Water Pumps Explained

There are different types of water pumps in the market. Choosing one among the different types can be challenging – diaphragm pumps, centrifugal and centripetal, how do you tell them all apart? Well, here’s what you need to know about different water pumps, how they work and why you should choose a Pedrollo water pump.

Centrifugal Water Pumps

These are pumps which induce flow or raise the pressure of a liquid resulting in pumping. Centrifugal water pumps are the most preferred hydraulic pumps. They are used in industrial and domestic applications. These pumps are very affordable and need little maintenance. Centrifugal water pumps are very easy to operate thereby used universally effortlessly.

Inside the pump casing, there is an impeller. It comes with curved vanes which rotate after being submerged in water thereby rotating the liquid. As a result, there is a build up of a centrifugal force in the water particles forcing it to get out. Simply imagine water flicking off a car tyre when driving on a wet road. Instead of the vanes having a scooping action, the impeller force is centrifugal.

For the centrifugal water pumps to work, they need to be submerged in water or the suction lines should be completely flooded. However, there is a problem with air when it comes to this type of pump. When the pump encounters air, it instantly becomes air-bound. Therefore, it’s hard to pump water because it pumps air. Simply put, the pump is not able to use pressure to force the water out.

When in a good working condition, the pumps are full of water without any air. Therefore, if the air gets in, the pump is immediately bound and stuck until the air is removed completely.

Peripheral Water Pumps

They are also referred to as turbine or regenerative pumps. They look exactly like centrifugal pumps. However, they are different internally. That’s because peripheral water pumps develop a high discharge rate at a very low flow rate.

The fluid inside the peripheral pump goes into a peripheral channel found at the edge of the casing. Compared to centrifugal water pumps, the curves don’t become flat when the fluid flow decreases. Simply put, the fluid moves along the inlet’s circumference to the outlet of the casing as the pressure increases.

Self-Priming Centrifugal Water Pumps

They resolve the problem experienced with standard centrifugal water pumps. The pumps prevent air from binding by mixing it with water thereby creating a liquid similar to pure water that can pump normally. Once the process is completed, the pump removes the air and pumps the water like a regular centrifugal pump.

During the priming cycle, air gets into the pump and mixes with the water at the impeller. The air and water exit the pump together due to the centrifugal force created by the impeller and gets into the water reservoir. As the water sinks, the air rises.

Once the water is completely free of air, it becomes heavier, then flows back into the impeller. It’s now ready to self-prime and mix with more air getting into the suction line. Once the air is removed completely, it makes a vacuum in the suction line. Therefore, the pressure will force the water into the suction line in the direction of the impeller and pumping begins.

Next, the recirculation or water comes to a halt and when the pump starts again, it will self-prime. It can mix the water and air once again to create a fluid that can be pumped until the pump can operate normally once again. That’s what you need to know about the different types of water pumps and how they all work!