Water pumps are impressive pieces of technology, despite being relatively simple in design. The general concept of moving water from one place to another can be adapted to a variety of circumstances due to the different types of water pumps available. But what are these different types and how are they used? Here’s what you need to know.
What are water pumps?
Water pumps are electromechanical machines that are used to move water from one area to another. This is done by increasing the pressure of water, which prompts it to move from A to B.
There are several different circumstances in which water pumps can be used. Here are a few examples.
Removing flood water
Unfortunately, flooding is far from uncommon in the UK, with several episodes taking place each year in different areas of the country. But how is the flood water removed? That’s where water pumps come into the picture.
Floods can cause a huge amount of damage, so draining the flood water as soon as possible is key to helping places recover. Submersible pumps from suppliers such as RS are often the best choice for this. They work by suctioning the water through a pipe, removing the water from your home, and into a drain outdoors.
Centrifugal pumps
Centrifugal pumps work a little differently and are typically used in fire protection systems. This means that there is a continuous water supply as they take in water through the fans and push it out of the circumference.
The impeller within these devices is made up of curved vanes that sit between two discs. The water enters through the impeller at the axis before exiting along the end between the vanes. The impeller on the opposite side is attached to a motor and rotated at high speed. This movement pushes the fluid out through the vanes.
Dynamic pumps
Dynamic pumps move water by transferring kinetic energy from its impellers to the water itself, which increases flow velocity to generate this kinetic energy. This method is ideal for high to medium flow, and low to medium viscosity, applications. They’re typically used to process crude oil
These types of pumps tend to be widely accessible and cost-effective. You can find them in use in pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and other industries.
Above ground pumps
These types of pumps are installed above water and tend to be designed to lift water from below the surface. They don’t quite have the power of submersible pumps, however they can come in handy for less intensive jobs.
While they aren’t as powerful as other types of water pumps, they’re ideal for focused tasks such as circulating water through a filter system and cleaning debris simultaneously. Water pollution and littering are real issues in many of the rivers and lakes in the UK – and this warrants attention to improve local biodiversity. You tend to see these type of water pumps in use in lakes, streams, swimming pools and other bodies of water for this purpose.
