issues related to installation and commissioning.
When installing pumps in rainwater harvesting systems, it is essential that you don’t contaminate the mains water supply with rainwater. You will be required to install a separation system that ensures rainwater cannot flow back or be connected to the mains supply.

Having limited access to a confined or challenging installation space, like an attic or technical cabinet, is usually the main reason for time-consuming installations. In other cases, some pumps can have many installation components or a complex commissioning process which can add to a job’s timescale and increase the risk of unexpected challenges.

To overcome these issues, Grundfos offers a range of all-in-one solutions that can significantly reduce installation and commissioning times. SCALA2 and SCALA1 are both compact all-in-one boosters, which makes them easy to install even in limited spaces. SCALA1 features smart commissioning when connected to the Grundfos GO app. A selection of advanced settings can be managed in the app.
SCALA1 SYSTEM: A complete boosting system designed specifically for the management of rainwater. The  solution with integrated switch over function from rainwater to water mains. SB/SBA are simple tank solutions that require only a power connection to operate.

Course overview

Modules
Modules: 4
Completion time
Completion time: 20 minutes
Difficulty level
Difficulty level: Intermediate