The Pressure Pump – What you Need to Know

For millennia, humans have been using simple machines to transfer water from rivers and lakes, either into containers, for use in their homes or to fields to irrigate their crops. On the whole, these simple devices worked well enough for the tasks described. However, today, we don’t generally draw our water directly from these natural sources. Instead, it is delivered to our homes and the equipment necessary to move it such long distances will often need a boost. The pressure pump offers a solution to this problem and also has several other uses.

Several factors can impede the distribution of domestic water. In a pipeline, friction between its walls and the contents acts to slow the latter. The longer the pipeline or, the smaller its internal diameter, the more its contents will be retarded due to the internal frictional force. Gravity will exert a similar effect on any uphill sections of a pipeline or when the final destination is a multi-storey building. The slowed flow creates low pressure, and a booster pump is necessary to overcome the effect. However, even when the flow of water to a property is within acceptable limits, placing too much demand on the supply, perhaps in the form of an overly extensive irrigation system, can still create the need for an added boost.

How do these Devices Work?

For simplicity, one can compare the action of these booster devices to that of an electric fan. Both have rotating vanes that are driven by an electric motor. However, in the pressure pump, the blades are mounted in a sealed housing. It has an inlet through which water is drawn and an outlet through which the pressurised liquid is discharged.

In practice, the design of the pump’s blades differs from those of the fan. In the latter, the blades’ shape acts to pull in air from behind and drive it forward. By contrast, when water enters through the booster device’s inlet port, the curved vanes force it outwards, creating a centrifugal force that pushes it from the outlet port of the pump under increased pressure.

When selecting any motorised tool, one needs to be sure it will do the job required. When choosing booster pumps, there are several factors to consider. These include how far the water must be moved, the diameter of the pipe that will carry it, how many outlets the system will serve and the average volume of water the pressure pump will be required to move.

If you live or work in the Johannesburg area, you can get expert help to make the right choice and guarantee top-quality pumping equipment at Bestline Manufacturing.