HOW TO READ A PUMP CURVE

Simplified with water as the example:

1) Total Feet of Head (TDH) = Gallons Per minute flow rate through a known pipe diameter x total feet of pipe, including straight run equivalents per elbows and valves. This can be found on industry charts and must be done for discharge pipe (after the pump) as well as suction pipe. *Remember to also add vertical pipe distance into the equation! Common mistake to miss this!

2) Gallons Per Minute Required (GPMR) how fast to you need to pump the liquid?

3) Make sure you have adequate NPSHR inlet pressure (liquid) above the pump inlet also known as Flooded Suction (gravity feed into the pump) as opposed to Suction Lift (pulling water into the pump) - Note - water = 8.34 LBS per gallon so lifting liquid up and into a pump would require a self priming style pump.

4) Intersect your project TDH with GPM you require, need to find best efficiency point% (BEP and horse power HP) on the curve.

Note: shooting for best BEP. If not found based on GMPR you will need to move to a more appropriate curve for your application to determine proper BEP, HP, TDH and NPSHR, for final result. Each pump size has many curves so you will need to find the one that best fits your particular application. Doing so will tell you the exact motor size (in HP) you will need. Confused? Call us!!

It seems complex but not really. Just simple 101 physics. You can do this!! (503)-288-5011) :-)

End suction pump - very little water stays in the pump for reprime when pump is shut off. No reservoir with relation to the centerline of the pump impeller.

Self-priming - larger reservoir to hold considerably more water. Inlet pipe above center line of impeller. Large volume of water remains in the pump for reprime when pump is shut off. Water does not flow back out of the pump.