Liquid management is never easy even though it’s a necessary part of many industrial plants. It’s not easy to hold a hefty amount of liquid in barrels and drums. Anything above 50 pounds is considered hefty.
The containers typically have enough space and are strong enough to be able to safely store huge amounts of liquids. However, extraction becomes almost impossible when you consider that the weight of a 55 gallon drum can exceed 450 pounds. At times, it’s not easy to remove liquid from the drum by just tipping it. In such situations, the right way to extract liquid is to use a double diaphragm pump.
What’s a Drum Pump?
It is a pump that is installed on the upper opening up a barrel or drum and is used for drawing out the liquid inside. Use of a drum pump allows easy extraction of liquid without the need to tip or pivot it. There are 2 main types of drum pumps and there are also several sub-types based on different materials, models and lengths.
How does it Work?
It is installed into the top opening of a barrel or a drum with the help of a narrow tube. This tube has a vertical shaft. There is a small motor attached to this shaft. This motor either uses AC or DC power. This motor can be turned on with the help of a switch. Once it’s turned on, the motor starts working and pumping liquid from the bottom of the barrel. The base of this tube uses either a rotor or a small centrifugal pump impeller.
There are models of drum pumps that can be operated manually using a crank. Manual turning could also be done through piston pumps. Most drum pumps are not attached to a drum and can be used on different barrels but some are permanently attached to a barrel.
Use of Drum Pumps in Various Industries
Drum pumps are used in a wide variety of industries as many types of liquids need to be handled, processed, transported and transferred in these industries. It is not limited to just water-based industries. There are many chemicals, liquids and chemicals which are denser and heavier than water and industries that require such liquids use this tool even more.
Take the case of pharmaceutical industry which has a domestic value of over $770 billion and they use drum pumps. Some of the other industries that widely use drum pumps include processing plants, cleaning jobs, automotive shops, food processing plants, manufacturing plants and chemical plants, among others.
Drum Pumps – Various Types
There are two main types of drum pumps: electric operated and hand-operated. As the name implies, the major difference between these 2 types is their use and makeup.
Hand-Operated Drum Pumps
As the name implies, these pumps are operated by hand and there is no motor. These are the ideal tool for applications in remote locations where power availability isn’t confirmed.
Tips for Choosing Your Drum Pump
In order to choose the ideal motor type, major pump type, accessories and pump series, you need to focus on the end-use of the pump.
Make sure the motor, size, viscosity, fluid, chemical type, head and flow of the drum pump is compatible with your application.
The material from which the outer tube is made should not chemically react with the fluid contained in the barrel.
In case you’re planning to pump flammable or combustible liquids, make sure to choose an explosion-proof or air dry motor.
Do not forget to buy the necessary accessories. Some of the common drum pump accessories include flow meters, drum adaptors, and static protection kits.