2" water pump hose reduction size?

Hey folks,

I hope this is in the correct forum?

I have a 2" gas motor water pump that I need to pump our brook water approx 400' up a moderate to steep incline. I'd like to save some $$ and reduce the 2" lay flat hose section down to garden hose size (which I have hundreds of feet). Would this burn out my pump due to the reduced pressure? Is this not a good idea? This will be the first attempt at harvesting water from our brook down in the valley. We already have a ramjet pump installed, this pump is simply to increase speed to fill up our totes and small pond.

Many thanks for advice on this!

By reducing the diameter of the discharge line from 2 inch to 1/2 inch the volume of water moved will collapse.
The frictional losses will be so great water may not even get out the end.
Pumps and discharge lines are matched for efficiency.

Depending on the volume you need to move, the ram pump over a 24 hour period will shift a lot of water.

Perhaps look at the cost of the different types of pipe.
Poly irrigation pipe is long lasting compared with some lay flat hoses.
The difference in cost may justify the better pipe.
A smaller capacity pump maybe worth considering, but if you are using a generic fire pump, it will need to run at a slower speed.

Do you have the flow in the brook to feed a 2inch pump?

Thanks for your reply John, that's what I thought. Our brook runs year round and has good depth and flow, so I'm confident it will supply the 2".

I'm still new to irrigation. Do they make a 2" black pipe? We need to have a minimum of a 400' run, so I imagine that would be quite the spool.

My other concern is the incline. Although I don't know what it is in degrees, its a 50m length to the orchard. It's a moderate to steep incline...we're slightly winded when we walk up from the brook..lol.

Although the ramjet is great, it doesn't provide the GPM we require during the dry season. We would like to be able to re-fill our totes within a couple of hours for watering during these times.

I still have the 2" pump in the box and could return for a 1" if need be if it would save some $$$ on pipe/hose. Any further insight to our water movement goals is appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: whoops, Michael, you were quicker posting than me.

I think John C. gave some good advice.

No, you won't burn out your pump feeding into a small hose, but it will be quite inefficient in terms of energy use vs. water moved. You have both the elevation gain and the frictional loss working against you. If it's a one-time thing it's still worth a try, but keep your expectations low and be prepared to fuss with it.

It sounds like this is an annual thing, not a one-time event. If you can move up to at least 1" or 1-3/4" poly pipe, you will probably be happier with the results.

As stated, this is about moving water and re-filling....not a one time thing.

2" black poly is available.. but not from my preferred irrigation store, and it's pricey up here in canuckistan.

I have been satisfied with the performance of 1.5" schedule 100 poly with my 2" gas pump, though my runs are mostly shorter. I don't think I would go lower than that...

OK, time for reality to come to the fore.
I have had a lot to do with irrigation, and the #1 problem is people save money on pipe and have high running costs and longer time taken to do anything.
If you think about it, irrigation is a long term project and saving $300 now will feel good, for a while.
Friction caused by the water speed is the issue, its energy draining.
And waiting for tanks to fill is another issue that will arise in the future.

100M lengths of 2 inch pipe will cost about $700 depending which one you get.
Fittings are about $45 each!!!
But if you plan it right it will be fabulous and never need replacement.

If you want to send me details of what you are doing I will try to help.
Distances, tank volumes, what you are irrigating, elevations at brook, orchard, and beyond where you might think about a tank on a hill.
I rarely step down pipes, which is popular for people to do because you may change the plan in 5yrs time and derrrrr!
Think also about running a pipe around the whole area to ensure an even water pressure and flow is available.
That circle maybe in from the perimeter of your field, along a track make it fit the landscape.