First and foremost, the pump you select must be able to comfortably deliver your rainwater from your tank to all of the outlets required, providing the water pressure that you find satisfactory.

Key questions to consider include:

How many outlets (eg, taps, hoses, sprinklers, washing machines, toilet cisterns and the like) will the pump be required to service?

How many of the outlets could be operating simultaneously?

What is the furthest distance from the rainwater tank/pump that the water needs to be pumped to, and is there an incline or decline involved?

Are there any outlets that require a higher than average amount of water pressure in order to operate effectively (e.g. pop-up sprinklers, showers)?

Is the noise generated by the pump a concern? For example, will the pump be located close to a bedroom window (yours or perhaps your neighbour's)?

The Southern Tanks team can guide you through these questions, assessing your needs thoroughly, before presenting you with suitable pump options.

All pumps are not created equal! As well as the performance capabilities (e.g. flow rates and maximum head of a pump), it’s important to consider the track record, or reputation, of the brand of pump, in general, and the model of pump, in particular, that you’re considering. Whilst there is a healthy number of quality pump manufacturers operating in the Australian market place, there are, unfortunately, those of questionable reputation.

Southern Tanks has partnered with Bianco Pumpz, Bromic, DAB and Reefe due to their outstanding reputation for quality and value for money.

As you’ll be relying on your pump to support your water needs on a constant, probably daily, basis, it makes sense to invest the time to assess the proven merits of the brand and model of pump you’re contemplating. A viable shortcut is to ask your Southern Tanks representative to explain why they’re recommending a particular brand and model to you.

Of course, you can also do your own homework. Friends, neighbours and relatives may have been well served by a particular brand and model of pump that they can recommend.

Choosing a pump that meets your performance criteria from a manufacturer with a proven track record will go a long way towards hassle-free and rewarding rainwater harvesting and re-use. However, despite all of the best precautions, electrical goods with moving parts can experience technical issues.

If an issue does occur with your pump, how well supported by the manufacturer will you be?

At Southern Tanks, we have partnered with pump manufacturers that are very well known for their after-sales service levels and who share our commitment to customer satisfaction.

By keeping the above three factors in mind (Performance, Reputation and Support), you’ll secure a pump that allows you to extract the most value out of your rainwater harvesting and re-use system, and one that provides you with peace of mind into the future.

To discuss your rainwater tank pump requirements, please contact the Southern Tanks team on 1300 595 563 or info@southerntanks.com.au