How-to: Select a Water Booster Set
Boosting pumps can be applied in a variety of settings:
- Cooling water systems
- Municipal water supply and boosting
- Domestic water supply
- Irrigation
- General industrial services
- Washing plants
- Boiler feed and condensate system
- Water Treatment
So how do you choose the right water booster set for the job? Start by considering the parameters of the job, such as the volume of water that needs to be pumped and the distance it must travel.
TOTAL HEAD & DUTY POINT
The total head is a combination of water boosting elements such as pressure loss from fluid friction in the system; vertical/static lift across the pipe network (height difference between the water source and the pump's inlet/height difference between the water level in the source and the pump's inlet) ; and pressure requirements at discharge points such as water features.
Combine these factors with the amount of water the application needs to find the site-specific duty point. This is the flow-rate and pressure required for effective water boosting and will inform your booster set and configuration options.
NUMBER OF PUMPS
T-T's Hidro Boost clean water booster set comes with single, twin, triple, quadruple and larger bespoke pump options to suit sites and applications of all sizes. More pumps = increased flow rate.
Additional pumps can also provide greater flexibility in your water boosting, as pumps can be turned on or off to suit the site's changing demands or be used as a failsafe should another pump fail.
FIXED OR VARIABLE SPEED
Some sets, such as the Hidro Boost come with the option for fixed or variable speed operations. Fixed speed pumps provide a constant flow-rate based on the maximum flow rate and pressure required by the system. They manage your desired flow rate by turning pumps on and off as and when it is needed.
Variable speed control drives such as the Vasco can improve energy and cost efficiency by by adjusting the flow rate in response to fluctuating site demands rather than completely switching off/starting up pumps, also providing a more stable flow.
CONTROL SYSTEMS
Your booster pumps will be controlled by a system that will monitor current pressure and switch pumps on/off or control the variable speed drive accordingly. Simpler options may be a physical switch to activate the pump motors.
An efficient control system will have built-in protection features added to the standard motor overload protection, such as dry running protection preventing pump damage if there is a lack of incoming water. Under pressure protection can shut the system down if there is a delivery main burst or unplanned discharge beyond the expected flow.
Consider your application, the risk of breakdown and the consequences of system downtime.
POWER SUPPLY/LOCATION
Balancing the location of the water booster set while ensuring it receives sufficient power supplies is important. One installation location may help to optimise your water boosting but escalate power costs due to distance from the power supply and the need for larger cabling to avoid voltage drop which could undermine boosting operations.
MATERIALS
The materials used in the manufacturing of a booster set are important, can it withstand high-pressure flow or chemical corrosion? Will it need cleaning regularly?
These factors can affect the amount of maintenance needed for repairs/cleaning, ultimately affecting the time and money you will need to put into the booster set.
T-T Pumps Hidro Boost is constructed of stainless steel as well as WRAS-compliant components - meaning it will have a long operating life, with little need for maintenance as well as being suitable for potable (drinking) water applications.
T-T's experts are on hand to provide you with advice and support on choosing the best water booster set. Contact a member of the team today to optimise your water-boosting operations by calling +44 (0)1630 647200, emailing pumpsales@ttpumps.com or completing our online enquiry from.
