Submersible centrifugal pumps powering fountains and waterfalls at a luxury golf course – Case Study

On many projects, we’re working with clients in heavyweight industries like oil production, construction, engineering and waste disposal. The conditions are tough and our pumps have to work effectively in the harshest environments.  

This project was completely different. Supplying pumps for fountains and waterfalls on a beautifully landscaped golf course! 

With some client enquiries, we are given the full technical parameters of an application. With other projects, clients simply tell us what they are looking to achieve and we come up with the solution. This is exactly what happened here.  

At North Ridge Pumps, we’re not tied to a single pump technology, so we can provide the best pump for any application at the lowest lifetime cost. In fact, we can use our expertise to offer a bespoke solution, not something straight off the shelf. 

For this particular project, our customer was landscaping their golf course and was looking to create two distinctive fountains and waterfalls. They told us they wanted a large feature waterfall, and a smaller accompanying one to really catch the eye of golfers and visitors.  

Hidden design elements 

The client asked that the functional aspects of the design should not be visible, with the hose buried and panels hidden, and for the pumps to start and stop automatically in case of low water levels. 

We often select self-priming pumps for these types of applications. However, as the client wanted to keep the pumps shielded from view with all pipework hidden, we decided to specify two of our submersible centrifugal pumps for this project. Each pump would have individual control panels, 50m of hose and separate float switches to allow automatic control of the pumps. We had a tight schedule too – build and delivery in under five weeks. 

Submersible pumps face different challenges 

Obviously, submersible pumps are completely immersed in the fluid being pumped. They have a centrifugal design and can operate either continuously or intermittently.  

They are typically controlled by float switches which can trigger operation at various levels, with a sump where the pumps are located. A suction strainer on the bottom of the pump strains debris and solids. 

Submersible centrifugal pumps are available in a wide range of designs for varying applications. Slurry pumps have an agitator added to the impeller to agitate solids to enable them to be pumped. Puddle sucker pumps are suitable for taking water levels down to a few millimetres, with some capable of draining the water completely - which is why they are called puddle suckers. 

A range of impeller options 

Various impeller types can also be fitted depending on the fluid being pumped. A vortex impeller would be used to transfer solid-laden fluids, a semi-open impeller for wastewater, and a cutter impeller for stringy solids. 

Pumps can be either free-standing or guide rail-mounted. A free-standing pump is where the bottom of the pump has been designed to lift it from the bottom of the sump to allow solids to enter the pump. This is called a foot. 

Guide rail-mounted pumps are fixed with a bracket to a rail which runs the depth of the sump. The pump is then raised or lowered using chains down to the bottom of the sump where it auto-couples to the discharge pipework. They are typically used for wastewater, sewage and industrial applications: 

Submersible centrifugal pumps designed for water 

For this particular project, we selected a heavy duty submersible pump design which had a number of unique features which made it the optimum choice for reliable long-term use in a water display: 

• Double hard-faced mechanical seal in the oil bath with an oil lifter to ensure even cooling and lubrication, and longer seal life 

• Maintenance-free shielded ball bearings which due to their enclosed design shield against contamination, and ensure that any oil or grease packed into the bearing cannot escape 

• High solid handling capability of 12mm and 20mm depending on the size of the pump 

• Heavy duty submersible pump design with a cast iron pump body over aluminium and a ductile iron impeller 

• Top discharge allows the pumps to operate even at low water levels, with the pumped medium keeping the motor cool and giving the unit a small footprint 

 If you have a process you’re looking to achieve, don’t have all the technical info to hand and want a little guidance in your project, speak to North Ridge Pumps to see how we can help.