Grundfos SQFlex Pumping Systems

Grundfos has an exciting new line of submersible pumps called SQFlex that can deliver more water each day per watt of input power than any other pump on the market. The "flex" in SQFlex is for flexibility since these pumps can be powered by solar modules, a wind turbine, an AC generator or a combination of these power sources.

You can use any brand of solar module to power a SQFlex pump, but you must use a specially designed high voltage Whisper 200 wind turbine if you want to power them from the wind.

There are 10 pumps in the SQFlex line, 4 feature a 3" diameter positive displacement helical rotor pump head which is best suited for deep well low volume requirements and 6 feature a 4" centrifugal pump head which is best suited for low head high volume requirements. The maximum lift with the helical rotor pumps is 600’ while the maximum flow rate with the centrifugal pumps is 85 gpm.

All 10 pumps use the same super efficient 3" diameter MFS 3 motor/power converter assembly that will accept a wide range of input voltages (30-300VDC or 90-240VAC). This motor provides high torque yet a "soft-start" non-surging capability. The power converter protects the motor from over/under voltage, overload, over temperature, blocked outlet conditions and from running dry by a water level electrode that is attached to the 6' motor cable.

These pumps are so durable and reliable that they don't need to be pulled for servicing every 2-3 years like some diaphragm pumps, just set it and forget it. This can save you a lot of time, money and hassle over the life of the system and might keep your livestock from going thirsty while your pump is being pulled and repaired.

Grundfos offers 3 separate pump controllers to be used with the SQFlex pumps based on your power source and whether or not you plan to use a float switch.

The simplest controller is the IO-100 which is basically a wiring connection box with an ON/OFF switch and it is designed for solar direct systems.

The IO-101 controller is also designed for solar direct systems, but it allows you to connect a 120VAC generator as an auxiliary power source. For example; if your solar powered SQFlex pumping system is not producing enough water due to extended heavy overcast conditions, you can manually start your generator and it will power the pump. When the generator stops running (manually shut off or if it runs out of gas), the IO-101 controller automatically switches back to the solar array and the pump will run if there is sufficient sunlight.

The most sophisticated controller is the CU-200 which can be used for solar or wind powered systems. The CU-200 is a combined status, control and communication unit which allows the connection of a float switch in your tank that will allow the controller to automatically turn the pump on/off based on water level. It communicates with the pump via the power supply wires and is able to provide alarm indications for dry running, lost connection to pump, over voltage, over temperature and overload.

To make sizing a SQFlex pumping system easy, Grundfos created a simple Windows based sizing program called WinCAPS which takes the guesswork out of sizing a pumping system. WinCAPS takes into account your location (city/state or lat/long), daily volume requirement, month of peak demand, total dynamic head, power source (solar module and/or Whisper 200 wind turbine), type of solar module mount structure (fixed or tracking) and prints out which SQFlex pump and power source will best meet your needs along with a daily system performance chart for each month of the year. Sizing, purchasing, installing and operating a solar or wind powered water pumping system couldn't be any easier than with the Grundfos SQFlex pumps and controllers.

You can see the prices of the Grundfos SQFlex pumps and controllers below, but give us a call or send us an e-mail with the particulars of your pumping application (fill out our Water Pumping Questionnaire by clicking here) and we can quickly prepare an accurate system design and quote for you.