PhilT
VFD and Pump Expert
Cavitation happens when the water supply can not keep up with demand. A pump can only boost water pressure, not produce water. If you turn on several showers at once, you could starve the water supply to the pump causing this problem.
Some pumps will shut down when this occurs or worse, ignore it, the best ones will modulate the speed to just below it occurring.
A cavitating pump sounds like a pop corn maker and the sound you are hearing is little micro explosions as the water gets vaporized on the suction side (inlet) of the pump. This vapor is carried over to the discharge side (outlet) of the pump, where it no longer sees vacuum and is compressed back into a liquid by the discharge pressure. These explosions will "pit" the pumps impeller and eventually destroy it.
So next time your pump sounds like marbles are flowing through it, you know why.
Research the pumps you use & how they prevent pump cavitation, it will save you lots of maintenance in the long run.
Happy pumping!
Phil
Some pumps will shut down when this occurs or worse, ignore it, the best ones will modulate the speed to just below it occurring.
A cavitating pump sounds like a pop corn maker and the sound you are hearing is little micro explosions as the water gets vaporized on the suction side (inlet) of the pump. This vapor is carried over to the discharge side (outlet) of the pump, where it no longer sees vacuum and is compressed back into a liquid by the discharge pressure. These explosions will "pit" the pumps impeller and eventually destroy it.
So next time your pump sounds like marbles are flowing through it, you know why.
Research the pumps you use & how they prevent pump cavitation, it will save you lots of maintenance in the long run.
Happy pumping!
Phil
