Blumat Horizontal Pump Kit Reviews

To start off, I would give this 2.5 stars if that were possible. But as the choice is between either a 2 star or a 3 star review, I have settled upon the 2 star review. The reason for this is I have experience in the necessary skills to complete the pump kit, and purchasing the missing parts is not exceptionally difficult. But, the differences between what was shown in the YouTube series and what is actually shipped was one of the primary deciding factors. The other is the amount of assembly required for this product to work properly. I will try to go into how / where I decided the overall rating deserved a deduction listed below. The first photo I attached is the parts which were shipped with my pump kit. The second photo is a screenshot from the YouTube video. There are two parts which are missing from the package which was sent to me. The first is the 3rd shutoff valve to attach to the reservoir, so that I can stop the flow of water from the reservoir into the pump if there is a leak upon pressurization of the system. This is quite an important aspect as the parts included in the kit are PVC and they have threaded attachment points, which if not wrapped with sufficient plumbers tape, they will leak. For me I have had to locally source this additional shutoff valve so that I no longer have to pinch off the poly hose to fix leaks which occurred in my system upon pressurization. This oversight is why I have deducted a star. The next part also is associated with the Season 6 Episode 12 YouTube video as well. When Jeremy asked Cooper how the item was shipped, it was indicated that a significant part of the pump and tank were preassembled. This was true, but please assume that every PVC part that was connected prior to shipping will leak and take these apart and reseal them prior to pressurizing your system. This will save you from having to drain the pump without the additional shutoff valve attached at your reservoir. I had multiple leaks which resulted in me having to take each PVC part off and reseal them with additional plumbers tape so that my system did not leak. This was not the only aspect of the shipping / assembly which was somewhat misleading in the YouTube video. Nor was it the most significant part of assembly which really should be known prior to purchase. For me this was the fact that the pump itself had 3 loose wires which would be attached to the 120V 3-pronged power cord by the consumer. This is not something that most household users will be comfortable doing in my opinion. This was made only worse by the fact that 3 wing nuts were provided and this was expected to be sufficient for wiring the plugin cable for a pump system in an irrigation system where water might have a chance at coming into contact with this union in cables. The lack of disclosure of the extent of assembly and that you must redo much of the assembly is why I deducted another star. A suggestion to those who are purchasing this system is as follows. The appropriate method of wiring the wires is to first stagger the cuts in the cables, so that the bulge in the cable isn't too significant. I then soldered each wire individually and covered each wire with a heat shrink sleeve. Once all 3 wires were soldered together at staggered intervals, I then slipped an even bigger heat shrink sleeve over the combined wires. I then covered the entire section in electrical tape. This can be seen in photos 3, 4, and 5. Finally, when I inquired with Build A Soil as to the potential return of the pump kit as the missing parts and the extent of the assembly was frustrating to deal with, BAS provided me with the email address for Cooper from Sustainable Village as any return of the item would need to be coordinated with Sustainable Village specifically. Cooper was genuinely trying to help me get the pump functional and did send me one of the most important missing pieces within a week from our first interaction. Cooper also provided me with his personal cell phone number in an attempt to resolve the issues I had with this purchase. Sadly it was this extra effort which resulted in the pump no longer being able to be returned, as soon as I did anything with the wiring the item would not be able to be returned. This was more or less confirmed as when I asked Cooper about their return policy, he never responded to that inquiry. This is ultimately where the next half star / full star point was deducted. In closing, the pump works as expected once it has been assembled. Assume every single piece will leak and reapply plumbers take in excess to what you think is needed, this will save you from dealing with the multitude of leaks which I had to deal with. Also source out the extra shutoff valve prior to installing the system, this will help you control the flow of water in your system. Also be mindful if you are attempting to get the superflex tubing shown in the YouTube video as well, this is not an item sold via Build A Soil and I have been waiting a week now for Sustainable Village to take the money from my paypal account. The last photo can be compared to the second photo to show the missing / locally sourced parts that I have or will have to obtain to have my pressurized system working as hoped.