Irrigation System Water Pumps

The main element of most irrigation systems is the water pump. It can be the difference between a well built network and an improper one. This is because, in order to make everything work as efficiently as possible, the irrigation system water pump needs to meet the requirements of the rest of the equipment and water source. Many people end up wasting money because they purchase the water pump before actually designing the irrigation system. You need to acquire it only after, so that you would know the right size and the model with the right characteristics.

There are two main types of irrigation system water pumps: centrifugal water pumps and displacement pumps. Displacement pumps function by making water move through displacement (as the name implies). This includes diaphragm pumps, rotary pumps and piston pumps and are usually used in order to move thick liquids or create high pressure when it is needed (for instance when taking water from a very deep well). These types of pumps are rarely used in irrigation systems so no further references are needed.

Centrifugal water pumps are very common in irrigation systems. They use impellers to spin water very rapidly. The liquid is then pushed in a casing. You thus have a spinning action that makes water move through the pump with the utilization of centrifugal force (thus the name). Centrifugal water pumps can operate more than one impeller and casing, based on type and necessity. The operation of impelling/casting is named “stage”. All of these pumps need to have a wet inlet. This means that water is present both in the casting and in the intake. Centrifugal pumps can not suck water without being prepared to do so. In order to do this operation you will need to simply put water in the intake pipe and quickly turn on the pump. Centrifugal water pumps can not suck air. They can only draw water in order to get the entire irrigation system running. Such pumps are usually equipped with special valves that will hold water so that this operation only needs to be performed the first time the irrigation system is turned on.

Before choosing any irrigation pump be sure to first check the source of the water that will be used, the needed pump flow rate that will allow optimal performance, the suction head and the total dynamic head. Only after you gather this information you will be able to choose the right irrigation system water pump.

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