Peak Performance: Why High Head Matters in Sewage Pump Selection

Pumping untreated sewage presents a formidable challenge to sewage pumps, while operating within such an environment poses significant hazards for the involved operators. The process of choosing the optimal sewage pump mandates meticulous deliberation and analysis.

In the realm of Sewage pumps, an array of extraneous objects including cans, bottles, rags, saturated wipes, hair, and other entwining elements poses a formidable quandary. Within this operational context, numerous hazards loom for operators. These encompass laboring at elevated altitudes, performing tasks above water surfaces, handling substantial pendulous loads, and orchestrating intricate crane maneuvers, among a plethora of others.

When in the process of choosing an optimal sewage pump, there exist crucial considerations that demand your attention. These factors encompass vital aspects like the required gallons per minute, the total dynamic head, and the essential voltage specifications of the pump’s motor tailored to your specific application.

Within the confines of this article, we shall delve into the significance that high-head sewage pumps bring to the forefront.

High Head Sewage Pumps

There are several reasons a high head sewage pumps might be needed. Hilly terrains, long rising mains, small diameter rising mains, or an application could have a combination of these conditions.

Some of these “restrictions” may lead designers to consider using positive displacement pumps, adding a sewage pump station enroute to the treatment plant, or combining a submersible pump with a “pressure” sewage pump to deliver the required head. All of these options come with compromise. Positive displacement pumps are often not ideal for solids handling and running dry can be problematic, while putting pumps is series can add to capital costs to house the additional stages.

With these applications in mind, Gorman-Rupp developed the first 2-stage sewage pump they call the VS series, the high head version of their “Ultra V Series”. These pumps have a “regular” self-priming pump as their first stage, which pumps through a transition piece to the second stage, which is known as the “ultra-mate”. The result is so that sewage pumps can deliver heads to 95 metres and beyond.

The Ultra V and VS Series pumps deliver more than just pressure. They are packed with features that make them the easiest sewage pump to service and maintain:

  • The self-priming “stage” can provide static suction lifts to 7.6 metres.
  • Operators can adjust internal clearances of the sewage pump in minutes, without opening the pump and without disconnection the pump from the pipe system, allowing peak efficiencies to be maintained for the life of the pump.
  • Seal and bearing oil levels and clarity can be inspected in seconds.
  • Internal check valves can be inspected and/or replaced without having to drain pump casings and without having to disconnect the suction line.
  • Major overhauls are even easy, because the complete rotating assembly can be removed as a cartridge by removing just four bolts.
  • A lightweight inspection cover-plate on the sewage pumps allow operators to inspect pump internals or remove debris in minutes.
  • The cover-plate and rotating assemblies are designed with “pusher-bolts” to enable operators to easily remove these components for inspection and/or service.

Solids Handling

The Ultra VS Series pumps can handle a 76mm spherical solid, but can also be fitted with Gorman-Rupp’s “Eradicator Solids Management System”, which enables the pumps to handle stringy materials such as rags, matted hair, gloves and wet wipes.

The eradicator system “attacks” stringy materials holistically:

  • An aggressive self-cleaning wear plate incorporating a number of notches and grooves to help stop stringy solids from wrapping around the impeller, and to help break some of them up.
  • A lacerating tooth on the wear plate protrudes into the eye of the impeller to continually scrape solids from impeller vanes before they can accumulate.
  • A re-designed obstruction-free cover-plate won’t let stringy material gather.

Even Higher Heads

Because of the high-pressure rating of the “Ultra-Mate” [2nd stage of the VS pump], these can be used as 3rd or even 4th stages to reach heads as high as 160 metres. This feature gives designers the potential of cutting out the need for “half-way” pump stations, potentially delivering large capital cost savings.

Flow Rates

The “Ultra V Series” is available in three sizes. A 100 x 80, a 150 x 100 and a 200 x 150. The largest of these capable of delivering flows to 100 litres per second, and offers a hydraulic efficiency of 70%.

Ultra V self priming centrifugal wastewater and sewage pump
Gorman-Rupp Ultra V with eradicator - high presure solids handling pump
Gorman-Rupp Eradicator kit with superior solids handling

Ready to build the perfect sewage pump system for your project? We’re standing by to help.

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Videos:

Watch videos here showing the simple concept of above ground Gorman-Rupp pumps:

GORMAN-RUPP ULTRA V ERADICATOR

ERIC VS. CHICKEN

GORMAN-RUPP PUMP VS. COMPETITOR PUMP

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Our expert team is standing by for any questions you have about how best to configure your sewage pump system.

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Gorman-Rupp Ultra V

Download the Brochure | Ask Our Team

The Ultra V Series is Gorman-Rupp’s higher pressure self-priming dewatering pump. These engine driven pumps are direct coupled to diesel engines through flexible flywheel couplings to ensure perfect alignment between pump and engine. These are mounted onto our “engitank” platform. This platform includes an extra heavy duty fuel tank base with a 450 litre capacity, lifting points on 4 corners, fork lift pockets, and a central lifting frame. A sheet-metal roof is provided to help protect the engine from the elements.

Advantages include:

  • Higher pressures
  • Simple priming system. Just fill casing with water
  • No complicated “add-on” priming systems
  • Pump solid particles up to 76mm dia
  • Pump stringy materials [rags, bags and wipes] with Eradicator technology
  • Greatly reduced OH&S issues
  • Easy access for monitoring or service
  • Advanced safety features to protect operators
  • Improved maintenance features to greatly reduce maintenance time and costs, with externally adjustable clearances.
  • A variety of materials of construction to handle abrasive and/or corrosive fluids
  • Any engine brand required by the customer.
  • Choice of skid or trailer mounted configuration

Download the Brochure | Ask Our Team

The Gorman-Rupp Ultra V Series is the most advanced self-priming centrifugal wastewater and sewage pump range on the market today.

They are high performance, high head, and high-efficiency pumps, designed to deliver a long and low maintenance service life, with a low cost of ownership.

Advantages include:

  • Ability to mount high and dry above the wet well [not in it]
  • Efficiencies up to 20% higher than any other solids handling self primer
  • Higher pressures (heads) (up to 300%) than any other solids handling self primer
  • Greatly improved operator safety
  • Easy access for monitoring or service
  • Improved maintenance features to greatly reduce maintenance time and costs, with removable rotating assembly
  • A variety of materials of construction to handle abrasive and/or corrosive fluids

Download the Brochure | Ask Our Team

The Gorman-Rupp Ultra V Series solids handling sewage and wastewater pumps with Eradicator™ Solids Management System are a series of self-priming centrifugal pumps designed specifically for handling municipal and industrial wastewater containing stringy, difficult to pump, solids in suspension (such as “wet wipes” , rags and feathers).

They have been designed for economical, trouble-free operation, with design features that deliver superior solids handling capability and a large inspection cover to access pump internals for service or blockage removal. Gorman-Rupp Ultra V Series wastewater and sewage pumps have been used for pumping of WAS and RAS and for digester recirculation with great success in wastewater treatment plants around the country, as well as food process plants, paper mills and other heavy industries. The Eradicator™ system advances the solids handling capabilities of this range.

Advantages include:

  • Ability to mount high and dry above the wet well [not in it]
  • Low cost of ownership
  • Greatly reduced OH&S issues
  • Easy access for monitoring or service
  • Advanced safety features to protect operators
  • Improved maintenance features to greatly reduce maintenance time and costs, with removable rotating assembly
  • A variety of materials of construction to handle abrasive and/or corrosive fluids

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Hydro’s experts are standing by to help you get the best pump, aerators and genuine spare parts for your specific project.

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Hydro Innovations is proud to distribute a broad range of quality, reliable and industry-leading industrial pumps and aerators.

We are also delighted to share that Hydro Innovations is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Gorman-Rupp Pumps.

Gorman-Rupp is the world leader in self-priming centrifugal wastewater pump technology, and invests heavily in R&D, and in training for their international representatives – like Hydro Innovations.

This puts us in an excellent position to make the very best recommendations for our Australian customers.

Our other suppliers, Ragazzini of Italy and EDUR of Germany, are also world leaders in their respective technologies (Peristaltic Pumps – Ragazzini, and Specialist centrifugal pumps – EDUR).

We carry a very large inventory of pumps and spare parts for all of these brands, to help us to deliver industry-leading service.

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