Choosing the right sludge pump largely depends on your application. However, you still should ensure that the pump you choose will better the environment as well as the lives and livelihoods that depend on proper sludge management. It equally is crucial that you work with competent and reputable sludge pump suppliers. Your pump supplier should also commit to responsible providing of technology for quality, efficient and reliable sludge pumping.
You have a role, too—finding an unbiased buyer’s guide to instruct your choice of sludge pumps. Here is one:
The concise guide
Water that contains debris and similar solids are difficult to manage using conventional centrifugal pumps. You risk clogging and jamming the rotary parts of the pump. In worse cases, these solid materials can render a pump completely unusable again. It, thus, is imperative that, while they are more expensive than their counterparts, you use sludge pumps for this purpose. And, since they come in different types, first understand how their working differ before you buy or hire one.
Here are the three most common classifications of these pumps:
The trash pump
This type of sludge pumps is best for handling waste with twigs, pebbles and leaves are the common solids. That’s possible, borrowing from the pump’s design of large impeller veins. The pump housing is also the than that of the following two sludge pumps. This large interior keeps the pumps from grinding these solids as they pass through it. The design also helps reduce friction from the abrasive force that the solids would have had they been in a smaller pump housing and impeller veins.
That does not mean that trash pumps do not clog up. But, when they do, you can remove any large items by hand and hose down the rest to clear up the housing and impeller veins.
The semi-trash pump
Unlike trash pumps, these can only allow small debris to pass through. They, therefore, are best for only passing sandy and slightly muddy water, and solids that are up to 5/8 inches. To avoid clogging your semi-trash pump, use a strainer with holes that are at most 5/8 inches wide.
The diaphragm pump
Unlike the above two that use centrifugal force, these pumps use a diaphragm to create a suction force to push sludge into and through the housing. These specialised pumps are best for handling abrasive liquids. That makes them the best option for use in industrial sludge management applications.
It is crucial you understand how different water pumps are from sludge pumps. You do not want to end up with a pump that cannot pass the slurry that you manage in your industrial or municipal sludge management applications.
Moreover, confirm that the sludge pump that you are buying or hiring is highly efficient in sludge management. Most pump suppliers have detailed information about the specifications of different sludge pumps. Besides, they can help you choose the exact type of pump that will best meet your sludge management needs. And, keep checking in. You could find a hybrid sludge pump; one that can function as a trash, semi-trash and diaphragm pumps. Pump innovation is limitless!
