Grundfos vs Taco circulator pumps

Drake · 09-08-20, 09:39 AM

Each have a pump for my hydronic loop floor -Grund Alpha 1 or 2 and Taco 007e. They seem to offer the same capabilities but the Taco is much more affordably. Any opinions/experience on quality or dependability comparison?

TechShop · 12-22-20, 08:53 PM

I have a mix of brands and honestly I don't have a favorite.
My system is set up with a 4 ton hydronic ground source heat pump that I build around 2015 (there's a thread around here on the GSHP forum).

I used a pair of Bell & Gosset NRF-36 in series to circulate my source water loops

There's a Taco 008 running water through the load side heat excahnger into a 52 gallon insulated tank.

I have a Grundfos UP15-18 pulling water from that 52 gallon reservoir circulating it through my concrete slab (10 circuits of 225 feet each 1/2" PEX).

The reason for the Grundfos pump was the extra headroom it has over the equivalent sized Taco pump.

I'm sure you've already looked through the pump curves and estimated your head-loss, but if you haven't you can do that to make sure you don't have to switch pumps later.

Design your system so the pumps are at the lowest point and put air-checks at the highest point. When they run dry, they overheat and it kills them, regardless of make or model.

One thing to consider on the cost is that you can just about buy a Taco pump and a spare cartridge for the cost of a Grundfos pump. The grundfos cartridges are a lot more too.

09-08-20, 09:39 AM	#1
Drake DIY Guy Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Mpls,MN Posts: 315 Thanks: 2 Thanked 17 Times in 17 Posts	Grundfos vs Taco circulator pumps Each have a pump for my hydronic loop floor -Grund Alpha 1 or 2 and Taco 007e. They seem to offer the same capabilities but the Taco is much more affordably. Any opinions/experience on quality or dependability comparison?

12-22-20, 08:53 PM	#2
TechShop FNG Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Washington Posts: 71 Thanks: 8 Thanked 19 Times in 13 Posts	I have a mix of brands and honestly I don't have a favorite. My system is set up with a 4 ton hydronic ground source heat pump that I build around 2015 (there's a thread around here on the GSHP forum). I used a pair of Bell & Gosset NRF-36 in series to circulate my source water loops There's a Taco 008 running water through the load side heat excahnger into a 52 gallon insulated tank. I have a Grundfos UP15-18 pulling water from that 52 gallon reservoir circulating it through my concrete slab (10 circuits of 225 feet each 1/2" PEX). The reason for the Grundfos pump was the extra headroom it has over the equivalent sized Taco pump. I'm sure you've already looked through the pump curves and estimated your head-loss, but if you haven't you can do that to make sure you don't have to switch pumps later. Design your system so the pumps are at the lowest point and put air-checks at the highest point. When they run dry, they overheat and it kills them, regardless of make or model. One thing to consider on the cost is that you can just about buy a Taco pump and a spare cartridge for the cost of a Grundfos pump. The grundfos cartridges are a lot more too.