Grundfos Pumps Australia

Grundfos has been selling into Australia since the 1980s, and by now there is one somewhere in most bore and pressure systems in the country. The catalogue is the problem. It runs to thousands of models, and the names give away nothing unless you already know the code.

This page exists to get you to the right range quickly. If you already have a model number, put it in the search box and you will land straight on the product. If you are starting from "I need a pump for my bore", read on.

Which Range Do You Need?

Almost every enquiry we take sorts into one of these:

• Water from a bore or deep well → SQ and SQE 3" submersibles for domestic and small irrigation, or SP borehole pumps once you need serious flow.
• Pressure from a tank or mains to the house → CMB and CMBE boosters or the self-priming JP jet pumps in our pressure boosting range.
• High pressure for commercial, irrigation or process water → CR vertical multistage.
• Steady pressure across a building → Hydro Multi booster sets.
• Sewage or water with solids in it → SEG grinder pumps or SEV SuperVortex.
• Emptying a pit, sump or flooded floor → Unilift KP, AP and CC.
• Hot water and heating loops → UPS and ALPHA circulators.

How to Read a Grundfos Model Number

This is worth two minutes of your time, because once you know the pattern you can compare pumps without opening a single datasheet.

The first number is nominal flow, in cubic metres per hour. An SQ 2-70, a CR 5-8 and an SP 3A-25 are rated around 2, 5 and 3 m³/h. To get litres per minute, multiply by 16.7 so 2 m³/h is roughly 33 L/min, which is about right for a house with a couple of outlets running.

The second number depends on the family, and this trips people up. On SQ bore pumps it is the head in metres. An SQ 2-70 gives about 2 m³/h at roughly 70 m of head. On CR multistage and SP borehole pumps the second number is the count of impeller stages instead. A CR 5-8 has eight stages, a CR 5-12 has twelve, and both move about the same flow — the twelve-stage version just pushes it higher.

The letters cover materials and control. On the CR range, plain CR is cast iron with stainless internals, CRI is 304 stainless, and CRN is 316 stainless for aggressive or high-chloride water. An E on the end (CRE, CRIE, CRNE) means the motor has variable-speed control built in, so the pump holds a set pressure instead of running flat out and cycling. Same logic on the boosters: CMB is fixed speed, CMBE is variable.

An SQE is an SQ with electronic control added, which lets it hold constant pressure and be set up through a CU 301 unit. If you just want water out of a bore into a tank, a plain SQ is usually the sensible buy.

Getting the Sizing Right

Four numbers size almost any job, and if you can give us these we can normally confirm a model in one phone call.

• Where the water comes from. Bore, tank, or mains. This alone rules out most of the catalogue.
• Flow you need at your busiest moment — not average daily use. Two showers and a dishwasher at 7am is the number that matters.
• Total head. Vertical lift, plus friction loss down the pipe, plus the pressure you actually want at the tap. Long runs of undersized poly pipe eat more head than people expect.
• Power available. Single-phase 240V, three-phase 415V, or off-grid. Most CR pumps from about 2.2 kW up are three-phase only.

The most common mistake we see is undersizing a bore pump on head. People measure the depth to water and stop there, forgetting the vertical run up to the tank and the pressure needed at the other end. The pump then runs at the far right of its curve, works hard, and does not last.

The second most common is cable. On a long bore run, voltage drop is real — a 1.15 kW SQ on 1.5 mm² cable is limited to around 50 m of total cable length before the drop becomes a problem. Go up a size and that stretches considerably. Budget for the cable when you budget for the pump.

The Parts That Go With It

A pump on its own is rarely a finished system.

• GT pressure tanks — a bigger tank means fewer starts, and fewer starts means a longer motor life.
• PM pressure managers and LC controllers — automatic start/stop, dry-run cut-out and duty/standby switching.
• Float switches — level control for tanks, sumps and pump stations.
• Pressure transducers — for variable-speed and electronically controlled systems.
• Grundfos spare parts — seals, kits and coupling sets.
• Grundfos electric motors — replacement MG and MS motors.

Frequently Asked Questions

SQ or SP for my bore?

Bore diameter and flow decide it. The SQ range is 3-inch and covers domestic supply, tank filling and small irrigation. Once you need higher flow, or you are on a 4-inch or larger bore for irrigation, stock or a commercial site, you move to the SP range. Measure your casing before ordering — a 4-inch pump does not go down a 3-inch bore.

What does the E mean in CRE, CRIE and CMBE?

Integrated variable-speed control. The motor adjusts speed to hold a set pressure rather than switching on and off at fixed points. It costs more up front, uses less power in normal running, and is much easier on the system because it stops the constant start-stop cycling. On a system that runs for hours a day it usually pays for itself.

CR, CRI or CRN — which one?

It comes down to water quality. CR uses a cast iron pump head and base with stainless internals and suits clean water. CRI is 304 stainless throughout. CRN is 316 stainless, which you want for bore water with high chlorides, coastal sites, or anything mildly aggressive. Paying for CRN on clean rainwater is money wasted; skipping it on bad bore water is a pump you replace early. Browse the full CR range here.

Do Grundfos bore pumps have dry-run protection?

The SQ and SQE range has it built in — the pump cuts out if the bore runs short of water, which protects the motor. Most other ranges do not, and rely on an external control. That is what a pressure manager or controller or a well-placed float switch is for. Check the specific model rather than assuming.

Can I run a Grundfos pump on single phase?

Plenty of them, yes. The whole home and garden range, the SQ bore pumps, the JP jet pumps and the smaller CR and CRI frames all run on 240V. Larger CR units and most SP pumps above the small frames are three-phase. If you are on single phase in a rural area, tell us early — it narrows the options a lot.

What size cable do I need for a submersible?

It depends on motor size and the total cable run, including the length inside the building, not just the bore depth. Voltage drop is what you are guarding against. As a rough guide, a 1.15 kW SQ motor on 1.5 mm² cable is good for roughly 50 m of total run; stepping up to 2.5 mm² roughly doubles that. Give us the depth and the distance back to the switchboard and we will size it properly.

My pump keeps starting and stopping. What is wrong?

Short cycling is usually a pressure tank problem before it is a pump problem either the tank is too small for the system, or the air charge has gone. Check the pre-charge pressure first. If the tank is sound, the next suspects are a failing pressure switch or a system that would be better off on a variable-speed pump. Our pressure tank range covers the common replacement sizes.

Do you ship outside Western Australia?

Yes, we deliver Australia-wide, with free shipping on orders over $100. Larger pumps go by freight rather than post, so if you are on a deadline it is worth ringing to check timing before you order.

Not Sure? Just Ask

Sizing a pump over a web form is guesswork. Sizing one over the phone takes about five minutes. Tell us where the water is coming from, how far it has to go, and what you need at the other end, and we will tell you which model to order — including when the cheaper one will do the job.

Call (08) 6384 5884 or send us the details.