Verderflex Dura Hose Pump Replaces Troubled Diaphragm Metering Pump.
Problem
As a case in point, one water treatment plant in Georgia, USA, that uses multiple wells to provide its customers with fresh water, used a diaphragm pump at one of its well sites to directly treat the well output with lime slurry. This site operated on average 12 hours per day and the output was discharged either into the water system or into a storage tank. While the well is running, lime slurry must be pumped into the well output at up to 11.4 L/m (3 gpm) at a pressure of 4 bar (60 psi). The diaphragm pump at this unmanned site used check valves to provide one-way flow from the pump. These valves wear easily and in turn pumping efficiency is reduced.
As a known issue, the pump’s efficiency loss resulted in water treatment facility staff visiting this pump on a daily basis to monitor the pump’s efficiency and adjust the flow/pressure accordingly. Mr. Gibson, the plant supervisor wanted a solution to prevent these daily visits, thereby reducing the manpower needed to produce water from this well.
Solution
A Verderflex Dura was recommended to replace the diaphragm pump. Peristaltic metering pumps like the Verderflex Dura, don’t suffer abrasive wear and consequently do not lose efficiency over time. Mr. Gibson agreed and after a two-month trial period we asked how the new pump was performing. Mr. Gibson replied, “The old pump lost flow and we had to constantly check on it. The new pump is very consistent; we never have to adjust it.”
As a bonus, the existing diaphragm pump’s electric motor and electronic variable speed controller were salvaged and used to drive the Verderflex Dura, resulting in more than a thousand dollars in additional cost savings. Due to the spectacular success of this value driven solution, the plant intends to upgrade all of its diaphragm pumps to Verderflex Dura peristaltic hose pumps in the near future.
