Dewatering pumps. There’s a pump in our hire range for every job to suit your needs across mining, construction and engineering. But what should you think about when hiring a pump unit? We’ve put together this checklist to help.
1. Water density
Knowing what water density will be moving through the pump unit and piping infrastructure is critical to the effectiveness of your pump. We have pump units available for short- or long-term hire that can be used for all types of water density. Details are important, for example, viscosity of fluid, solid particle sizes and average temperatures. The more information you can provide, the better we can match your needs.
2. Chemical concentrations
In addition to information about viscosity and particle sizes, it’s important to know what chemical concentrations are being pumped. Different chemical concentrations require specialized heavy duty pumps that are durable and corrosion resistant. Having these details to hand when hiring pump equipment will avoid having a pump fail prematurely and delaying your project because the wrong specifications were used.
3. Average flow rate
All pumps are specified to a flow rate measured in liters per second (liters/sec). Knowing your average flow rate will determine the size and type of pump you need to complete your job. High flow rates require pumps with a large diameter to allow enough fluids to pass through quickly. Different tasks require different flow rates, but we can help you work out flow rate based on if you are decanting, dosing, or transferring liquids to one area to another.
4. Operating pressure
Specific considerations will impact whether your pump set up will achieves the required operating pressure. For example, whether you are pumping a short run, long distance, horizontal or vertical sections, the type of pipe being used (size and material), distance to discharge point and flowrate required. Working out the total dynamic head of your system (the pressure required at the pump) will help determine which type of pump you need.
5. Suction level
Selecting the right size suction pipe is another important consideration. Being oversized can blow out your energy costs, while being undersized can lead to inefficient flow rates and damage to your system. While power is important, being able to calculate the resistance caused by friction is critical. Try our online Friction loss calculator to help with these calculations.
6. Power source
Finally, think about the type of power source do you need. We have a range of diesel-powered pumps available for hire from high-quality and well-known brands, including Pioneer, Truflo, BBA, AllightSykes and Godwin.
Ask our team about our all-inclusive pump hire and maintenance deals. We can help you work through all the questions on this checklist and recommend a pump solution to meet your needs. We also sell and install pumps, build piping infrastructure and maintain everything throughout your entire project.