The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Centrifugal Pumps in Wastewater Treatment Applications

The type of pump you choose for your wastewater treatment system will have a significant effect on the results you get out of your investment. Pumps do a lot of the heavy lifting, moving sludge, wastewater, effluent and more through the system until it is fully treated. It’s important to choose a pump that’s easy to keep clean and in good working order, since any damage will halt operations until it’s fixed.

Many wastewater treatment facilities use centrifugal pumps to power their system. Originally, dry pit pumps were most popular, but many municipalities and facilities are considering the benefits of dry pit submersibles and wet pit submersibles. If you’re comparing the pros and cons of centrifugal pumps in Camden County, MO, read on to find out how they stack up.

Dry pit pumps

Dry pit pumps are installed in a dry well next to a wet well; the dry well is often built below ground and will house other electrical and industrial equipment for the wastewater treatment facility. Dry pit pumps have flexible drive shafts and above-grade air-cooled motors.

The biggest benefit of dry pit pumps is that they’re not submerged in the wastewater or sludge, so they’re much easier to maintain and repair than a submersible pump—the mechanic can easily see and access the pump. However, since they’re below-ground, they’re prone to flood damage.

Dry pit submersibles

Dry pit submersible pumps are also installed in a dry well/wet well setup, but as the name suggests, the pump can be submerged into the sewage. The motor is designed to run continuously, whether in sewage or in the air, and can cool itself off.

Some prefer this type of pump because they eliminate the flooding problem as well as not having issues with flexible drive shafts breaking. The drawbacks, on the other hand, include easy overheating in the sewage circulation motors and the potential of needing to replace piping when retrofitting old dry pit stations.

Wet pit submersibles

Submersible pumps are guided up and down rails straight into the wet pit sewage itself. The control center is usually installed over the pit, since the entire pump is submerged during operation.

Submersible pumps have the advantage of not needing to construct a dry pit, which makes them less expensive to install—but they’re also not nearly as accessible as the former two types of centrifugal pumps in Camden County, MO. They require a crane to remove, which makes them more expensive to repair.

Not sure which kind of centrifugal pump is right for your facility? We can help.

Centrifugal pumps in Camden County, MO

Enviro-Line Co., Inc. has been the area’s go-to source for wastewater pumping and treatment equipment since 1971. Our team has a comprehensive understanding of wastewater equipment and how it works, which allows us to help you find solutions for your business. We’ll work with you to understand your wastewater system and help you select just the right products to get the results you want. Contact us today to learn more.

Categorised in: Sewage Systems