Dirty water
Water can be contaminated in a number of ways. As
mentioned earlier, large particles can plug intake strainers.
Small particles such as silt and sand are very difficult and
costly to filter out, and are very abrasive. These small
particles can significantly shorten the life of the pump and
valves. The water can also have chemical contaminants or
pH problems that can be damaging to pump materials and
seals. The pump designer needs to understand the water
quality very well before specifying the pump materials.
Poor system design
Some pumping systems are plagued with problems from
the day they are commissioned because of poor design. The
market is full of various pump designs and configurations
that all have a very specific purpose. One pump can work
perfectly in one application, yet fail miserably in another
application. The controls and instrumentation are equally
as important in the success of any pumping system. Every
component needs to work in harmony with every other
component to provide a smooth pipeline fill without
water hammer, and then to maintain a constant pressure
under changing flow conditions as pivots turn on and off.
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 19
