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 see any solids arenot mentioned in the datasheet , but present actually in the sump


Selection of the suction line size is also important. It needs to be
large enough to support the desired flow, and small enough to keep
priming times to a minimum. It is best to avoid long suction lines,
but if there is no choice, keeping part of it full during priming cycles
will help
 Reversed Impeller Rotation:
 Clogged Suction:
 Excessive Clearances: 
 Vortexing: This is more common with pumps in suction lift
conditions, like a self-priming pump, or a vertical turbine. Make
sure you’re meeting minimum submergence requirements to
prevent vortexing.
 Even a self priming pump has to be primed initially
2. The required lift is too high.
At sea level in a perfect world, you can theoretically lift 65-degree water 34 feet
with a self-primer. I normally caution users to limit their suction lift to a
maximum of 25 feet due to factors such as fluid temperature (think vapor
pressure), specific gravity, friction, system leakage, pump inefficiencies and
elevation above sea level.

3. The pump is too far from the liquid source.


Place the pump as close as possible to the suction source. Usually 25 to 30 feet
is the maximum recommended distance. Prudent system design dictates that the
suction pipe length be held to a minimum to promote long pump life. Every
section of suction piping equates to a volume of air that must be removed when
the pump starts. Best practices say to reduce priming time to a minimum.

Some system designers will add foot valves to mitigate the prime time and
strainers to preclude the introduction of solids into the pump. A foot valve is in
essence a check valve placed at the beginning (bottom) of the suction line. My
experience is that foot valves add undesired friction and will leak or fail closed
(or partially closed) at some point. I typically do not recommend foot valves for
use on commercial and industrial self-primer applications. For similar reasons I
do not recommend suction strainers. If the pump cannot handle solids and a
strainer is utilized, monitor the differential pressure across the strainer. Most
industrial self-priming pumps are of robust design and can handle passing
solids, but check with the manufacturer. Note: A few applications may perform
better with a foot valve.
4. There is a leak in the suction line.
I frequently need to point out to end users that the suction line on a self-primer
pump in operation is at less than atmospheric pressure and so there will not be a
leak of the liquid out of the suction line. There can, however, be a leak of air
into the line. It is possible to have a suction line at 20 inches of Hg (vacuum)
when the pump is operating. As a tip for field problem solving, I frequently use
plastic wrap around the flanges or suspected areas to test for ingress leaks.

Simply as a general guideline, if your pump takes more than four minutes to
prime than you should shut the pump down and look for and correct the cause of
the problem.

5. There is no air vent.


 The air in the suction side of the system being displaced by the liquid has
to have somewhere to go, otherwise the pump will air bind. Centrifugal
pumps are not compressors. Water is approximately 840 times denser than
air. As an example if a pump was rated at a discharge pressure of 210 psig
pumping water, the pump could theoretically compress air to
approximately one quarter of a pound (0.25 psig) (210 psig divided by
840 is equal to 0.25). If the pump discharge valve and/or the
discharge check valve are shut, the generated pressure of 0.25 psig will
not be able to overcome the valves.
 Within the confines of the article I will simply state that the air must be
vented to an area of lower pressure for the pump to properly prime. There
are many acceptable methods to accomplish the process, please contact
your pump manufacturer or the author.

6. Consider the pipe size and and pump geometry.


Most experienced pump users know that as a general rule you should always
design the suction line to be one size larger than the pump suction. Self–priming
pumps are an exception, and the suction piping should be the same size as the
pump suction. The infraction of the rules is encouraged because of the added air
volume that bigger suction lines require. More air means more priming time.

The added friction loss from using the same size pipe is just another reason to
eliminate the foot valve and suction strainer mentioned earlier.

The suction pipe should rise continuously to the pump and not higher. In the
field, I frequently see suction pipes with high points before the pump suction
usually due to obstructions. These high points become a place for the air and
other non-condensable gases to collect and will bind the pump suction line.
Never install piping that is smaller than the pump suction in any pump.

7. Watch the submergence and NPSHA.


I covered net positive suction head available (NPSHA) in last month's article. I
strongly recommend calculating the NPSHA for self-primers, as it is a great
method to identify potential problem areas. For example, if the fluid is 160
degrees F, the vapor pressure of the fluid alone will likely preclude you from
this application. For example, water at 160 F has a vapor pressure that equates
to a negative 11 feet.
The sump you are drawing from will likely have operating levels that are
constantly changing. At some value of minimum submergence it will be
possible for the system to create a vortex and air bind the pump. I covered
submergence in the last article, but simply defined, it is the minimum distance
from the top of the fluid to the center of the suction line that will prevent a
vortex from initiation. Even if you do not completely air bind, the pump
performance can be affected.

8. Avoid freeze damage.


This problem occurs more often in areas that have infrequent freezing weather,
but can happen anywhere the temperature will drop below freezing for an hour
or more. The fluid in the priming chamber of the pump, usually water, will
solidify if the ambient temperature drops below freezing for a sufficient period
of time. When water freezes it expands and the casing will crack. The casing
will require replacement at a high cost. Either drain the fluid out of the pump or
supply a heat source when the ambient temperature is predicted to be below
freezing.

9. Avoid reverse rotation.


Unlike an ANSI pump, the impeller will stay in place on most self-primers for a
period of time (unless it is an ANSI self-primer. Eventually the impeller may
come loose and damage the pump. The backward-running impeller generally
will create about 50 percent of the rated flow and, depending on the impeller
specific speed (NS), will generate about 50 percent of the rated head. Reduced
efficiency of the wrong rotation will likely prevent it from priming or operating
correctly but in the simplest of suction lift cases.

10. Flex pipe normally has a reduced internal diameter (ID).


Non-collapsible flex piping is commonly used on portable units. Normally the
ID of flex pipe and adaptors are smaller than standard pipe. Think of the
dimensions as tubing rather than pipe. Determination of the pipe friction for
the NPSHa calculations will be incorrect if the reduced ID is neglected.
Conclusion
The pump performance must be de-rated for higher elevation changes (less
absolute pressure less NPSHa). If the pump is engine driven in lieu of an electric
motor, the resulting intermittent torque introduces limitations to the shaft design
capabilitie


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