PLUMBING
It’s Not All About the Pump Other Factors Play a Role in
Sizing a Sump System BY DERON OBERKORN
26
Bernoulli’s (Hydrodynamica in 1738) which define the effects of balanced energy on fluid systems. This equation employs kinetic, pressure and potential energies to move a matrix of solids and water through a specified conduit of specific properties. What does that mean? To further explain, movement is maintained at a minimum velocity of 2 feet (61 cm) per second to maintain solids and particulate suspended in the flow and to prevent the build up of any scaling on the walls of the piping conduit. Contrary to popular belief,
T
pumps do not create pressure; pumps create flow. When this flow is restricted, either within the confines of a pump or the boundaries created with pipe, pressure is the result. As the areas that maintain the flow are changed
he fluid mechanics of sump pump operation is based upon the principles of Daniel
(through orifice sizes, clearances between parts, diameters, pipe lengths, pipe diameters, etc.), the pressure and flow rate reflects those changes. A common practice after a severe
rain event is to increase the size of the sump pump. Say the
that their existing pump could not keep up with the incoming flow and a small flooding event was experienced within the home. This was not due to a power outage, just a deluge of water in a short amount of time. The first response from the homeowner is, “How much will it
Contrary to popular belief, pumps do not
create pressure; pumps create flow. When this flow is restricted, either within the confines of a pump or the boundaries created with pipe, pressure is the result.
homeowner has a ⅓ HP, 115V, submersible sump pump in an adequately sized (18" 5 22") sump basin and their community is hit by a 25-year storm. The homeowner calls and explains to the contractor
cost to install the next largest size pump?” As you set up the visit to see what is installed and assess the proper application of their request, inspection of the piping configurations should be considered as well. When attempting to move more water,
“bigger pump means bigger pipe.” As the information in the first paragraph defined, flow and pressure are all relative to the conduit of piping used to carry the water from point A to point B. The system described
above has a ⅓ HP submersible pump with 1½" discharge. Water is lifted from the bottom of the sump to the floor joist of the first floor, 10 feet total in height. Then, the system runs 60 feet of 1½" PVC Sch40 pipe through three 90 degree elbows before exiting the foundation wall and
e Continued on p 28
phc july 2011
www.phcnews.com
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