Question on calculating head height with pumps.

[xxbenjamminxx]

I was wondering something......

I have a 65g barrel on a metal stand that is about 18" off the ground, it has a hole but in the top that I drop my pump, heater, etc in to age and pump the water. Now here is where my question comes in. With my pump in the barrel (on bottom) and the hose running up out the top of barrel (about 3' to top), then it goes down on the ground, up 4 steps into the house (about 2') and then up into the tank (about 5' to top of tank from ground). Do calculate the head height at around 10' or since it goes up, out the barrel and then back down right away do those cancel each other out leaving me only having to pump it up the stairs, and up into the tank?

I hope this makes sense, it does to me :p , but am trying to figure out why my pump seems to be pumping so slow. Its rated at 760gph but takes me like 15 min of filling to replace like 30g of water if not longer.

Would it be better to plumb a hole out the bottom of the barrel into the pump (since it doesnt have to be submersed) rather then how I have it now?

Thanks in advance, Ben

[MKD]

For Max length calculation, I won't measure from 1 end to other end. Then rate the Max Height, I wound measure from floor to top of the tank. In your case, would say 5 feet. Check manual for more details, it tells gallon per hour at certain height. Are you using aNd size that they recommend. Also is there any restriction or reducer?

[Keith Perkins]

What Tony said. Length makes a difference as well as minimum size space the water is flowing through. I've got 25' of 3/4" flexible pvc hose on a pump and 25' of 1/2" potable water hose on an identical pump, the fill rate on the 3/4" flexible pvc is much faster.

[xxbenjamminxx]

Its running through a 100ft potable safe garden hose from the barrel to the tanks. I have now sinced moved it closer to the barrel so I could cut down the hose length but still have smaller growouts in another room that requires the hose that long to fill them. I could bucket the water if you think it will help alot. The hose is 5/8" standard size hose and am thinking of plumbing it through the bottom of the barrel and then getting 3/4" hose to go onto that.

Man I sure wish I had a basement where I could house the barrel indoors, and run PVC from it to the tanks. Would sure make it ALOT easier.

[Skip]

i was about to ask..

you left out the diameter of the hose..

that is a KEY variable in your equation..

[MKD]

My guess, your hose is too long most of pump rates around 20 feet long.