PumpExpress.com has substantially increased its inventory of sump and dewatering pumps for Spring 2013. We have also taken on a new line of gas-powered trash pumps and accessories in response to increased demand for these products in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

“Since 2011 we’ve had two storm events classified as “100-year storms” that resulted in major flooding,” says Pump Express Sales Manager Fred Hettinger. “The subsequent rise in demand for sump pumps and other dewatering equipment—particularly for pumps that will run if the power goes out—played a major role in our stocking decisions this year.”

Rising demand for storm water pumps that will operate in challenging applications has led Pump Express to increase both the quantity and power of the dewatering equipment on offer in 2013.

“Traditional sump pumps move 30-50 gallons a minute. The newer equipment we’re stocking now is moving in excess of 200 gallons a minute,” says Hettinger. “In many cases we’ve doubled and tripled our stock of these pumps.”

Liberty, Zoeller, BJM, PHCC Pro Series and Berkeley are among the manufacturers most heavily represented in the 2013 inventory additions.

“Two years ago I would have never thought of bringing in a gas-powered trash pump because it’s a specialized pump designed to move large volumes of clear water in areas without a ready power source like a construction site,” says Hettinger “Post-Sandy, diesel and gas-powered pumps have become a growing segment of the pump market precisely because they can pump tremendous amounts of water without using electrical power.”

With some of the largest property management companies in the country approaching him to obtain this equipment, Hettinger believes that it’s growing popularity is not limited to flood-stricken areas of the Northeast.

“We’ve gotten requests for powerful dewatering pumps from throughout the Midwest and as far West as California because they’re currently flooding or they’re looking for pumps to keep on hand when flooding occurs,” says Hettinger. “There’s a greater need now to have the equipment in place to protect property and facilities and prevent storm damage from occurring. Pump Express is committed to providing customers with all of the pumping equipment they need.”

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“The vast majority of our Zoeller pump sales were large sewage pumps,” says Sales Manager Fred Hettinger. “A lot of our customers are in commercial facility, apartment building and warehouse management – all areas where high quality, cast iron sewage pumps are in heavy use. Zoeller puts out a strong product and we stock a lot of it. In 2012 this translated to 30% of our total sales.”

Liberty Pumps came in second, supplying 14% of all pumps sold. The Upstate New York-based manufacturer specializes in commercial grade sewage pumps for use in both commercial and residential markets. In 2012 Pump Express began promoting Liberty sewage pumps for their quality design, solid construction and short lead time.

“Liberty keeps everything in stock so customers never wait more than two days for delivery, which has been a strong selling point,” says Hettinger. “They have an incredible grinder pump called the Omnivore. I have customers requesting that pump over other grinder pumps at a rate of 3-to-1.”

Berkeley irrigation pumps took third place, comprising 13% of sales.

“Our strongest market for Berkley pumps is in the Midwest,” says Hettinger. “Berkeley picked a small market and cultivated it. That, coupled with great pricing, make their product very tough to beat.”

Armstrong came in fourth, providing 10% of total sales, but was Pump Express’s #1 supplier of HVAC equipment.

“Armstrong has done a very good job of creating a product that’s as good as other leading brands, but more cost effective,” says Hettinger. “When our customers are looking to buy a new pump, they’ll often choose an Armstrong pump. By comparison, Bell & Gossett pumps tend to be more economical to repair than to replace.”

Bell & Gossett rounded out the top five, comprising 8% of Pump Express sales in 2012.

“B & G has been a leading name in HVAC equipment across the Northeast for 60 years. Last year we sold a lot of parts to support pumps already out in the market, often in areas affected by flooding.”

While Hurricane Sandy gave a major boost to the sale of sump pumps and other flood remediation equipment in 2012, the sluggish economy continued to temper large commercial and industrial pump sales.

“We sold a lot of pump parts because we have the knowledge and expertise to match the parts to a customer’s product. Replacing a $300 pump is one thing, a $6,000 pump is one you’re going to try and repair. In the last year we’ve increased the parts we stock for Armstrong pumps, Bell & Gossett pumps and Taco pumps because the demand is so strong.”

Browse these and other top brand pumps at www.pumpexpress.com or call us for details: 1-800-298-4100

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© Berkeley Pumps

For most of the country, summer is a time for beaches and bar-b-ques but here at Pump Express the season belongs to Berkeley Pumps. Every drop of water that leaves a sprinkler head is delivered by an irrigation pump and as a national pump distributor we know that, from the fairways of Miami to the vineyards of Sonoma, Berkeley pumps are singled out for their high performance, easy maintenance and affordability.

In addition to superior quality, Berkeley Pumps offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive irrigation pump lines. This time of year Pump Express system engineers field a lot of requests from residential and light commercial clients in areas with water sources located less than 25 ft down. Berkeley Jet Pumps are a popular choice for these applications, with the Berkeley HN Series leading the pack for its quality construction and excellent performance.

Berkeley 4” Submersible Pumps are among our top sellers for deep well applications where the water source is more than 25 feet down. “We size the Berkeley MGS Series pumps for applications ranging from lawn and garden watering to irrigating crops,” says Pump Express Sales Manager Fred Hettinger.

The Berkeley Subturbine is a deep well pump popular among our heavy commercial, industrial and agricultural clients. For shallow well industrial applications the Berkeley Frame Mount Centrifugal Series is a top pick.

“Two months ago we sold a customer in Texas a Berkeley Frame Mount Centrifugal Pump designed for a 200 horsepower diesel-driven motor,” recalls Hettinger. “That was probably being used for large-scale irrigation.”

Once the scale of an irrigation application has been determined, proper sizing comes into play.

“The main thing is to know the location of the water source and how deep it is,” says Hettinger. When the depth has been established, water usage must be determined based on the number of sprinkler heads, and the amount of water each sprinkler head requires. Determining the operating pressure of the system comes next. A skilled Pump Express application engineer will factor the distance the water must run into the size of the line, integrate this with information on the electrical source (single phase or three phase) and present the customer with a pump that’s perfectly suited to the system it’s feeding.

Call Pump Express for all of your Berkeley irrigation pump needs at 1-800-298-4100 or visit our website at www.pumpexpress.com.

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