What are the potential disasters for buying a water pump online?
A controversial title, maybe. However, we are often called to homes to fix or repair a faulty pump or a poorly installed water pump. So here is our guide to saving $$ long term, avoiding heartache about your broken pump when you buy a water pump online.
1 – You get what you pay for – yes, the long term adage is true, especially with domestic water pumps!
Don’t get me wrong. We do sell and supply and install a budget range of pumps. We have field-tested them, and we know with certainty that they will last longer than the 2yr warranty, and you will likely get 2-5 years from one quickly. We frequently replace budget pumps that have failed – often within their warranty period. Smart people get us in to replace the pump with a quality Italian brand pump – like DAB pumps, because they know cheap doesn’t mean long term worry-free. Water in your home is critical for a happy life!
2 – How do you know what a quality pump is?
Looking online, how do you tell the difference between a $200 water pump and a $400 water pump? Is price the accurate measure of water pump quality? How do you know? Having replaced many pumps, we can tell you by the brand which water pumps fail from dodgy electric motors, which fail with dodgy or poor capacitors, which fail because the bearings go and which pump’s leak! We have even had new pumps not appropriately earthed and given the tech an electric shock.
Is the pump parallel imported? How do you know? Nowadays, it’s very easy for anyone to import anything with zero product knowledge or experience in the pump industry. However, they may be good at marketing and importing products. Frequently the cheaper and middle-range pumps fail before their warranty period is up, and at that point, smart homeowners install a decent pump and get Aqua Works involved.
3 – One size doesn’t fit all homes.
What does that mean? Pumps are specific – how much pressure they deliver, at what flow rate and at a determined head pressure. Every house should have a pump matched to the specifics of the house design and build. How many bathrooms do you have? Is the house single or triple story? Are the tanks flooded suction?
If you don’t answer these questions and then specify the right pump, you could end up with damage to your plumbing system, plumbing fittings like Hot Water Cylinders, or simply damage the new pump due to pump cavitation, for example.
4 – Check out the warranty when you buy water pump online – back to base often.
This one catches a lot of people out. If you buy from a shop or get it delivered from an online store, the warranty is looked at when you return the water pump to the place you purchased it from. So in many cases, you have to un-plumb the pump, package it up, get it on the courier, then it arrives at the warehouse, it then needs testing and then either repairing or replacing, and a new pump gets shipped to you to install it then. This can easily take 4-6 days or longer.
How long can you be without water in your home?
What if the retailer refuses to warranty the pump because they think you have an issue with the suction line or delivery line at your home? How do you prove that? Sounds like the classic Mexican standoff.
5 – Have you identified what caused the previous water pump to blow up?
Often pumps fail for a reason. Sometimes it is an issue with the suction line or pressure plumbing. Sometimes it’s a power fluctuation issue. How do you know? If left undetected, an existing problem will cause a new pump to fail prematurely if there are underlying health conditions with your set-up from the tank to the house.
6 – Are you a qualified plumber?
Pumps are part of a potable water supply, and as such, they should only be installed by either a registered plumber or a certifying plumber. If something goes wrong and you have a flood, for example (which often happens from non registered tradies or DIY), the insurance will likely be null and void. We are seeing regular cases now where insurance companies have walked away from a claim where a non-licensed person has carried out licensed work. Is that worth the risk to you?
7 – Can you buy spare parts for your online purchase?
This is a great important question – the reality is that you cannot get spare parts for most pumps under $600. They are simply not available, so when your pump is imported, it comes with a whole bunch of other pumps and no spare parts. It’s cheaper for your online shop to replace your pump with another cheap pump than to fix or repair your pump – even if the pump is still within warranty. Think about that, and then think about the business model that supports that thinking. NZ 100% PURE ?? Not if we keep using disposable electronics that cannot be repaired or fixed.
8 – Is buying a cheap water pump the best thing for the planet?
Does creating unnecessary landfills bother you? Pumps are becoming a commodity item these days. With cheaper imported pumps, you cannot get parts. So what happens to your old one? Does it get recycled? Or does it end up in a landfill? These pumps are full of heavy metals, electronics, lead, mercury, silver and plastic. If you cannot service a pump – or it’s cheaper to replace one then chances are your old pump is heading for the tip. Is that what we want?
9 – Are the cheaper pumps approved for NZ conditions? Are they approved for NZ drinking water Standards?
If we think about this, we can come to some interesting conclusions. Galvanised iron or cast iron rusts and leaches heavy metals, yet most cheaper pumps are made from this material. You drink the water in your home straight from the tap, which has passed through a cast iron water pump. Need a heavy metals health assessment? What is the water pump made from? Is it approved materials that are food grade? How do you know?
When should you buy a water pump online?
1 – when the company installs the water pump for you as well at the same time.
2 – when the company offers a guarantee on the pump and installation.
3 – when you have no other choice and you are buying a quality product.
The bottom line is…
Water is something we all take for granted – until you don’t have any. Then it is usually Friday at 5 pm, who are you going to call?
You want to work with a local company that has stood the test of time, who has the experience, the right stock and parts and has the availability and systems in place to run an efficient call-out service onsite if you need them.
It sounds like Aqua Works to me, put us to the test. 0800 AQUA WORKS.
Over 100 5 star reviews on Google must count for something?