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fatlazyless · 03-13-2007, 05:36 PM

Sunday, the spring warm-up told me to pull the plug after a two month run. It ran and ran and ran and ran for about two months, all winter, hung by two lines about one foot below the water surface, keeping the dock and boatlift ice free......the poor man's open-water circulator, it's the Lowe's $64.00-1/6hp-2amp pump.

No on-off switch...very low tech...just plug it in and it works....always....check the intake screen on the bottom once a month or so for leaves. A garden hose can be attached to the top.

Surprisingly, the 1/6hp model weighs much more than the more costly 1/4 and 1/3hp models which suggests it has a cast iron construction, or something, as opposed to all light weight plastic. By the way, breaking off the ground prong makes it unreturnable at Lowe's.

For just $99.00, www.harborfreight.com in San Diego was selling a shallow well pump unit that includes a 1/2hp 110v pump, 10 gal horizontal pressurized tank, and pressure switch, all in one assembled unit, color brite blue. Freight was only ten dollars for the cheapest, 8 day, FedEx ground rate. Couldn't resist that price, so I bought one last Fall but have not used it, yet. Another lawn irrigation project in the works!

03-13-2007, 05:36 PM	#14
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,760 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,014 Times in 739 Posts	Sunday, the spring warm-up told me to pull the plug after a two month run. It ran and ran and ran and ran for about two months, all winter, hung by two lines about one foot below the water surface, keeping the dock and boatlift ice free......the poor man's open-water circulator, it's the Lowe's $64.00-1/6hp-2amp pump. No on-off switch...very low tech...just plug it in and it works....always....check the intake screen on the bottom once a month or so for leaves. A garden hose can be attached to the top. Surprisingly, the 1/6hp model weighs much more than the more costly 1/4 and 1/3hp models which suggests it has a cast iron construction, or something, as opposed to all light weight plastic. By the way, breaking off the ground prong makes it unreturnable at Lowe's. For just $99.00, www.harborfreight.com in San Diego was selling a shallow well pump unit that includes a 1/2hp 110v pump, 10 gal horizontal pressurized tank, and pressure switch, all in one assembled unit, color brite blue. Freight was only ten dollars for the cheapest, 8 day, FedEx ground rate. Couldn't resist that price, so I bought one last Fall but have not used it, yet. Another lawn irrigation project in the works! Last edited by fatlazyless; 03-14-2007 at 10:03 PM.