Pump Suction Side Piping – GO BIG or GO HOME!
Recently we ran into a problem where we had installed a Waukesha Universal Series Positive Displacement
pump for transferring a viscous product from totes to a holding tank. The application was for approximately 40-50GPM transfer rate. There were flex hoses connected from the 2” outlet ports on four separate totes feeding into a 3” header approx 12-15ft long. The 3” header led directly into the Waukesha pump.
Right from the start, we experience a knocking noise or cavitation in the pump body but what was different about the situation was that when we would allow all four of the totes to be open, the cavitation became worse than if just one or two were supplying the pump. The pump was actually just not pumping nearly as much with just one tote open so the cavitation was not as evident. Cavitation can lead to many problems such as premature seal failure, bearing failure, and pipe stress to name a few.
To fix the problem, we put in a 6” header that was now located above the pump with a much shorter suction pipe running to the Waukesha PD pump. The 6” header made the difference and the cavitation problem went away.
So if you are piping a Waukesha PD pump into a system in the coming future, to prevent problems with your system remember the words – “GO BIG or GO HOME!”
Holland Applied Technologies can help with any of your Waukesha PD pump requests. Call us at 800-800-8464.
