How to install a Grundfos SCALA2 - A Plumber's Perspective

[@UnearthlyTraveler]

I used to be an Austrian Plumber long time ago , and now i am watching Australian Plumbers doing their Job, coz i have to install a Grundfos Pumb at home .. on a private basis

[@maf202]

I love the results and functionality of the pump, but we have had two failures in less than three years (Unit starts leaking from the housing). The first one was covered under warranty, but the second one was not, as it was more than two years from the purchase of the first SCALA2. Amazon and Reddit have dozens of people whose SCALA2 has also failed. Hopefully, they have addressed some of the reliability issues as we are considering installing another replacement since it is such a unique product.😥

[@grundfos]

Hi maf202, thanks for your feedback. We're sorry to hear of your experience with SCALA2. It is a terrific pump, but we do acknowledge it has had some issues in the past. Please rest assured we have been working hard to make improvements to future updates. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@maf202]

@@grundfos are additional updates expected in the near future? Have any been made in the past year? The second one is leaking along, and I want to know the best time to replace it with a third. Since it’s not covered under warranty, it’s a big spend.

[@grundfos]

Hi maf202, I can appreciate the situation you are in. You have come through to the Marketing Department of the Grundfos Australia Office. Please contact us directly at [e-mail] so we can discuss the specifics of your situation and please also let us know your location. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@pauls826]

What an absolute tool to everyone in the world as a plumber I apologise us plumbers don’t dress like this with his tool belt on and his press tool that’s about 30 years old never once had to scratch a plastic thread when using ptfe

[@jakethesnake9528]

Take the knot out of your panties. He's just dressed nice for the video. No point in looking like shit!

[@jakethesnake9528]

Will this pump work with a reverse osmosis faucet in the kitchen?

[@colton5bucks]

Absolutely

[@rayF4rio]

I currently have a Varem 200L Pressure Tank which is filled by a Myers 1 hp pump. Will the Scala2 replace the Myers pump or both the pump and the pressure tank?

[@grundfos]

The Scala2 will fill a tank but needs to be supplied by a tank itself as cannot go on the mains. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our helpful team at [e-mail] 🙂 George~

[@Looksurprised]

Can we see the pump running please to see the pressure it produces.

[@grundfos]

Hi @Looksurprised, thanks for your enquiry. I'm not sure if you were able to watch the whole video but at around the 6:20 mark, the plumber switches the pump on and the homeowner has turned the furthest tap from the pump on and you can see the pressure the pump produces out of that tap. However, if you are interested more in the numbers (the flow and head) and to see curves for the pump, please visit the SCALA2 product page on the Grundfos Product Centre here: gfos.ly/6057iwhYd. Hope that helps. Regards, Aaron

[@popcaller9194]

I want to use this for irrigation from a shallow well in my yard. Would I still require a pressure tank?

[@grundfos]

Hi Pop Caller, thanks for your question. The short answer is you won't require a pressure tank. However, just a few other things to consider. SCALA2 is only able to draw water up to 8 metres vertically below the level of the pump. We would recommend a foot valve for this application. Also, just be mindful that if the pump is drawing up to 8 metres below the level of the pump, it would need to be pumping along flat terrain as any pumping uphill would need to be factored into the total equation. Hope that makes sense. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@Taurine75]

How do you address the blinking red light on the 5th alert on the Scala 2?

[@grundfos]

Hi @Taurine75, thanks for your question. Every Grundfos SCALA2 comes with installation and operating instructions. If I understand your question correctly your asking about indicator light 5 which is referred to on page 30 of the instructions manual. If the indicator light 5 is on, this indicates that the maximum pressure has been exceeded or the setpoint cannot be reached. Instructions for addressing this issue can be found on page 30 of the instructions manual. Please find a copy of it here: gfos.ly/60595CsQc If you are unable to troubleshoot the issue yourself, I suggest calling a plumber to come and address the issue for you or contact the place where you purchased the pump. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@grundfos]

Hi @Taurine75, I've just realised that the link I provide to you for the instructions manual doesn't appear to be working in my reply on KZbin. To find an electronic copy of the Grundfos SCALA2 manual just type: "scala 2 grundfos manual" in to the search bar on your browser and the first option should be a downloadable PDF of the installation and operating instructions for the Grundfos SCALA2 pressure pump. Regards, Aaron

[@xmun2450]

I have the grundfos Scala 1 and when I prime the pump the water just keeps flowing out the bottom, this obviously stops when I screw back the plug in, is there something wrong with the pump ? its working but its struggling to hold its prime

[@grundfos]

Hi xmun, thanks for your question. I just want to confirm you are indeed asking about the Grundfos SCALA1 or SCALA2? You have posted your question on a SCALA2 video. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@grundfos]

Hi xmun, assuming you have a SCALA1, the pump should be connected to the pipework before it is primed (as per the quick guide), so I can't imagine where it is "flowing out the bottom" unless the drain plug is not tightened properly, or is missing? The bottom connection is the inlet, so it can't be flowing out of there if it has been connected already! Best of luck. If you're still having trouble, we suggest calling a plumber to have a look at it. Regards, Aaron

[@LetsEDSplorePH]

What pipe size do you need for the inlet of scala2?

[@grundfos]

Hi @LetsEDSplorePH, it's a 1-inch male connection. Hope that helps. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@alwhed999]

المضخة مميزة ولكن مالحل اذا كانت تعمل باستمرار بسبب وجود جهاز تناطح عكسي ؟ هل يمكن جعلها لاتعمل الابعد استهلاك 3 لتر ؟

[@grundfos]

Hi Alwhed999, thanks for your enquiry. My Arabic is a little rusty (actually it's non-existent because your enquiry has come through to the Grundfos Australia marketing team and I don't know any Arabic, sorry.) but I believe your question is: What is the solution if your Grundfos SCALA2 is constantly running due to the presence of a reverse osmosis device (which is a filtration device?)? Is it possible to make it stop after consuming 3 litres? I'll answer your questions in reverse order if that's okay. It's not possible to make the pump stop after consuming a certain amount of water. If your pump is constantly running that must indicate constant demand of some kind in the system. One way to work out if your pump is running correctly is to fit an isolation valve to the discharge outlet to allow you to manually switch off the demand so to speak to see if your pump stops as it should and is operating as it should be. Otherwise, you may need to contact your place of purchase to consult them about the issue. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@alwhed999]

@@grundfos شكرا جزيلا .. سأحاول الاتصال بالوكيل لانها تعمل باستمرار حتى مع اغلاق الصمام لكن اذا غيرت الضغط تتوقف .. لغتك العربية ممتازة😄

[@grundfos]

مرحبًا Alwhed999، نعم أعتقد أن هذه فكرة جيدة. نأمل أن تتمكن من العثور على الحل. أتمنى لك الحظ الجيد. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@mark_Hershey]

I’m sitting here trying to hook one up and the plastic threads won’t accept any female threads I’ve tried, it goes in maybe 2 threads and that’s it. Uponor female adapters.

[@grundfos]

Hi Mark, thanks for your enquiry. To be honest, we don't often get this question. Please make sure that what you are trying to connect is a straight 1-inch connection and not tapered at all. Please also make sure you have not used too much plumber's tape. Other than that, it's a simple 1-inch connection, so you may need to get a plumber to assist you if you can't get the connection to work. Kind Regards, Aaron

[@mark_Hershey]

Um, I am a plumber, for 35 years..lol. The fittings are bad. I can only get 2 threads on an uponor 1” female adapter before it bottoms out with hand. We had access to and older unit and could thread the same adapter on about 1/2” with hand. I even bought new fittings from supplier and same thing. Something is wrong with their current fittings.

[@monerradmanalimonerradmana9285]

Very well❤

[@m638csi]

I bet It’s already leaking

[@bhcvancouver]

Don’t bother, very expensive, expensive to repair, that is if you can find a company that services them… stick with the traditional set ups……. I’ve had three grundfos pumps fail the scala 2 being the last one….

[@sebastianmuller1210]

Whoever reduces the suction hose at all or that heavily should be fired on the spot!!! Just watch the system in it's original state, that is how you should! do it. Big suction pipe, and then whatever you need on the pressure side. It is embarassing that Grundfos is publishing this.

[@grundfos]

Hi Sebastian, thanks for your comment. It's good to know that Grundfos is considered to be a pump brand that is of such a high standard and of course we always want to be living up to that standard. While ideally you might want to keep the big suction pipe all the way to the pump, some times it may be necessary to reduce the size of the inlet hose to suit the inlet size of the pump. For example, if you have a really big tank with a larger outlet pipe than the pump, you may need to reduce the inlet hose size to be able to attach it to the pump. The plumber in this instance has installed an isolation valve for the customer and this may have necessitated the need for a smaller inlet hose. And this is perfectly okay and is represented in a diagram on page 5 of the Quick Guide for SCALA2: spr.ly/6053OjCXJ

[@sebastianmuller1210]

@@grundfos while you can pressurise water on the outlet of the pump virtualy to infinity, on the suction side you have just 1 bar of pressure to work with. The atmospheric pressure is the limit on the suction side, (otherwise you would reach vacuum and the water would vaporize). The atmospheric pressure is what is bringing the water in the pump in the first place. 1 bar equals nearly 10m. The suction hight given for the pump is 8m, so we can translate that to a negativ presssure of -0,8 bar. Every pipe reduction is increasing the flow resistance massively, and the diameter is squared to get the area of the pipe section. So a little diameter reduction is a serious reduction in flow cross-section. Increasing the flow resistance will reduce the possible suction hight and the flowrate while needing a bit more power. Just simple physics. While perhaps there will be coming water and you may find it ok, there are a few physical set backs you arear inviting unnecessarily and inevitably.

[@xmun2450]

@@sebastianmuller1210 So you would run that larger pipe all the way until the inlet of the pump and use a reducer there ? im trying to install a grundfos scala 1 with a water tank below the pump, ive got a 32mm (25DN) pipe running into the pump. its working but its struggling to hold prime sometimes, would you run a 32DN right up into the pump ? Also do you think using the grundfos filter before the pump is not helping ? thanks for any help you can give me im not a pro im installing in a very remote part of the world where there are no plumbers

[@sebastianmuller1210]

@@xmun2450 hi there. Suction is limited to atmospheric pressure. So every resistance is a loss of suction. To reduce losses i would recommend to reduce resistance inducing parts. Plainly: I would use the bigger hose all the way, and if i could i would use a clamp/fitting that doesn't reduce the diameter in the pipe/fitting. But the fitting sice will be given by the pump, so use the big pipe up to the connection fitting. A filter will induce some flow resistance. If you need it to protect the pump from for example sand, you have no choice but to install it in front. Take a big one than. I have nearly no sand, and a pump that tolereats minimal amounts, so i put my filter behind the pump, to get the very few sand particles out to protect my drop irrigation from clogging. On the pressure side you obviously get higher pressure and can more easily afford to lose a minimal amount to the filter.

[@bolgerisdashizz]

Herr Müller, Danke 👍 DVGW Standard?? Anyway great advice and I agree.