What Is a Submersible Pump?

Posted on Dec 26, 2020

submersible pump

A submersible pump is a type of pump that works as it is submerged under water. In other words, if the area where the submersible pump is installed is dry, the pump doesn’t work.

What is a submersible pump?

A submersible pump is a type of pump that works as it is submerged under water. In other words, if the area where the submersible pump is installed is dry, the pump doesn’t work. Unlike most pumps that directly deliver the target liquids from one place to another, this type is more versatile with the flexible property that others don’t have. This makes submersible pumps be widely adopted for various applications, ranging from domestic, commercial, agricultural, or industrial fields.

In the categorization of submersible pumps, they are divided into sump pumps and ejector pumps. The former works when the float switch detects the rising of liquid level, which allows for operation above the liquid. The latter refers to the more traditional form, which discharges the liquid when being submerged under it. These two choices not only make the versatility of the submersible pumps, but also help them achieve more possibilities on liquids with different viscosity.

:: Read more : What is an Electric Submersible Pump?


How does a submersible pump work?

The primary operating method of a submersible pump can be derived from that of a centrifugal pump. A submersible pump is designed as a long cylindrical shape. A drive shaft, which is secured and aligned with bearings, penetrates along the length of pump body. Several impellers are wrapped around the shaft, and each two have a diffuser in the interval of them. In addition, there are several electrical components that are hermetically sealed inside the pump casing, in order to prevent damage as the pump is under liquid. Furthermore, it is equipped with a non-return valve, which makes sure the liquid being pumped out doesn’t flow back to the pump.

With this configuration, it is the rotating movement of the drive shaft, and the pressure given as the liquid passes through the impellers that allow the pump to work. Both the sump pumps and ejector pumps, which differ in the involvement of a float switch, can be actuated or stopped depending on the liquid level differentiation. If they are noticed that the liquid level is too high, the electrical components would be actuated by the motor, which facilitate the drive shaft to rotate. This process makes the rotating shaft to produce the centrifugal force, and assist for the advancement of the liquid. Once the liquid flows into the pump along with the rotating shaft, it would passes through the impellers, which provide compressive pressure that pushes the liquid out.

As mentioned above, the electrical components are hermetically sealed, so as to prevent the liquid from leaking and damaging them. Moreover, it is the pump casing that directly contacts the target liquids, which can be simply water or others that may contain chemical substances. Therefore, the material use for the construction of pump casing is of significant importance. These submersible pumps are usually made of stainless steel or titanium, which promises corrosion resistance even if chemical substances are contained in the liquids.

:: Read more : What Is the DC Submersible Pump?


When to use a submersible pump?

Submersible pumps are able to accommodate a variety of applications due to the nature of its construction, which cover many different fields. To simplify what this type of pump can do, it is used when:


● The water source comes from a deep well

No matter for domestic, commercial, or industrial fields, water supply is important for daily or processing needs. When it comes to water supply, it should begin from the water sources. These sources may come from a tank that generates water as it rains or a deep well where water is relatively hard to obtain. 

If the water source comes from the latter, the submersible pump is required. With this pump submerged into the well, it ensures constant water supply from the well to the relevant applications.


● Dealing with waste water

It is the achievement on waste water drainage that makes submersible pumps surpasses other types. With the intricate design these pumps have, they are able to deal with liquid with a little higher viscosity. Thus, they are suitable for extracting the unwanted substances from water, which makes them commonly seen in the drainage systems.


● A ration of regular irrigation is required

This type of pump is also suitable for agricultural irrigation. When manual irrigation cannot meet the growing speed of plants, they need more efficient method for regular and fixed amount of irrigation. With a submersible pump, the agricultural field can get water directly from the ground on a regular basis. In this way, the growing of plants on the field can be under management.


● Pumping oil from the ground

In the petrochemical industry, the source of oil is obtained from the ground. Since the submersible pumps can adapt to liquid with chemical substances without corrosion or damage, they are also applied for oil pumping.


What are the features of a submersible pump?


● Free from overheating

As the motor in no matter what type of pump is actuated by the electrical components, it generates heat when the pump is operated. The submersible pump is no exception, while it is better at tolerating the effects brought by the heat. Since this pump cannot run dry, it works only when there is sufficient water or other liquids, which makes it free from overheating.


● Operates quietly

Pumps make noise as the motor equipped in the mechanism is driven. However, this doesn’t happen on the submersible pumps. When applying this type of pump, you can make sure that it operates quietly, because the noise spreads through the flow of water or other liquids. In other words, you don’t even notice when the pump is running.


● Durable

As far as we know, the electrical components in the pump is secured and protected by the hermetic seal. Besides, the corrosion resistant pump casing made of stainless steel or titanium ensures the rigidity and durability of the pump. Shortly speaking, because overheating and corrosion are prevented from occurring when the submersible pumps are in use, the lifespan of these pumps are relatively longer than other standard types, which explains the reason why they are popular with a variety of fields.

:: Read more : How to Choose the Best Submersible Pump?

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