How to choose your next pump?

Tsurumi UK’s first piece of advice is to think about the design and engineering factors that define the pump you need. The more accurate and specific you can be, the easier it will be to choose precisely the right pump for the job.

You won’t pay for engineering or features you don’t need, or miss out on those you do and pay the price later.

The perfect pump?

What are some of the most important considerations when choosing your next pump? Tsurumi UK suggest you should think about:

• Pump duty e.g. will it be operating 24/7?
• What sort of medium will it be pumping e.g. abrasive?
• Does the pump need to be transportable? An aluminium pump will be lighter, but a heavier cast iron pump will be more durable for abrasive applications.
• Once installed, will the pump be easily accessible? This will be important if the pump requires frequent servicing or maintenance.
• Is uptime critical? If so, reliability and a performance ‘reserve’ may be crucial.
• Utilisation e.g. will it be operating 24/7?

Once you have defined the requirements of your next pump, you can narrow the choice further by looking at the Total Cost of Ownership.

Price versus cost

The price at the bottom of the invoice is not the same as the cost at the end of the pump’s service life. That’s why, according to Tsurumi UK, you need to think about additional costs over the lifetime of the pump, such as:

• Maintenance
• Repairs
• Upgrades or improvements
• Training

Taking these into consideration should help you to find a pump which meets your requirements not only in your application, but also on your balance sheet.

One factor typically difficult to quantify is quality. However Tsurumi UK have identified a set of quality criteria to help you make the right choice for your next pump purchase.

A definition of quality

Tsurumi UK’s advice is to look for a number of quality indicators. These include:

• Lifetime of pump components
• Patents
• Fulfilment of engineering standards
• Durability
• Service
• Length of guarantee

The durability of the pump’s mechanical seals, for example, largely depends on the hardness of the rotating surfaces and the temperatures they can withstand. Tsurumi pumps are manufactured to SIC/SIC quality, which can withstand temperatures of up to 2000°C. A pump from a manufacturer aiming for ‘cost-efficiency’ rather than durability may use materials capable only of withstanding temperatures up to 200°C.

Repair despair

A less durable pump is likely to require more frequent repairs, often with higher repair costs. These costs can be higher still if spare parts are only available as repair kits, or on long lead times.

Repair ‘kits’, rather than spares sold separately, leave you with the expense of paying for parts you may not need or want. Even if you can order separate parts, if they are on a long lead time then you suffer extended downtime and lost production.

Lastly, it’s worth investigating whether the pump manufacturer offers an optional specification upgrade, to help lengthen the pump’s service life. For example, a standard Tsurumi pump has a nitrile rubber casing and wear plate, but an optional upgrade replaces these with polyurethane equivalents, and a hardened fixing plate.

Clearly, if you want your next pump to be reliable, efficient, and to have a long service life, you need to look beyond the price tag and take numerous other factors into consideration.

Or you could just look for the manufacturer’s nameplate, and check that it says ‘Tsurumi’.

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