Why no demand pumps on SteamAction?

[Giorgio]

I'm in the market for a new TM and I notice SteamAction doesn't offer freshwater demand pumps on any of their machines with submount freshwater tanks.

Why is that? What am i missing?

View: https://youtu.be/rJ347u7ko5Y?si=w5hI0raEBeBDaDzj
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[Giorgio]

Also, there's no demand pump on their 2026 Nike model either.

what gives?


View: https://youtu.be/Y5lMy7ZAPUc?si=9xBBUzDU97Yo8WKm

 

[Dwain Ray]

Also, there's no demand pump on their 2026 Nike model either.

what gives?


View: https://youtu.be/Y5lMy7ZAPUc?si=9xBBUzDU97Yo8WKm

I haven't watched the video yet, but after studying up on several manufacturers systems and building my own machine i learned that cleanco pto's don't use a transfer pump when transferring water from onboard storage eighter. That's because where most machines need the supply/ water box to be higher than the pressure pump inorder to gravity feed water to it or it will loose prime. And a pressure pump to supply water to the waterbox Its my understanding that cleanco uses a Cat CP5 pressure pump. This pump, insteat of relying on gravity to feed it will suck the water up into the pump eliminating the need for a transfer pump and for that matter a waterbox

 

[Giorgio]

That's what I was thinking.

The Cat 5 pump on my old Vortex would draw water from the belly tank. Once in a while it would lose prime but that was usually do to a loose hose connection on the draw side.

So, if a Cat 5 can draw water from a belly tank maybe all high pressure pumps can draw water from belly or saddle tank.

Now, I'm wondering if the fresh water demand pumps the industry has been pushing all these decades are totally unnecessary and were just added for overall expense and complexity for something that was never an issue to begin with.

Your thoughts?

 

[hogjowl]

Yes

 

[Dwain Ray]

Not really i run hypro 2340bp pumps and before that i used hyra cell diaphragm pumps neither would suck water up and requires water to gravity feed inorder to prime or stay primed . The cat cp5 is an exception to the rule and not the norm i think most high pressure pumps on the market are that way at least most all diaphragm and plunger pumps are i don't know about piston pumps,rotary vanepumps etc.etc.

 

[hogjowl]

I’ve owned Prochem’s, TCS units and Cleanco’s. None have had transfer pumps.

 

[Giorgio]

It makes way more common sense for manufacturers to upgrade the high pressure pumps to something that can draw water than to sell us an entire new demand pump circuit which takes up valuable real-estate and added complexity.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!


View: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OSYRaaDdh6aYZI-FTMk2-1jMby7dAt0h/view?usp=drive_link

 

[Scott S.]

most of the pumps will draw water 100 plus inches so no need to have a demand pump, more parts = more problems. ive changed 2 water pumps on 2 of our machines in the past 10 years, but transfer pumps even the very high end ones will only last about half that time.

 

[scotty747]

My hydracell sucked water just fine from the tank. The plumbing needs to be bigger in the inlet side than the out.

 

[Dwain Ray]

most of the pumps will draw water 100 plus inches so no need to have a demand pump, more parts = more problems. ive changed 2 water pumps on 2 of our machines in the past 10 years, but transfer pumps even the very high end ones will only last about half that time.

The problem for manufacturers is if your main pressure pump doesn't suck up and self prime itll cost you more to repair it than would've cost for a transfer pump . Which machine does and which doesn't?? If you buy a water supply system for your machine from the machines manufacturer instead of an off the shelf generic it should be configured for that machine for instance if you buy a cleanco pto water supply system from cleanco it doesn't have a pump.

 

[Dwain Ray]

That's what I was thinking.

The Cat 5 pump on my old Vortex would draw water from the belly tank. Once in a while it would lose prime but that was usually do to a loose hose connection on the draw side.

So, if a Cat 5 can draw water from a belly tank maybe all high pressure pumps can draw water from belly or saddle tank.

Now, I'm wondering if the fresh water demand pumps the industry has been pushing all these decades are totally unnecessary and were just added for overall expense and complexity for something that was never an issue to begin with.

Your thoughts?

No not all pressure pumps will draw i know that hypro pumps don't for sure. As for others im not sure one guy said his hydra cell would but ive had several and non would but they wouldn't get damaged when run dry like most plunger pumps would

 

[Rob Grady]

I like the AquaTech set-up. The HydraCell sits at floor level and feeds directly from the fresh water tank.

 

[Sammy Sales]

I'm in the market for a new TM and I notice SteamAction doesn't offer freshwater demand pumps on any of their machines with submount freshwater tanks.

Why is that? What am i missing?

​

View: https://youtu.be/rJ347u7ko5Y?si=w5hI0raEBeBDaDzj​

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At Steamaction International our goal is to build equipment based off of simplicity, reliability and longevity. With that we use the General pump Emperor series pumps with the patented “high tech” packings. This does a couple things, it would allow the pump to be ran dry without damage and can also lift water up to 48". Being that we run a quality high pressure pump and the design of the machine we don't have a need for a demand pump bc the high pressure pump draws straight from the freshwater tank.

 

[Dwain Ray]

I like the AquaTech set-up. The HydraCell sits at floor level and feeds directly from the fresh water tank.

View attachment 131941

Any pump will gravity feed and prime if it sets below the water level .

 

[Rob Grady]

Any pump will gravity feed and prime if it sets below the water level .

Yes K.I.S.S.