The Crucial Role of an Impeller in a Trash Pump

There are a hundred different types of pumps available in the market these days. From diaphragm pumps to positive displacement pumps, you name the application and you will find a pump suitable for it! The most commonly used pump type however is the centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps come with an impeller. This impeller when spins, transfers energy to the fluid with the help of centrifugal force. It directs the water to the discharge point.

A type of centrifugal pump that can pump solids is known as a trash pump. It can pump materials like those in a typical sewage pipeline. What differentiates a trash pump from a normal centrifugal pump is the impeller and the pump casing. The impeller has a solid-handling capacity and is sized accordingly to let spherical solids pass through it.

Importance of Impeller in a Pump

Impellers have blades that help in adding velocity to the fluid. When the impeller moves, the length of the blades which are also known as vanes control the pressure produced by the pump, while the width of the blades control the volume.

Impeller Design

While selecting a trash pump, you must know the maximum depth of the fluid and then consider the installation method. Trash pumps are normally available in two installation methods:

submersible
above-the-ground

Generally, above-the-ground trash pumps are driven by an engine or with electricity and submersible pumps are hydraulically or electrically driven. Any of the installation methods will have its own advantages and limitations.

Other Uses

Trash pumps were originally designed to pump solids. The impeller design is such that the cavity of the blades is large. Hence, when compared to other centrifugal pumps, trash pumps can take higher capacities of fluids. Therefore, if your application requires a high volume of fluid to be pumped, you must consider buying a trash pump. With the introduction of impellers of large diameters, liquids can be pumped at a longer range on high pressure. This makes the trash pumps more versatile. From an owner’s perspective, having one pump that can work on multiple application projects reduces the overall cost and need to service and replace different units if any problems arise.