The size, shape and capabilities of a submersible pump can vary greatly depending on the application. In this article, I will explain the differences between our many different types of submersible pumps and help you decide which pump to choose for your application.

Although we have quite a wide selection, our submersible pumps can be divided into four main categories: High head sewage pumps, sump/sewage pumps, ejector pumps, and wastewater macerator pumps.

High head wastewater pumps are primarily used behind an aerobic system and pump to either a spray irrigation system or a drip irrigation system. Submersible sump/sewage pumps are designed for pumping relatively clean water, typically downstream of an aerobic system. The ejector and macerator pumps are both used to pump raw sewage. I will explain each of these categories in more detail below.

3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PUMP.

To decide which type of pump is best for a particular application, you need to answer four questions:

What is the application? (What is the pump's job? What type of materials will the pump be transferring? Raw sewage or clear water) What kind of pressure will the pump be pushing against? (The numbers you need to know are the vertical height the pump needs to push the water into and the length of the horizontal distance).

What flow rates will the pump have to handle? (How many gallons per minute do you expect to flow through the pump at maximum capacity)?

If you can answer these three questions, choosing a submersible pump is a snap!

HEAD PRESSURE EXPLAINED

Head pressure is simply the force the pump must overcome to push water to its destination. This number is determined by calculating the vertical head (static head) along with the friction losses of the pipeline, taking into account the size of the pipeline, the length of the run and the flow rate of the pump. These two numbers together are called the Total Dynamic Head (TDH). If you do not know the TDH for your application, our technicians can calculate it for you by simply knowing the vertical head and the run length.

Pumps are listed on our website with a cutoff at a specific head. The total dynamic head that your pump must overcome must be lower than this cutoff number for the pump to function properly. If the numbers are relatively close, it is usually recommended that the next larger unit be selected.

HIGH HEAD SUBMERSIBLE SEWAGE PUMPS

High head submersible sewage pumps, also known as turbine pumps or deep well pumps, are high pressure submersible pumps. They are used primarily in the wastewater treatment industry for spray irrigation or drip irrigation systems. These pumps are designed to pump clear water or treated wastewater only, so they are typically installed only downstream of an aerobic treatment system.

The high head wastewater pumps used in the industry for aerobic treatment systems are all fairly standard. Most pumps have a capacity of 10 to 20 liters per minute and are very similar in dimensions. Generally there are two different pumps in this category.

FRANKLIN ELECTRIC LITTLE GIANT

The Franklin Electric Little Giant High Head sewage pump is a center suction pump. This means that the pump sucks the water in the middle of the unit. Generally, this is the best design for an aerobic system because it allows any solids that enter the pump tank to settle to the bottom of the tank and prevents the pump's suction strainer from becoming clogged with contaminants, which eventually leads to premature pump failure. The Franklin Electric Little Giant is available in both 10 GPM and 20 GPM, with the 20 GPM model being by far the most common.

STA-RITE DOMINATOR

The Sta-Rite Dominator high head sewage pump is a bottom suction unit. This means that the pump draws water from the bottom of the unit. Although this is a greater risk in an aerobic system, some systems use the bottom suction and lift it off the bottom of the tank with a PVC pipe spacer. If you are looking to replace this type of system, the Sta-Rite Dominator is the best choice for you. We only carry this model in the 20 GPM series.

SUBMERSIBLE SUMP/SEWAGE PUMPS

Our sump and sewage pumps are designed to pump sewage with low solids or clear water. Most of our sewage pumps have a 1-1/2'' NPT outlet and some of the larger units even have a 2'' outlet. These pumps can handle smaller solids up to 3/4'' in size. These pumps are typically used to pump effluent from an aerobic system to a drain field, secondary treatment system or surface discharge. We carry many brands of sump/sewage pumps, including Little Giant, Liberty, Myers and Ashland. All of the manufacturers we carry offer very high quality, low maintenance equipment. Our sewage pumps range from 1/3 hp to 2 hp, and which unit you choose will depend on how you answer questions 2 and 3 above. The higher the horsepower rating of a unit, the higher the pressure and volume of water it can pump.

SEWAGE EJECTOR PUMPS

Submersible sewage ejector pumps are designed to pump raw sewage. These pumps are designed to pump raw sewage, typically from a pump station in the basement or outside the home, to your aerobic treatment system. Our Sewage Ejector pumps can handle up to 2'' of solids and have either a 2'' or 3'' NPT outlet. Sewage Ejector pumps are ideal for all low pressure pumping applications. We carry sewage ejector pumps from Little Giant, Liberty, Myers and Ashland. They range from 4/10 hp all the way down to 2 hp. Which unit you should ultimately use depends entirely on the answers to questions 2 and 3 mentioned in the introductory section above.

SEWAGE GRINDER PUMPS

Sewage Grinder pumps, like Sewage Ejector pumps, are designed to pump raw sewage. However, Sewage Grinder pumps are much more powerful. These pumps grind wastewater into a slurry and pump it to its destination at very high pressure. These pumps are typically used for several applications. The first is pumping from a residence into a common sewer system. The second is pumping over extremely long distances or over very large differences in elevation.

About Us

A&C Pumps Ltd are one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and installers of sewage pumps and packaged pumping stations. We have a combined 75 years of industry leading experience and we’re well known as “The Pump People”. We provide packaged pumping stations and sewage pumps to the UK and Europe, and work closely with property developers, building contractors and architects from our workshops near Canterbury, Kent.

Website - https://thepumppeople.co.uk/