A pump lasts only if it is controlled and protected the right way. An undersized control panel trips all the time or fails to protect the motor; a poorly chosen one leaves the pump defenceless against dry running, voltage fluctuations and phase loss. That is why we created the Pumps & Gardens control panel configurator: a simple tool that guides you, question by question, to describe your pump and your system.
Using the data you enter, the specialist technical team at Pumps & Gardens, drawing on all its experience and on technology, proposes, usually within a few working hours, the control panel that suits your pump: with the correct starting method, the necessary protections and, where needed, alarms and remote control.
Do you need to control a submersible pump in a well, a booster set, two wastewater lifting pumps, an irrigation system or a fire-fighting set? Or do you need to replace a faulty control panel? The configurator helps you choose the right control panel even without technical knowledge.
How the control panel configurator works
- Tell us what the panel is for. Well, booster set, drainage, irrigation, fire-fighting or something else. If you already have the pump, write its brand and model: many questions will no longer be needed.
- Enter the pump data. Single-phase or three-phase, power and current shown on the nameplate, how many pumps the panel must control and how they should work. If you don't know a value, just say so: we will use a safe value or ask you for it.
- Receive the solution. The technical team proposes the most suitable control panel, with a reasoned alternative, and any accessories you need: level probes, transducers, alarms, remote control modules.
What data you need to choose the right control panel
The control panel is chosen on the basis of the pump motor and of how the system has to work. You will find the motor data on the pump nameplate; if you give us the brand and model, we will work them out for you.
- Rated current (A): this is the key value. The motor's rated current must fall within the panel's setting range, so it must always be checked before ordering.
- Power: in kW or HP, useful as a cross-check and to identify the size.
- Power supply: 230 V single-phase or 400 V three-phase. With single-phase pumps the capacitor also matters: some panels include it, for others it is an accessory.
- Number of pumps: panels for 1, 2 or 3 pumps, which can work in turn, one as a standby for the other, or together when more water is needed.
- System control: float switches, pressure switch, level probes, pressure or level transducer, manual or timed control.
- Required protections: dry running, minimum and maximum voltage, phase loss and phase sequence, alarms, notifications on your phone.
Which control panel for your application
Control panels for submersible well pumps
For submersible pumps the most important protection is against dry running: if the water level in the well drops, the pump stops before it gets damaged. There are electronic panels that detect it without probes, by monitoring the power factor (cos φ) and the current drawn, and that restart the pump automatically after an adjustable time. Alternatively, level probes are installed in the well.
Control panels for booster sets and constant pressure
To pressurise the water supply of a house, an apartment building or an irrigation system, panels controlled by a pressure switch or by a pressure transducer are used. With an inverter the pump varies its speed and keeps the pressure constant even with several taps open, with less noise, less water hammer and lower energy consumption. For small single-phase pumps an electronic pressure-flow switch can be enough instead of a panel.
Control panels for drainage and wastewater lifting
For sumps, basements, rainwater and sewage, panels for one or two pumps controlled by float switches, probes or level sensors are used. With two pumps the panel makes them work in turn and, if the water rises too high or one pump fails, it also starts the second one. There are panels dedicated to first-flush rainwater tanks and to grinder pumps, and high-level alarms that warn you even during a power cut.
Control panels for irrigation and simple control
For a surface pump, an irrigation system or filling a tank, a panel with direct-on-line starting and motor protection is often enough, controlled manually, by a float switch, by a pressure switch or by the irrigation controller. For single-phase pumps there are panels and starters with the capacitor already included.
Control panels for 1, 2 and 3 pumps
In booster sets and lifting stations with several pumps, the panel decides how they work: alternation to spread wear evenly, automatic changeover in case of failure, cascade operation when demand increases. With inverters, a single pump can be speed-controlled while the others start at fixed speed, or each pump can have its own inverter.
Starting high-power pumps
For high-power three-phase pumps, direct-on-line starting causes high inrush currents. Panels with star-delta, stator impedance, autotransformer, soft starter or inverter starting are used instead. The choice depends on the type of pump (submersible or surface) and on the motor.
Fire-fighting control panels to EN 12845
Fire-fighting sets need dedicated panels for the main electric pump, the jockey pump and the diesel engine pump, with the signals and logic required by the EN 12845 standard. For these systems the technical team always checks the choice against the design data.
Alarms and remote control
Sirens, warning lights, GSM diallers and Wi-Fi or 4G modules alert you if a pump stops or if the water level rises too high, and with some panels you can monitor the system from your smartphone.
The brands in the configurator
The configurator selects the solution from the Elentek and Salupo control and protection panels, two Italian manufacturers specialising in panels for electric pumps: electromechanical and electronic panels, inverters, pressure-flow switches, fire-fighting panels, alarms and remote control systems.
Why rely on the Pumps & Gardens technical team
- Choice based on nameplate data: the panel is chosen on the motor's actual current, not only on its power.
- The right protections for your system: dry running, voltage, phases, overload, with the sensors that suit your case.
- Reasoned alternatives: besides the main solution we suggest an alternative and explain the differences.
- No blind choices: if the data are not enough, the technical team asks you for the missing information instead of proposing a random panel.
- Experience and technology: the expertise of people who size pumping systems every day, combined with tools that make the answer fast and accurate.
Frequently asked questions about the control panel configurator
Where do I find the data to choose the panel?
On the pump motor nameplate: voltage (230 V or 400 V), phases (1~ or 3~), power in kW or HP and current in A. If the nameplate is not readable, tell us the brand and model of the pump.
Why does the current matter and not just the power?
The panel's protections are set on the motor's rated current. Two pumps with the same power can draw different currents: that is why the nameplate current decides the size of the panel.
Can I replace the control panel I already have?
Yes. Tell us the brand and model of your current panel and of the pump: it is the quickest way to find an equivalent panel or one with more functions.
What is dry-running protection?
It is the function that stops the pump when there is no water, so that it does not overheat and get damaged. It is achieved with float switches, level probes, a minimum pressure switch, or with electronic monitoring of current and cos φ, without probes.
Pressure switch or inverter panel?
A pressure switch turns the pump on and off between two pressure values. An inverter varies the pump speed and keeps the pressure constant: it costs more, but reduces energy consumption, noise and wear.
Do I need a panel for a single-phase or a three-phase pump?
It must match the pump: single-phase for 230 V motors, three-phase for 400 V motors. With a single-phase supply and a 230 V three-phase pump, an inverter with three-phase output can be used.
Are you also looking for the pump?
Use the pump configurator: the technical team will propose the right pump together with the control panel and the electrical protections.
Configure your control panel now
Open the configurator and answer the questions about your pump: the specialist technical team at Pumps & Gardens will propose, usually within a few working hours, the right control panel, complete with protections and accessories.