Karcher Water Pumps
Karcher Home & Garden Water Pump Range
Karcher are well known for cleaning tools such as pressure washers and vacuum cleaners, but something many people may not be aware of is that their Home and Garden range also features a number of water pumps designed for the domestic user. You might think this seems like a slightly odd deviation from their core business but since pumps are an integral component in pressure washers, Karcher have been involved in designing and manufacturing them for more than 70 years – so it’s an area they definitely have a lot of expertise in. In this blog post we’ll be taking a look at the range in detail and going over some of the reasons why you might want to consider adding one to your tool kit.
What Are Water Pumps Used For?
A pump enables you to transfer large volumes of water quickly and easily, and will come in handy if you need to drain water away from somewhere you don’t want it, or move it somewhere where you do want it.
The first scenario often arises because of emergencies like floods and plumbing leaks, and often people will buy a pump just to be prepared for unexpected disasters – it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, as they say. But they are also used for less urgent drainage applications – for instance if you have a pond or swimming pool on your property.
Another common use for a water pump is to enable you to make use of various water sources for watering plants – for example harvested rainwater from water butts. This is ideal if you don’t have a nearby tap you can draw the water from, and if you have a pump that runs on rechargeable batteries then you don’t need a power socket either so you have a portable solution which is ideal for use in large gardens, allotments or remote locations.
Water Pump Basics
Due to the various applications they are required for, water pumps come in a few main categories, and some of the points to look out for when choosing one are listed here.
- Water Type (Clean or Dirty). Unless a pump has been specifically designed to cope with it, water that contains contaminants like mud and grit can quickly clog up the internal components and cause the machine to fail prematurely. That’s not to say a Clean water pump can only cope with pristine, crystal clear water, but it’s worth checking the specifications to see what kind of particulates the manufacturer say the pump is rated for.
- Pump Type (Surface or Submersible). A pump will either need to be placed into the water – in which case it would be classed as a submersible, or placed next to it on dry land. Submersible pumps are typically electric, and much more common; however many surface water pumps have petrol engines which makes them ideal for more remote locations where you might not have access to a power socket.
- Duty Cycle (Continuous or Intermittent). Some pumps, such as those made for fish tanks, are designed to be left running continuously. However most pumps are not designed to cope with continuous operation and should not be used in this way – rather they are intended for intermittent use, and should be switched off and left to cool down in between jobs.
Currently, all of the pumps in the Karcher Home and Garden range are submersible, electrically powered types. As they are not part of the Karcher Professional range, it should be noted that none of these models will have a warranty that covers commercial use – that is to say, they are intended for domestic applications only and not designed for heavy duty use or industrial environments. With that being said, let’s have a look at them now, starting with the entry level SP 9.500.
Karcher SP 9.500 Submersible Dirty Water Pump
The SP 9.500 is so called because it has a maximum flow rate of 9,500 litres per hour. It can be used to pump out clean water or dirty water as long as the particles don’t exceed 20mm in size. However, if your water is more contaminated than this it can still be used when fitted with an optional prefilter which is available separately. The SP 9.500 has a 280 watt electric motor and a delivery head of 6 metres, which means it can pump water up to a maximum height of 6 metres. The pump itself can be submerged to a maximum depth of 7 metres.
Karcher SP 11.000 Submersible Dirty Water Pump
Sharing the same fundamental design as the SP 9.500, the SP 11.000 is a more powerful pump with a 400 watt motor. Featuring a delivery head of 7 metres and a maximum flow rate of 11,000 litres per hour, it is otherwise very similar to its entry level sibling, being compatible with the optional prefilter for water with particles exceeding 20mm in size and also suitable for clean water as well.
Karcher SP 16.000 Submersible Dirty Water Pump
Next up we have the SP 16.000, which is powered by a 550 watt motor and also shares most of the same features as the previous models. The standout specifications here are the delivery head of 9 metres, and the flow rate, which, as you’ve probably guessed, is 16,000 litres per hour.
Karcher SP 22.000 Sensor Submersible Dirty Water Pump
If you’re looking for especially fast and powerful performance, the SP 22.000 takes the lead and also has a few additional features not found in the previous machines. It has a high quality stainless steel pump housing and robust slide ring sealing, as well as an integrated pull-down stainless steel prefilter which can be used to protect the pump against blockages from large items in dirty water. It is also equipped with an adjustable level sensor, which can be slid up or down a scale on the side of the pump and enables you to set an on and off point: when switched to automatic mode, the SP 22.000 will automatically start up if the water level reaches the switch-on position, and will carry on pumping it out until the level drops to the switch-off position. Powered by a 750 watt motor, the SP 22.000 Sensor can handle particles up to 30mm in size (when the integrated pre-filter is not being used) and has a delivery head of 8 metres.
Karcher BP 2.000 18v Cordless Barrel Water Pump
And finally we have the BP 2.000 which runs on a Karcher 18v lithium ion battery. It is part of a whole 18v system so shares battery compatibility with other Karcher cordless tools, but note that currently it is only sold as a bare tool (ie without battery and charger) – so these will have to be purchased separately unless you already own other tools from the Karcher 18v Battery Power platform.
Designed as a water barrel pump, the battery compartment has a flexible clip built into it which enables it to be securely fastened to the sides of barrels, tanks and IBCs. Simply attach your hose and pop in a charged battery and you can get to work using your stored rainwater to water your plants. Ideal for use with lawn sprinklers as well as handheld spray guns, the amount of continuous runtime you will get out of the BP 2.000 depends on the battery you use. The smaller 2.5ah battery can power the pump continuously for up to 25 minutes but upgrade to the larger 5ah battery and this is increased to 50 minutes.
Available Now!
We stock the full range of Karcher Home & Garden water pumps and you can view them here, along with all the accessories you might need to get one up and running.
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