A water pump for a JoJo tank turns stored water into a usable supply: without one, a ground level tank only gives a trickle. Most homes use a small booster pump beside the tank, though a submersible pump inside the tank is quieter. Add a changeover so the house uses municipal water when it is on and the tank when it is off, and your taps keep working through water cuts. This page covers the setups, the valves and filters, power for load-shedding and what installation involves.
Booster outside or submersible inside
A booster pump on a plinth beside the tank is the most common choice: easy to reach, easy to service and widely stocked. A small submersible pump sits on the tank floor and is almost silent, does not need priming and is out of the weather, but you need to lift it out to service it. Both need a way of starting and stopping on demand: a pressure controller, a pressure switch with a pressure tank, or a variable speed drive. Whichever you choose, ask for dry run protection, because a tank that empties during a long water cut will otherwise leave the pump running on air.
Changeover from the mains
Many setups use the tank only as backup. A changeover valve, manual or automatic, switches the house between municipal water and the tank. Others run the house from the tank all the time and let the mains top it up through a float valve, which keeps the water fresh and the pressure even. Tell the installer which you want. An automatic changeover costs more but switches without anyone having to go outside, which matters if cuts come at night. Check with your municipality about how a tank may be connected to the mains, since many require a backflow preventer.
Valves, filters and rainwater
On the suction side, fit an isolating valve, a strainer or filter to protect the pump, and a non-return valve so the pipe stays full. An isolating valve on the outlet lets you remove the pump without draining the tank. If the tank collects rainwater, a leaf screen and first flush diverter on the gutter keep debris out. Treating tank water for drinking is a separate job; here we cover the pump side only. Tanks filled from a borehole work the same way; see borehole pumps.
Power for load-shedding and installation
A pump needs power, so during load-shedding many people run it from an inverter or UPS. Tell the installer the pump's kW and starting current, as starting surges can trip a small inverter. A VSD pump often starts more gently. Installation usually covers the plinth, the pump and controls, the valves, pipe to the house and the changeover. Electrical connection should be done by a qualified electrician. Spares are on pump spares.
What to put in your request
- Tank size and where it stands
- Number of bathrooms and storeys
- Backup only or full time from the tank
- Inverter or UPS size, if the pump will use it
- Distance from the tank to the house pipes
JoJo Tank Pumps for homes, farms and businesses
- Homeowners: a booster and changeover so the house keeps water through cuts and load-shedding
- Smallholdings and plots: a pump feeding the house from a tank filled by the borehole
- Farms: tank pumps supplying cottages, dairies and stores from storage
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: backup tanks and pumps for clubhouses, guardhouses and units
- Offices, shops, hotels and lodges: backup tank pumps for schools, clinics, restaurants and offices
- Factories, plants and depots: tank pumps for ablutions, canteens and wash bays during cuts
- Mines and quarries: tank pumps supplying site offices and change houses
- Municipalities, schools and clinics: tank pumps for clinics, libraries and community halls
- Contractors and drillers: plumbers fitting tanks, pumps and changeovers on houses
Frequently asked questions
What size pump do I need for my tank?
Can the pump run on my inverter during load-shedding?
Why does my tank pump run but no water comes out?
Do you install tanks and pumps?
JoJo Tank Pumps by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg