From the experts: top 5 pump suction line recommendations

January 20, 2020

When considering the best practices surrounding your pump suction line, here are our top five handy tips, from our resident expert, on how to get the most out of your pump suction line;

1. Keep static suction lift to a minimum

When doing a suction lift it is important to keep the distance from the water level to the pump suction to a minimum. Simply ignoring the dangers of an excessively high static suction lift will lead to a reduction in flow rate and pump damage and failure due to cavitation.

2. Keep the suction hose length as short as possible

We also recommend keeping the hose length to the bare minimum. It’s important that the suction hose should be non-collapsible as the suction side of the pump is under vacuum.

3. The suction line should continually rise from the sump to suction inlet

In order to avoid air pockets, suction piping should be installed with a gradual rise to the pump. The piping should be positioned so that it slopes upward to the pump, without dips so the possibility of air pockets is eliminated. The highest point in the suction piping should be the pump inlet, unless pump is positively fed.

4. Ensure strainer holes match the solid capability of the pump

Ignoring the hole sizes in a strainer or not using a strainer means oversized particles can become blocked in the Impeller of the pump causing an imbalance and a reduction in pump performance. As a rule of thumb, the strainer should be 3 x suction diameters below the water level to reduce the risk of vortices and 2 x suction diameters above the sump bottom to reduce the risk of solids being drawn into the pump.

5. When using a larger suction hose, ensure an eccentric reducer is fitted to the suction of the pump

This will ensure you avoid air or vapour entrapment at the high point where the fluid enters the pump. Failure to do this reduces the suction size, and restricts the inlet passage, which will affect pump performance, increasing noise, vibration and component wear and tear.

Sykes Group’s Product Specialist, Chris O’Brien, comments;

“We take immense care to understand the requirements of an effective and efficient suction line. We utilise only the best practices and are constantly upskilling our people and customers to ensure we get the best performance and life from our products and by keeping abreast of industry advancements. Avoiding things like excessive suction lift, long suction lines and air entrainment ensures you have an efficient suction set up and achieve the best pump performance”