Pumps - An Overview of Types
We probably don't think about Pumps very much. At least not until you turn on the water faucet and nothing comes out! All of a sudden, pumps are the most important invention on the planet!
But let's get real... Pumps are all around us and they keep "things" moving. Whether those "things" are gasoline (from the gas pump at the local "fill-r-up"), fresh water at the water fountain at work (or the faucet at home), waste water when you flush the "John", or "Tar" at the local asphalt shingle making plant. Pumps simply MOVE product.
And it's interesting to look at some of the products that do, in fact get moved, by pumps. Sure, we're all aware of moving water from a reservoir or the river to the local municipal plant for processing and distribution. But are we aware of the more "obscure" purposes that pumps fulfill?
In the agricultural field, think about those big "feed truck" we see on the highway delivering dry grain type feeds to the local farmers. They don't unload those trucks by hand! A "pump" moves the product from the truck to a storage bin at the farm. It works by mixing air with the grain and "pumping" it through pipes to the bin. And here's an application you probably didn't think about... a local processing plant that packages "fruit salad" in cans and individual plastic containers, pumps that "fruit salad" through stainless steel pipes from mixing/storage tanks to filling stations with, guess what... PUMPS! So pumps are used to move just about anything. It's just a matter of getting the right pump for the right job. We mentioned above about moving "tar". Well, that's a true application. One wouldn't think you could pump something as sticky as tar, but it works. Something else sticky is molasses. That item gets pumped through pipes during various processing procedures, from cattle feed to "Grandma's Cookies".
We'll outline some of the types of pumps that you probably recognize the most in our pump topic pages. And we'll also share some details and applications for Centrifugal (probably the most prolific pump type used), Vertical Turbine, Waste Water/Sewage Pumps, and a few specialty items.
So check out the topics in the various categories shown above and see if we're able to enlighten you a little more on just how much we rely on Pumps for our daily living. And give us a call at A.R.&E. when you're ready to start your next "Pump Project".
| Centrifugal | Turbine | Split Case | Waste Water |
| Centrifugal | Vertical Turbine | Split Case | Sewage |
| Grinder | |||
| Submersible | |||
| Special |
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