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Air-Powered Australian Water Pump Works
FARM SHOW subscriber Steve Travis of Newport, Ore., wrote us recently about a clever water pump that he says works great and costs thousands less than an electric well pump. Travis says his Brumby Submersible Pump, which runs only on air pressure, also puts air bubbles in the water to improve drinking quality.

We checked into his recommendation, contacting the Brumby company in Toodyay, Australia. Owner Tom Kress, who started the business 25 years ago, says some of the first pumps he sold are still operating today. “They’ve only got two moving parts, which are floating ball valves that don’t corrode, so there really isn’t anything to go wrong with them,” Kress says. Brumby pumps are popular throughout Australia and are also used in Europe, Mexico and Africa. The company has sold pumps in the U.S. direct to customers and would welcome a U.S. distributor.

Kress says the Brumby can be used to pump water, corrosive chemicals, and even gritty fluids. The Brumby works in a well, a bore or a sump. “It’s a simple, cost effective and tough alternative to conventional electric pumps,” Kress says.

A Brumby, unlike conventional pumps, doesn’t corrode, seize or burn out. That’s because it’s made of tough, non-metallic and non-corroding materials that don’t interact with the liquid being pumped. “We’ve had customers tell us their pumps haven’t been damaged pumping sand or grit, even when they’ve run dry,” Kress says. “Gritty materials and high or low pH water, even chemicals, don’t affect the workability of the pump.”

A Brumby is ideal for rural or urban use where the water supply is a long distance from a power supply and when a pump is needed to lift water to a tank or reservoir. It can even be used to aerate ponds or fish tanks. A Brumby runs on compressed air that can be supplied by a small engine or battery-powered compressor. The Brumby submersible pump is easy to install and can be relocated to different sites by just pulling it out by hand and moving it to a different location. No support cables are required because the pump connects to and hangs on the end of poly tubing, which is inexpensive and readily available.

Brumby submersible pumps are cylinder shaped, about 3 ft. long and weigh less than 10 lbs. Three different sizes are available to suit flow capacity and vertical lift capacity needs. The S1 model is for wells under 100 ft. deep. The S2 has two valves and can be used with a controller to deliver 150 gal. per hour. A larger L2 model is 7 1/2 ft. long and is designed for larger casings. Any of the pumps can be teamed with a 12V controller package for around $850 or an electric controller for $900. Pump prices range from $700 to $900. One person can easily install a Brumby without special tools. There’s no metal piping or electrical cables needed.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tom Kress, Brumby Submersible Pumps, P.O. Box 247, Toodyay 6566 Western Australia

(ph 61 8 9574 4525; www.brumbypumps.com).


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2013 - Volume #37, Issue #1