AQUASTRONG 2 HP Shallow Well Jet/Centrifugal Pump, 5200 GPH, 230V, Durable Cast Iron Booster Pump for Lawn Sprinkler, Garden Irrigation

I ordered this AQUASTRONG 2 HP Centrifugal/Jet Pump, 5200 GPH, 230V, Durable Cast Iron Pump for Lawn Sprinkler and Irrigation to replace a Red Lion 2 HP pump that’s in need of being rebuilt. Bought this one for two main reasons; it’s low price, which included a $50.00 discount coupon, and of its 86 GPM, or about 10 more gallons per minute than the pump it replaced.Installation was simple, especially since the inlet and outlet fittings are the same size as the old pump. Also, which I always recommend for pump installation, I used quick connectors for both the inlet and outlet pump piping. So, it was just a matter of disconnecting the two quick connectors, unscrewing the pipes from the old pump and do a reverse installation on the new pump. Wiring installation (240 volts) is just as easier. You removed the back cover, which is held in place with two screws and install the three wires, 2 hot wires and a ground, to the three available screws. I did replace the 1/2" adjustable connector with 1/2 in. PVC male adapter and glued the electrical conduit to it.As for priming the pump, I read a review where the person stated there wasn’t “no fill plug to get it full of water to start the suction”. Although the pump itself doesn’t have a dedicated fill plug (neither I have seen one with a dedicated fill plug), the pump itself can be a breeze to prime with the proper setup. One way is to install a three-way PVC fitting at the pump outlet and add a hose bib or plug to the upper side of the three-way fitting. The hose bib, in my opinion, works best because it allows for the quick relief of trap air and for priming the pump with a water hose. You can also use a dedicated ball valve, which you can easily open to add water to the pump for priming. We are on well water, and I have the house pump piping connected to the sprinkler pump piping, with a ball valve in between. This setup makes priming, not just for the sprinkler pump but also the house pump if needed, by simply using the water flow from either pump. In my case, the pump was prime at the first attempt.Note that if you run into issues when priming the pump, you should stop and do some troubleshooting to prevent damage to the pump or motor. Although the motor is supposed to be thermally protected, running it without a good water flow can cause it to burn or the PVC fittings getting distorted, which can lead to leaks. The most common cause for pump not priming, other than a defective pump, is due to cavitation or trap air. These could be caused for various reasons, like lose pipe connections, a check valve no seated properly, low water level, especially if you are drawing water from a well. If unsure, use a professional installer who may have all needed tools to find and fix the issue(s).Anyway, this replacement pump is quieter and has a larger flow than the pump it replaced. So far, it has worked great for two days now. I run the sprinkler station manually through my cell phone, so the pump doesn’t run constantly, but the motor feels cool to the touch, which is an indication of good water flow. I recommend it.

Very good pump. Had to replace my Plastic Flow tech after many years of use. First looked into repairing the old one and it was $100 more to fix than replace .Decided on the Aquastrong 2hp. As it turned out the hookup for my suction and discharge was nearly identical. I did have to shim the pump a little higher but otherwise just reinstalled pvc from other pump to this.Electrical hookup was simple reinstall > 220v , 2 hot leads , 1ground.Filled pump with water first, turned on and immediately primed it self. Been turning on and off everyday on the timer and working better (pressure wise) than previous pump.Pump is all cast iron, not plastic. so its heavy, and runs very quiet.Pump comes with a good warranty and if you register it with manufacturer you get an additional 1 year , total 3yrsI'm happy with this pump and Believe its a good value

My thermo plastic pump developed a leak around the pancake body and since plastic tends to change shape overtime, leaks are probably expected.Not to repeat the same mistake, I went with this decently rated pump made in China that’s made of cast iron body. I also went with a 1.5 hp unit replacing the original 1 hp unit. This pump runs at about 1500 watts so plan accordingly and don't exceed that.Picture you can see the thermo plastic pump that failed and the new cast iron pump which is much higher quality. It’s almost a direct replacement.I had a successful first run and then I had to disconnect the pump to deal with a small leak. After that the pump would just make a low humming noise and then my breaker would trip. Initially I thought it was because the pump was using too much power than my previous pump. But the pump just hums and trip the break multiple times. After a little bit of research, I found the pump might be locked up. I was concerned the pump would lock up after 1 use. I then took the back of the pump off so I could use a flat head screw driver to turn the pump, as soon as I touched the spring next to the pump shaft in the middle, the spring retracted and moved the centrifugal switch to touch the main shaft.Apparently, the centrifugal switch is part of the starting circuit that uses the power from the capacitor to start the pump, without it, the pump would not start on its own. I probably knocked the switch to a permanently open position when I tilted the pump aggressively, but there’s no documentation anywhere in the install manual documenting this. Reading some of the bad reviews, it’s likely caused by the centrifugal switch. Also, even my cheap pump comes with a circuit board that removes the capacitor once the pump spins up and why this pump still relies on mechanical switches is beyond me. It would be okay if the switch is reliable but it is not. Also, a mechanical centrifugal switch will probably fail overtime because it rubs against the pump shaft during startup. Also, the pump will rust very quickly if painted area is rubbed off, but I guess that's not a surprise due to cast iron construction.Otherwise, this pump comes with a 2 year warranty and 3 year if you register. But I haven’t figured out how to do it. Aquastrong is an Italian company and this pump doesn’t appear on their website.I am happy with the quality of this pump and no doubt it weighs a lot and Amazon shipped it by UPS so it took a few days to arrive compare to regular Amazon second day delivery.If my original pump lasted 5 years, I expected the new pump to last at least 10 years. I will update my review if it fails before then.**2 week update************The centrifugal switch failed again and it tripped my breaker without any warning. So it is not because I tipped the pump but there appears to be an issue with the centrifugal switch. I emailed the company asking for help and they are working with me . I am installing a separate 15A thermal breaker just for the pump circuit that can trip before it trips my 20A breaker in hope it doesn't trip the 20A breaker that control other things on the same breaker. I am disappointed that I have to come up with my workaround while the rest of the pump seems solid so far. I am only keeping it because it's too much work to take everything off again. I will update again if my experience changes, but it’s a risk and I wouldn’t recommend it if you aren’t handy but the company seems to stand behind the pump.****third week update****Aquastrong support shipped me a new pump without a lot of questions which I really appreciate. It proves that they are standing behind their product. I haven't switched out the pump because it hasn't failed again but I don't trust it and always have to check whether the sprinkler pump actually ran vs. locked up. I upgraded my rating to 4 stars to reflect the support and their willingness to work with me without a lot of hassles. I would not purchase this pump if you are paying someone to install it because you may have to switch it out.

I highly recommend this 1 1/2 hp well pump and the company. Excellent product and the best customer service I have ever experienced.My original Aquastrong pump developed a problem and I was promptly shipped a replacement. Thank you AquaStrong!

The pump ran great for over a year. One of the bearings went bad just prior to the end of the warranty. Company service was great. A new pump was sent. Problem solved.