Sump Pumps For Varied Applications

By Marcos Esteban

Sump pumps are typically used to remove excess water from a particular area. These pumps do not prevent water or fluid from accumulating but assist in pulling out that water. These pumps sit in a basin or sump and hence it derives its name. Most of us are familiar with it since it is used in almost all houses, which have basements. Houses with basements have a common problem of water logging due to rains or drains flowing back. Sump pumps remove this water and send it to either a sloped backyard or a municipal storm drain.

Although sump pumps are commonly used for domestic households, they have a lot of industrial applications too. There are various kinds of sump pumps that are used for different applications.

1. Bilge and Ballast pump: Bilge is the lowest compartment on a ship, which is below the water line. Bilge water is found in almost all vessels aboard. Sump pumps are used to remove water from bilges.

2. Sewage pumps: These pumps take the effluent and waste to septic or sewage tanks. Some modified pumps also have grinders, which grind the sewage to fine slurry for ease of pumping and disposal.

3. Cantilever sump pumps: These pumps are designed to work with corrosive materials and can also work at higher pressures and temperatures of fluid. They are used for chemical wastes, plating wastes; electrolytes or nickel-plating baths and other difficult sump pump services.

4. Submersible sump pumps: These pumps function when submerged in water or fluid. It houses a watertight motor designed to work only when completely sunk in the fluid.

5. Centrifugal sump pumps: These pumps are used for fluids, which have strong corrosion, high concentration, and which contain suspended solid particles. They are mostly used in power plant industry or metallurgy and mining industry.

6. Water powered sump pumps: These pumps are generally much less powerful than all the above-mentioned pumps. They run on city water pressure instead of electrical power. If the water pressure is low, these kinds of pump do not function properly.

When selecting a sump pump, the most important aspect to consider is the size of the pump and the basin in which it will be housed. Sump pump protects the house from a potential disaster of flooding. Hence, a routine inspection, maintenance and repairs should be scheduled to avoid critical situations.