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Every day, thousands of diesel engines carry goods around the world, keeping us fed, clothed, and entertained. If you've ever been near running diesel engines, you know that there's no shortage of fumes from all the fuel required to keep them going. Shop DEF safe water pumps on Absolute Water Pumps.

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Why You Should Consider 2 Water Pumps

Barmesa Vertical Multi-Stage Centrifugal PumpAt some point, every pump will reach a point of failure and no longer be serviceable. It doesn’t matter whether it was a $500 pump or a $5,000 pump. Nothing lasts forever. While we all know this, we don’t typically plan for failure. Especially if you are a glass half full person!

What is often not considered when purchasing a pump is the cost of down time in your production process when a pump fails. Having two water pumps can prevent loss of time and money during an otherwise less than productive period. 

Below are a few things to consider that may help you when purchasing a backup pump:

1. When the cost of production down time is greater than the cost of a second pump, purchase a backup.

I don’t think a day goes by here at Absolute Water Pumps where someone does not call in search of a new water pump, with a sense of complete urgency in their voice. How soon do they need it? Usually, the day after yesterday!

What many fail to understand is that depending on the type and style of your pump, there is often a lead time involved in a water pump purchase (from either days to weeks). Not every pump is sitting on a shelf and ready to be shipped. Larger pumps are typically built to the customer’s specifications and require, even under the perfect conditions, a number of days to complete assembly on the production floor.

When purchasing a water pump, ask yourself a few questions: For every day this water pump will not be in operation, how much will it cost us as a company? How much will I be paying in labor for employees to stand around? What losses will we incur due to a lack of production? If the answer is more than the cost of the pump itself, perhaps you should consider a second, backup water pump.  

2. You may need to convince the powers that be that a backup pump is your insurance policy.

Insurance is hot topic these days! But put very simply, insurance is way to minimize your risk. Think of having a backup pump as your insurance policy. Sometimes, the person responsible for authorizing payments at a business needs to hear it in those terms. You as the pump buyer may be fully convinced of the wisdom in having a backup pump, because you understand the implications of your down time when that pump is not in operation.

What you may need to do is convey this clearly to the person who authorizes purchases at your company. Let them understand that the second pump is so that you never go more than a day (sometimes only an hour or two depending on your installation crew) with production being down due to a pump failure. Paint the picture for them!

3. Purchase one pump now, and a backup a few months down the road.

If you are replacing a pump with an identical pump that has worked perfectly for your application, then go ahead and purchase two right away. If you are upgrading or switching brands, then purchase a pump now, see how well it performs, and when you are fully confident, purchase a second as a backup a few months later. This will give you the full assurance that in the future, all your bases are covered. 

4. What about the mechanical seals of a pump if they sit on a shelf too long?

One concern many people have with a backup pump is having it sit unused for a long period of time and having the seal material dry out. Most mechanical seals can be shelved for five years if they are stored properly with no problems.

This means storing the pump (mechanical seals and O-rings) in a room temperature environment (40-80F) with a humidity below 70%. Also, keep them free of all forms of radiation, especially sunlight, as well as other contaminates such as pumped products, copper, oils, and other solvents.

5. For larger, more costly pumps, purchase a mechanical seal kit and O-rings and store them as your backup.

Let’s face it, many large pumps can be expensive and it is unrealistic to purchase two pumps. For smaller pumps, often the cost of a new pump is a better bet than trying to “rebuild the pump”.

For large horsepower water pumps, you can purchase and store backup mechanical seals and O-rings for a fraction of the total price. This effectively becomes your insurance policy. Though it will not solve other failures, you are alleviating smaller maintenance which needs to occur on a pump by replacing the mechanical seal kit.

Our recommendation would be after a few years, replace the seals and O-rings preemptively and either purchase a new set to become your backup and/or begin preparing for a pump replacement in the future. 

While we only sell pumps we believe are designed with the highest quality and manufactured for years of reliable service, let’s face it, overtime things break. The question is, are you prepared for that day? Do you have your insurance policy in place?

Make yourself the company hero, because you planned for the inevitable day when you hear the words: “We have a problem!” 

Absolute Water Pumps has a variety of payment methods, including ACH transfers. Give us a call today so we can help pair you with the perfect pump for your application!

What is 3-Phase Electricity?

Perhaps you've listened to an old record with a sound technician and heard that they are "out of phase." The audio engineer is talking about sound waves, not electricity, but they are similar. Let's begin with a short review of electricity.

AC/DC Electricity 101

DC power (or Direct Current) flows in one direction on a circuit, while AC power (Alternating Current) flows both ways in a circuit. Hence, the wiring is different for DC and AC circuits, as well as for 3-phase AC power (more on this below). Their respective wave forms look something like this:

three phase generator

Or, thinking in terms of magnetic flux, the alternating current is always in flux as the rotor moves through the magnetic field, oscillating between positive and negative voltage. This flux creates the AC wave form, and thus, AC power, which most residential appliances run on. However, at certain points there is zero potential voltage when the wave crosses the X axis, and this can be a disadvantage to using single phase AC power in commercial-grade settings.  

Larger appliances and commercial (or agricultural) settings have a higher load (greater demand or resistance), and therefore require more kW to function properly. But this also requires higher gauge wire, increased amps and volts, and places a higher demand on motors running on single phase AC power. 

Enter 3-Phase AC Power

In the late 19th century, Galileo Ferraris and Nikolai Tesla discovered a way to remedy this situation with what we call 3-phase electricity. Essentially, 3-phase electricity is the AC wave form staggered at 120 electrical degrees to provide a more robust current that mimics DC power. The wave form looks something like this:

three phase power

Advantages of 3-Phase Power

The main difference is that at no point in the wave form is the voltage potential zero (as in single phase). This results in at several advantages:

  • Constant Power Potential. The voltage stays at a higher constant (like 208, 240 or 480 volts). Not only is this preferable, but it may be necessary in many circumstances when you're business or farm depends on consistent power. (For more on this, see "What is 3-Phase Electricity? (Part 2 of 2)")
  • Cooler. Buildings and motors can run thinner (higher gauge) wire with 3-phase. This keeps the amps and the temperature lower.
  • More efficient. Motors need less windings to produce the same amount (or more!) of power in watts. In business settings, efficiency equals money saved, which leads us to a fourth advantage.
  • Money Saver. It's more economical to the consumer. How? Because 3-phase can run at a higher voltage with thinner gauge wire due to the lower amperage being used, this puts less demand on motors, therefore extending the life of your equipment.  In short, 3-phase electricity runs faster, cooler, and more efficiently, thus making it an advantage to the manufacturer, farmer, or commercial business. 

If you ever have the chance to run 3-phase electricity in your building, or if you're considering a 3-phase water pump and you have the capability of 3-phase electricity, it is always worth it. Take a look at our wide selection of 3-phase water pumps, by selecting 3-phase in the Left-hand navigation filters on our website. Of course, if you have other questions, feel free to call us at 888-264-2189.

 

What is 3-Phase Electricity?

Perhaps you've listened to an old record with a sound technician and heard that they are "out of phase." The audio engineer is talking about sound waves, not electricity, but they are similar. Let's begin with a short review of electricity.

AC/DC Electricity 101

DC power (or Direct Current) flows in one direction on a circuit, while AC power (Alternating Current) flows both ways in a circuit. Hence, the wiring is different for DC and AC circuits, as well as for 3-phase AC power (more on this below). Their respective wave forms look something like this:

(GRAPHIC ONE) 

Or, thinking in terms of magnetic flux, the alternating current is always in flux as the rotor moves through the magnetic field, oscillating between positive and negative voltage. This flux creates the AC wave form, and thus, AC power, which most residential appliances run on. However, at certain points there is zero potential voltage when the wave crosses the X axis, and this can be a disadvantage to using single phase AC power in commercial-grade settings.  

Larger appliances and commercial (or agricultural) settings have a higher load (greater demand or resistance), and therefore require more kW to function properly. But this also requires higher gauge wire, increased amps and volts, and places a higher demand on motors running on single phase AC power. 

Enter 3-Phase AC Power

In the late 19th century, Galileo Ferraris and Nikolai Tesla discovered a way to remedy this situation with what we call 3-phase electricity. Essentially, 3-phase electricity is the AC wave form staggered at 120 electrical degrees to provide a more robust current that mimics DC power. The wave form looks something like this:

 (GRAPHIC TWO) 

Advantages of 3-Phase Power

The main difference is that at no point in the wave form is the voltage potential zero (as in single phase). This results in at several advantages:

  • Constant Power Potential. The voltage stays at a higher constant (like 208, 240 or 480 volts). Not only is this preferable, but it may be necessary in many circumstances when you're business or farm depends on consistent power. (For more on this, see "What is 3-Phase Electricity? (Part 2 of 2)")
  • Cooler. Buildings and motors can run thinner (higher gauge) wire with 3-phase. This keeps the amps and the temperature lower.
  • More efficient. Motors need less windings to produce the same amount (or more!) of power in watts. In business settings, efficiency equals money saved, which leads us to a fourth advantage.
  • Money Saver. It's more economical to the consumer. How? Because 3-phase can run at a higher voltage with thinner gauge wire due to the lower amperage being used, this puts less demand on motors, therefore extending the life of your equipment.  In short, 3-phase electricity runs faster, cooler, and more efficiently, thus making it an advantage to the manufacturer, farmer, or commercial business. 

If you ever have the chance to run 3-phase electricity in your building, or if you're considering a 3-phase generator and you have the capability of 3-phase electricity, it is always worth it. Take a look at our wide selection of 3-phase generators, by selecting 3-phase in the Left-hand navigation filters on our website. Of course, if you have other questions, feel free to call us at 888-264-2189.

 

Diesel Trash Pumps

Contractors, municipalities, and farmers often need to dewater areas that are rife with leaves, sand, sewage, twigs, sludge, and mud – a job best done by diesel trash pumps.

If you need to remove debris of any kind any larger than one inch in diameter, you'll need a trash pump rather than a semi-trash pump. The cost of a diesel fuel trash pump is initially higher than a gasoline pump, but a diesel pump has a higher efficiency range which means it costs less to run over time. If you're a contractor or farmer that needs to to work your pump hard, a diesel fueled pump is the right fit for your operation. 

All trash pumps will share similar characteristics that set them apart from other pumps, say your traditional dewatering pump or a semi-trash pump. Trash pumps are made with aluminum, cast iron, and steel. Your casing will be made with cast iron, and the impellers and shafts will either be cast iron or stainless steel. These are construction grade materials, meaning your pump can work harder for longer. You'll also benefit from auto-dry priming and re-priming so you never have to manually add water to your pump. The enclosures on trash pumps ensure security and noise. A lockable enclosure gives you the peace of mind you need if you find yourself needing to step away from your pump for a few moments. The insulated steel enclosure ultimately reduces noise, which is good if you need to use your pump in a residential or downtown area with a lot of foot traffic. 

The size of debris your trash pump can handle will be determined by the impeller type, engine horsepower, and the size of your suction and discharge ports. A trash pump won't grind the debris, but instead it passes debris like pebbles, leaves, and twigs through the larger impeller veins and housing. 

Featured Diesel Trash Pumps

 

MQ QP2TZ Diesel Trash PumpMultiquip QP2TZ Diesel Trash Pump

This industrial strength trash pump is powered by a recoil start and 4.6HP Subaru/Hatz 1B20 diesel engine. Featuring cast iron impellers and volute for abrasion resistance for enhanced durability, maximum head of 95 feet, durable aluminum body, 2" inlet and outlet diamter, 25 feet maximum suction lift, and 41 PSI. Can handle up to 1" solids. CARB and EPA approved. 


AMT 3993-Z6 Diesel Trash PumpAMT 3993-Z6 Diesel Trash Pump

This diesel fueled trash pump is ideal for contractors, farmers, and municipalities, and can move 32,400 gallons of muddy water in one hour. Featuring low-oil shutdown, quick clean out for easy servicing, cast iron inlet and outlet ports, Buna-N check valve to protect from dirty water backing up into the pump, and a wheel kit with two 16 inch tires, steel base, and rails. Can handle up to 2" solids. CARB and EPA approved. 


AMT 5586-Y6 Diesel Trash PumpAMT 5586-Y6 Diesel Trash Pump

This workhorse of a diesel trash pump can handle up to 6" solids and offers an extra large 20 gallon metal fuel tank that means your trash pump can run for 12 continuous hours before needing to stop and refuel. Featuring a Yanmar 23HP engine, 1,000 GPM, 20 feet maximum suction lift, 96 feet maximum total head, and cast iron housing material, inlet and outlet port, and stainless steel impellers. CARB and EPA Tier 4 Final approved. 


Thompson High Pressure Jet PumpThompson 4JSCM-DIS-4LE2T-M High Pressure Jet Pump

This high pressure jet pump from Thompson can run up to 34.7 hours before needing to refuel and features 1,200 FPM, 25 feet maximum suction lift, 132 feet maximum total head, automatic dry priming and re-priming, no. 30 grey iron housing material, a 2200 RPM Isuzu engine, and a mximum PSI or 57. Can handle temperatures up to 200 degrees and 3" solids. CARB and EPA Tier 4 Final approved. 

How to Read a Water Pump Curve

What do all those lines mean?  It looks so confusing!  How do you even understand what it means?  Looks like a poorly made paint by numbers picture to me!  These are just a few things I have heard from people when they initially look at a pump curve. 

Looking at a pump curve can be an overwhelming task, unless you know what you are looking for.  But the truth is, you don’t need to have an engineering degree to understand a pump curve.

Yes, pump curves can be confusing, especially as some pump curves are more technical than others.  Hopefully by the time you finish reading this post you will be able to look at even the more technical curves and find the most basic information necessary to finding the right pump. 

Think of this post as a layman’s guide to pump curves.  We will look at a few basic pump curves.  In future posts we will look at more technical pump curves and how to interpret the corresponding data for more advanced applications. 

For the sake of clarity in this post however, we will look at one of the more commonly used pumps, an electric end-suction centrifugal water pump.  We will also look at interpreting the most basic information (head/flow) needed to help you pick out the right water pump for your given application.   

The truth is, when in doubt, ask a Water Pump Specialist for help in finding the correct water pump for you.  We would be more than happy to help you pick out the right pump!

What is a Pump Curve?

A pump performance curve is simply a graph or chart that represents the performance capabilities of a given water pump.  A pump manufacturer conducts a variety of tests and the findings are then reflected on a graph, which we refer to as the pump curve.  A pump curve will typically show not just the maximum capabilities of the pump, but just as important, many pump curves will give information helpful in determining the best efficiency point (BEP) for flow rates as well as reflecting the preferred operating range (POR) of the water pump.  Once you know how to read a pump curve you will be able to determine what to expect from your water pump: how many feet is it capable of pumping, how many gallons per minute, and what will be the ideal operating performance for efficiency, as well as other important information.

The Most Common Information a Pump Curve Provides

  • Total Dynamic Head

Total dynamic pump head, most commonly referred to as total head, concisely stated is the height that a water pump is capable of raising a liquid.  It is the total vertical distance that the pump is capable of ‘pumping’.  It answers the question, “How high can it pump?”  The greater the pressure, the higher the head.  The lower the pressure, the lower the head.

  • Flow Rate

Flow rate, or rate of flow, is the total maximum amount of liquid flow that a pump can produce during a specified period of time.  It is almost always measured per minute and most pump curves will show either gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per minute (LPM), or commonly both.  Flow rate answers the question, “How many gallons can I expect?”  The greater the pressure, the higher the flow rate.  The lower the pressure, the lower the flow rate. 

  • NPSHr (Net Positive Suction Head Required)

Net positive suction head required is the minimum amount of pressure or force of energy that is required at the suction port (inlet) to overcome the losses from friction that are caused between the suction head/nozzle (inlet) and the eye of the impeller, without causing vaporization (cavitation) of the liquid being pumped.

  • Best Efficiency Point

Every pump has a best efficiency point (BEP) and many pump curves will clearly show the BEP.  BEP is the rate of flow and the total head at which a pump efficiency is at a maximum at a given motor speed and impeller diameter.

BEP is a combination of the head/flow rate as it corresponds to the highest efficiency. BEP directly corresponds to the input horsepower of the motor required to drive the pump and the horsepower created by the flow of water created by the pump.

For a pump to be 100% efficient the input horsepower needed would be equal to the water horsepower being created.  No pump is capable of 100% efficiency and as a result every pump will require more horsepower input from the motor than it is capable of generating in water horsepower. 

Think of the BEP as what a baseball player would refer to as the “sweet spot” of the bat!  Studies have shown that by operating within the BEP, the pump/motor life is extended.  This not only minimizes the cost of repairs, maintenance, and replacement, but also the costs incurred during a down time of production for a pump that is no longer operational.

  • Preferred Operating Range (POR)

Referred to as the preferred operating range or preferred operating region.  A pump will run best the closer it is to the BEP.  For this reason, The Hydraulic Institute has determined that the preferred operation range as it pertains to water flow is between 70%-120%.  Most manufactures will recommend a POR that is between 80% and 110% as operation in the POR has direct implications on the life of the pump as well as power consumption. 

Pump manufactures give a variety of information on their pump curves.  Some are more detailed than others.  However, most manufacturers will offer more detailed specs, requirements, additional curves, etc. in their product manuals.  But the most basic information that the average consumer needs typically boils down to 2 items: Total Pump Head & Gallons Per Minute

Reading a Pump Curve 

Let’s look at an example situation to help you pick out the right pump for your application using just pump head and gallons per minute to help us come to a decision on the right pump.

centrifugal water pump chart

Situation #1:  You are replacing an old pump that already has the pipes in place that are 2” going into the pump and 2” going out.  The old pump is pumping water from a 5,000 gallon tank and pumping the water to a second tank that is 50 feet above the first tank.  Your old pump was pumping approximately 100gpm (gallons per minute) and you would like to try to get a pump that will perhaps get you to 150gpm due to increased production demands.

So we can determine the following:

  • You need a pump with a 2” inlet diameter and a 2” outlet diameter
  • You have a minimum pump head of 50 feet
  • You would like a pump that will give at least 150gpm

Looking at the pump curve below, which of the following 2” pumps will work for your application?

Step #1: Start with your required pump head (50 feet) on the left-hand side of the curve

  • We can see that pumps A & B are below our required head, so we can rule them out.
  • We now have 3 pumps on this curve that meet our total pump head requirement of 50ft.

 

Step #2: Determine which pump is capable of 125gpm or more

  • From the left of the curve, starting at 50ft, draw an imaginary line to the right.
  • Then follow each pump curve down towards the GPM.
  • We can see that pump D will give us the 50 feet of head we require but will only give us 110gpm.  It’s probably similar to the pump you are replacing.
  • Pump E will meet our 50ft head requirement (it’s capable up to 75ft) and at 50ft head it will give us 145gpm.  Pump F at 50ft of head will give us 180gpm.

centrifugal waterpumps

Step #3: Decision Time!

You have 3 pumps to choose from that meet your requirements but you still have a few things to consider:

  • Pump D:
    • Pro: similar to the pump you are replacing
    • Con: no real increase in performance in GPM (110gpm total)
    • Pro: guaranteed to be lower cost than pumps E & F
  • Pump E:
    • Pro: increase of 45gpm compared to your old pump (145gpm total)
    • Pro: gets you close to your desire of 150gpm
    • Con: 5gpm lower than your 150gpm goal
    • Con: higher price than pump D
  • Pump F:
    • Pro: increase of 80gpm compared to your old pump
    • Pro: 35gpm greater than pump E
    • Pro: gets beyond your desire of 150gpm (180gpm total)
    • Con: higher price than pumps D & E 

Conclusion

As you can see there are many considerations to look at when picking out a pump.  And we only looked at one example and a simple one at that!

While there is a lot of information available to you, the consumer, finding the most basic information is not as hard as one would think.  Just remember, the best thing to do is to ask an expert if you are not sure!  But now that you know the most basic details as you look at a pump curve, you will be better prepared to make the best decision on the right pump.

At Absolute Water Pumps we would be more than happy to answer any questions you have as you look for the perfect pump! Feel free to give us a call at 1-888-264-2189 for any of your water pump needs. 

 

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