Understanding Different Types of Centrifugal Pumps

Centrifugal pumps have various uses, from supplying water to residential properties to manufacturing different foods and beverages in industrial applications.

Centrifugal pumps have various uses, from supplying water to residential properties to manufacturing different foods and beverages in industrial applications. As a result, these pumps come in several types, each meeting specific residential or commercial requirements.

This guide helps readers understand how today's centrifugal pumps operate.

Single-stage centrifugal pumps

Single-stage pumps house one impeller within their casing. This setup makes maintenance easy but limits the pump to low-pressure operation with a continuous and significant flow rate. Depending on their applications, installers can configure these pumps as close-coupled, long-coupled, or vertical.

Multi-stage centrifugal pumps

Multi-stage pumps contain multiple impellers rotating within their ring sections. Each impeller adds pressure to the receiving flow, allowing these pumps to produce increasingly high pressure. As a result, these pumps work best with clean fluids.

Self-priming centrifugal pumps

Self-priming means lifting water from the tank below the pump inlet without additional devices. These pumps can draw liquid from water tanks or bodies of water below the inlet. After the priming portion, the pump begins to function as a regular centrifugal pump.

These pumps operate less efficiently than multi-stage pumps but can handle solids without issues.

Side channel centrifugal pumps

Side channel pumps share characteristics of multi-stage and self-priming pumps, making them a hybrid pump type. Like multi-stage pumps, they feature multiple impellers. However, they can also self-prime, which is rare in centrifugal pumps. In addition, side channel pumps can only handle clean or gas-entrained fluids without solid or abrasive particles.

Magnetic drive centrifugal pumps

Magnetic drive pumps feature a different pump head design than conventional centrifugal pumps. Unlike traditional pumps, magnetic pumps don't feature an exit for the pump shaft. Instead, the pump head is completely sealed, containing all the fluids.

Thanks to this design, magnetic drive pumps come in handy for liquids that pose a significant hazard if leakage occurs. These liquids include acids, pollutants, and other aggressive or dangerous liquids.

Split-casing centrifugal pumps

Split-casing pumps, also known as double-suction pumps, feature an impeller designed to produce high-volume flows. These pumps are commonly used in industrial and commercial applications requiring the pump to work longer than usual.

Submersible centrifugal pumps

As the name suggests, these pumps can be submerged in fluids. Therefore, one can use them in large bodies of water for groundwater extraction and sewage transfer. In addition, submersible centrifugal pumps are usually narrow in design, allowing them to fit boreholes drilled for extracting water from the ground.

Immersed centrifugal pumps

Immersed pumps have a more robust design than their submersible counterparts. Their pump head is submerged in the fluid used to cool the pump's motor, with the motor protruding from it. Thanks to this design, immersed pumps require less maintenance. As a result, they are suitable for pumping and circulating abrasive and aggressive liquids.

Taking proper care of centrifugal pumps

Regardless of the pump's type, a professional should install, repair, and maintain centrifugal pumps to ensure optimum performance and longevity.

Pump Repair Services provides residential and commercial pump repair services for water well pumps, water feature pumps, transfer pumps, industrial irrigation pumps, and more, as well as custom water filtration services in the Apopka area. (Sorry, no pool pumps or sewer pumps.) We offer 24-hour emergency service. Call us at (407)625-5499.