GUIDE TO

SELECTING
THE BEST
PUMP
INTRODUCTION
WHEN YOU’RE PRESENTED WITH VARIOUS
TYPES OF PUMPS, IT CAN BE CONFUSING
TO SELECT THE ONE THAT’S BEST FOR
YOUR NEEDS.

If you cannot decide – here’s 10 common questions

and points to consider when selecting pumps. We’ve
outlined a few tools and recommendations to help
along the way.

Before we start, our initial tip is to suggest

centrifugal pumps if you have a best efficiency point
(BEP), and positive displacement (PD) pumps if you
don’t have a BEP.

That’s where most can get it wrong. They select a PD

pump using the centrifugal pump calculations. So
that aside, now it’s been flagged, let’s continue:
01. CAN YOUR PRODUCT
BE POURED?
THE SUBSTANCE BEING PUMPED IS YOUR
FIRST CONSIDERATION WHEN SELECTING
YOUR PUMP.

There’s a big difference between flowable liquids, and those

containing solid objects. This determines your pump type.

For example, food processes require sanitary centrifugal

pumps, but oils need PD pumps like gear or lobe pumps.
If you’re emptying product from a tank and the pump will run
dry, this will reduce the number of pumps to select from.
Many pumps (including lobe and gear pumps) can’t run dry.
The solution would be tube or diaphragm pumps – which can
run dry.

Thick products like grease also exclude certain pump types, as

they require higher pressure to move the substance with force.
Whilst if your product contains solids, it limits your choice
further, because it reduces your pump’s flow rate and pressure.

Your product, combined with head and flow rates, determines

the list of pumps that can be used.
02. SO WHAT IS YOUR
FLOW RATE?
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU WANT THE
PRODUCT TRANSFERRED?

Your flow rate is how much you want to transfer, over what
period of time. For example, a 44 gallon drum holds 200 litres,
which needs to be moved within 20 minutes.

Flow rate is typically measured in litres per minute, hour or

second. For larger volumes it is measured in cubic meters per
hour, which is thousands of litres per hour.

03. WHAT ROLE DOES

HEAD PRESSURE PLAY?
YOUR PUMP IS ALSO SELECTED BASED ON
YOUR PRESSURE REQUIREMENTS.

Head pressure is typically measured in metres. It is the height

difference between discharge point and where the product is
being moved from.

Measure where the liquid is being transferred from, to where it

needs to be discharged to. If you want to pump from the floor to
the roof and it’s approximately ten metres, this equates to a ten
metre head pressure. That is then converted to kilopascal (kPa) or
pound per square inch (psi) – which pressure is measured in. Then
friction pipe loss also needs to be added.
04. HOW DOES FRICTION
IMPACT ON THIS?
WHAT IS NEXT DETERMINED IS
FRICTION LOSS.

If your product’s final destination is two kilometres away then

friction needs to be considered when finalising your head
pressure, as it could require around twenty to thirty metres
head pressure to achieve that distance, depending on pipe
size.

How do you calculate all this? Trust in the manufacturer’s

recommendations!

Manufacturers provide a table showing flow rates at different

head pressures. As you increase the flow rate, the friction loss
increases. Just follow their guidelines! However, no matter the
size of your pump, there will be an efficiency limit.

Be sure to calculate friction loss, especially when installing

pumps for longer distances - whether pumping horizontally
or vertically. A short piece of undersized discharge pipe can
reduce performance dramatically. Likewise, an oversized
discharge line could cause pump failure.
05. WHAT ARE THE
INTERNAL
DIFFERENCES?
EACH PUMP IS DESIGNED FOR
DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

You should also check their rated speed on manufacturer

performance curves.

Centrifugal pumps are one of the most common and popular

pumps. These use centrifugal force to move liquids, such as
water and other non-aggressive substances, for purposes
including irrigation. Selecting a centrifugal pump is easy when
you know the required flowrate and head pressure or total
dynamic head (TDH).

Whereas others like hose pumps, use progression or positive

displacement (PD). This means substances are pushed out
via pulses, using diaphragms, shoes or celluloids. With these
pumps the flow rate won’t change much.

When selecting a PD pump, remember there will often be an

impulse loss added to the TDH. This is because PD pumps
pulsate. You can install pulsation dampeners to reduce the
impulse loss. Plus PD pumps can be geared to a specific speed.
06. DOES SUCTION
IMPACT THINGS?
ALWAYS KEEP THE SUCTION LINE AS SHORT
AS POSSIBLE.

Don’t forget to include the suction line’s length in friction loss

calculations and the height.

Pumps are pushers. They don’t suck liquid. Suction lines go

from the liquid source to the pump. Pumps create vacuums
where the atmospheric pressure pushes liquids into the pump.
Centrifugal pumps create a low pressure in the eye of impeller.

Atmospheric pressure then pushes that liquid in. The maximum

that you can ever hope to draw liquid up is 9.8 meters at
ambient temperature at sea level. Keeping the suction line
as short as possible will ensure that the pump doesn’t fail or
cavitate.

Cavitation means the pressure on suction drops below the

vapour pressure of the liquid. As it flows through the suction of
the pump, the velocity increases and pressure decreases. The
turning of the impeller increases velocity therefore reducing
the absolute pressure of the liquid. This makes the liquid start
boiling at 20 degrees, because of the reduced vacuum.

In sufficient positive pressure at suction, vapour may occur and

cause cavitation. Consequently, you want to try and move the
suction line as close as you can to the source.
07. REMEMBER TO
CONSIDER OTHER
INSTRUMENTS!
YOU CAN’T JUST RELY ON CALCULATING
THE FRICTION OF THE PIPE.

You need to allow for the fact that there’s beams, dowels
and other things that will create friction. Always remember
to include valves, bends and other instruments into your
friction loss calculation.

08. HOW WILL YOUR

PRODUCT REACT WITH
DIFFERENT MATERIALS?
YOU NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PRODUCT
YOU’RE PUMPING IS NOT GOING TO REACT
WITH THE MATERIALS WITHIN THE PUMP.

The key here is to refer to the chemical resistant guides and

charts available. This is crucial to review, as there are certain
materials that can dissolve or react.

For instance, acid will dissolve dyes and materials that can
contaminate the product. Ensure that not only are they
compatible, but if you’re pumping food – are they going to be
food correct materials? Some materials will contaminate a
liquid that might be used in explosives for example – so there
can be serious life-threatening consequences, depending on
your product.
09. DO NOT USE
SAFETY MARGINS!
PUMPS ARE LIKE MEDICINE DOSES – THERE’S
NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.

You must follow specific instruction and calculations! Don’t

risk destroying your pump by trying to second-guess – or leave
approximate windows either side, to gauge things.

Pumps are a specific science, as they can’t operate off their

manufacturer’s performance curve. Manufacturers publish
2-pole and 4-pole curves to cover a wider range of applications.

Never add safety margins to your selection. If you do, then

please tell your pump consultant, as this could cause the pump
to operate off the curve.

Whilst on the curve, it’s recommended to select centrifugal

pumps to the middle of the curve, or slightly to the right of the
centre. That is often considered the BEP (best efficiency point).
10. HOW DO I CHOOSE
BETWEEN POWER,
PERFORMANCE AND
MANUFACTURERS?
PUMPS CAN BE POWERED A NUMBER OF WAYS,
DEPENDING ON YOUR REQUIREMENTS.

You can select from either single-phase (240 volt power) or

3-phase (415 volt power). Where you don’t have electricity at
all, the alternatives in these cases are compressed air operated
or hydraulically operated pumps – based on your location and
needs.

There’s a number of pumps that will operate on electricity but

won’t operate on compressed air, so it’s important to decide
upon your power supply in advance. Your hands may be tied
there, or the selection may be varied.

Manufacturer choice should currently be based around your

application. Ask an expert wherever possible, as there are so
many varieties in pumps that can do the same job.

Always consult a pump expert when selecting pumps for slurry,

viscous liquids or for any substance that has a suction lift
involved. For best practice, you should do this even if you’re an
expert yourself, to reduce the risk of human error.
So there you have it… If you’re feeling under the pump when selecting pumps, you’re not alone!

BE SURE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE

HANDY HINTS THAT COME YOUR WAY!

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