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.
