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Basic Materials For AC Pump Install

  • Pump wire / cable

Only use wire that is rated as “UL Listed as Deep Well Submersible Pump Cable”. Depending on the depth of your well and the HP of your pump, you’ll be using 12, 10 or 8 gauge 3 Conductor+Ground heavy duty flat jacketed submersible pump cable. The deeper the well, the higher gauge you’ll have to use to account for voltage drop across distances.  

  • Pipe

You can choose what kind of pipe works for your install, usually customers choose between poly pipe, PVC, or steel galvanized pipe.

  • Safety Rope

There to catch you pump if the pipe or wire were ever to fail. Install simple as tying off to a post or top of well. Use a poly rope that's rated for marine use, or some people use a stainless steel braid (more expensive).

  • Well Seal + Through Plumbing (usually a combination of Threaded Nipple, Tee, Hex Plug, Coupler, Barb ONLY if using poly pipe)

You need something to seal up the top of the well from critters and debris - that's the well seals job. If you're in a freezing area, you'll use a well cap instead and a pitless adapter that sits below the frost line and plumbs pipe through the side of the casing, instead of through the top of the well.

  • Check Valve + Threaded Nipple

It's standard practice to install a check valve off the pump itself, protecting the pump from backflow. All RPS submersible pumps have a built in back up check valve as well. You'll screw in the threaded nipple and then screw on the check valve to the nipple.

  • Teflon tape

Also known as plumbers tape, you'll wrap it around threaded plumbing connections to get a water tight seal.

  • Electrical tape

Our engineers recommend wrapping electrical tape every 20 feet around the bunch of pump wire, safety rope and pipe - keeps everything neat and together!

Brush up on the basics. RPS will Guide you through the rest.

Check out the Quickstart GuideTo Install an AC Pump Yourself

5 Minute Read!

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What kind of pipe should be used?

    The diameter of piping used depends on length of pipe and flow rate. Higher flow rates and/or longer distances will require larger diameter pipe. Each RPS Water Pump comes standard with a 1.25” FPT outlet, up to a 2” outlet on some 5HP models. RPS engineers like 160psi minimum poly pipe for installs up to 300 feet. 200-250psi poly pipe is popular for its low cost and ease of installation up to 450 feet. For placements 500 feet or more you can choose between schedule 80 PVC or galvanized steel, but any pump placements 800 feet or greater may only use galvanized steel due to weight and strength constraints. With that said, if you would like to discuss this process in more detail, or have other questions, please do reach out to an RPS engineer.