What Are Advantages And Disadvantages Of Irrigation Pumps?

There are various types of irrigation pumps to perform certain tasks. You should consider the pros and cons of various irrigation pumps when making your selection. Both size and type are important factors. Choosing the wrong pump size for your irrigation system can result in a lot of wasted power.

The Pump Curve of Various Irrigation Pumps

If you choose to select your pump without using a pump dealer, one of the main things you will need to obtain is a pump curve. Manufacturers provide a pump curve, which shows the pump performance in an illustrated graph. Lower flow results from higher pressures and higher flow results from lower pressures.

Performance of Various Irrigation Pumps

The pumps performance is affected by two variables. The horsepower of the motor attached to the pump is the first variable. A pump has two parts the pump which actually moves the water and the motor which moves the pump. Bigger motors have more volume and pressure, an advantage if your pump that can attach to different sizes of motors. Size of the impeller is the second variable.

The impeller is responsible for moving the water by spinning and causing a centrifugal action. If you have higher pressure than what your system requires it may cause your system to waste energy. Determining the proper pump depends on the model and size that produces GPM. GPM is the flow amount that the pump is about to produce. It also relies on the head which is measured in feet of head; the amount of pressure the pump is able to produce.

A way to determine the impeller size you need is to draw an impeller curve through the feet head/GPM intersecting point making your curve parallel to the other impeller curves. Ultimately it would probably be easier and time-saving to contact a pump dealer and provide them with your GPM and feet head you are looking to pump and they can provide you with the best fit for your irrigation needs.

Efficiency of Various Irrigation Pumps

When shopping for a pump for your irrigation system, keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to transfer water from your water source to your sprinkler system as efficiently as possible. An efficient pump system is one where the pump matches the needs of the water source, the piping system, and the irrigation equipment.

Pros and Cons of Various Irrigation Pumps

Because there are so many different pumps on the market in general, and a fair number of pumps designed specifically for irrigation applications, it can feel overwhelming to try and pick one. The power and capacity of the pump you choose will be based on your system’s exact specifications, but knowing a few pros and cons of the various pump designs can help you decide what kind of pump you want, and give you some direction in your shopping.