The Different Types of Wastewater Pumps and Their Advantages

February 22, 2022

A wastewater pump station can choose from three main types of pumps: centrifugal pumps, reciprocating pumps and air pressure pumps.

Continue reading to learn a little more about each of the different pumps in wastewater treatment.

Advantages of centrifugal pumps

As the name suggests, centrifugal pumps operate on the principle of centrifugal force. When wastewater enters the pump, it’s revolved at high speeds by an impeller and is thrown to the edge by centrifugal force.

Here are some reasons a wastewater treatment facility might choose to use a centrifugal pump:

  • Non-clogging: Perhaps the main reason that wastewater stations choose centrifugal pumps is that they won’t clog up. Unless there’s some type of problem with the impeller (which isn’t likely to occur), the pump will function as it should for years.
  • Easy installation: Centrifugal pumps are easy to install and don’t require much space for installation. Additionally, any required maintenance is about as straightforward as it gets.

Advantages of reciprocating pumps

There are two types of reciprocating pumps: ram type and propeller type. The ram type consists of a closed cylinder, a piston and a plunger. Sewage is sucked in the cylinder and then forced through the delivery pipe by the piston. With a propeller type, a propeller moves vertically inside a pump casing, which lifts the sewage upward.

Although they’re not used very frequently nowadays, these are the main advantages of reciprocating pumps:

  • Suitable for large quantities: Whether you’re forcing it down with a ram type or lifting it up with a propeller type, a reciprocating pump is your best bet for pumping large quantities of sewage.
  • Durability: Maintenance is more difficult with these types of pumps, but luckily, they don’t require a ton of work to begin with. They’re incredibly durable and flexible, even though they handle massive amounts of sewage.

Advantages of air pressure pumps

Also known as pneumatic ejectors, air pressure pumps work mainly by gravity. With these pumps, wastewater is automatically forced into a tight tank whenever sufficient wastewater accumulates high enough to raise it afloat. These are the three main reasons to choose an air pressure pump:

  • Economical for small quantities: While these pumps only have an efficiency rate of about 15 percent, they’re the best choice for pumping small quantities of wastewater in terms of pricing, so air pressure pumps are the way to go if a wastewater pump station doesn’t need to pump very much waste and doesn’t have a high budget.
  • Requires very little supervision: Because they work on the principle of gravity and don’t have very many working parts, these pumps require the least supervision out of all the other pumps mentioned above. This helps further reduce the already low cost of installation and maintenance.

How is your wastewater pump looking?

If your pumps in wastewater treatment have seen better days, contact our pros at Enviro-Line Co, Inc. to either repair or replace them. We have decades of experience with wastewater treatment, so you can rest easy knowing your equipment is in good hands with us.

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Enviro-Line Co, Inc.