Water station device. The principle of operation of the pumping station. Purpose and principle of operation

Such a responsible procedure as connecting a pumping station can be performed according to various schemes, which allows you to pump out a liquid medium from different sources of water supply. The choice of a specific connection scheme is determined by such factors as the source of water supply used; number of water intake points; the number and type of household appliances that require water to function; the number of people living in the house; the presence of a garden plot (and, therefore, plants that need watering). After analyzing all of the above factors, you can choose a specific model and proceed to connect the pumping station according to a certain scheme.

What is and what does a pumping station consist of

A pumping station is a complex of equipment and technical means designed for supplying, as well as for further transportation of a liquid medium through a pipeline. A well (or well) usually acts as a source of water supply to which such an installation is connected. Installing a pumping station in a country house or in a private house allows you to provide yourself with the required amount of water for both daily needs and for watering the garden.

In today's market, you can find many pumping stations of various types and models. That is why it is important to know how to choose a device for solving certain problems, as well as how to install a pumping station in accordance with the chosen scheme, so that such equipment works with maximum efficiency.

Pumping stations, when compared with a single water pump, ensure the operation of the equipment in a more gentle mode, which significantly extends its service life. To understand how such installations work, you must first understand what structural elements they consist of.

So, the main structural units of pumping stations used both for equipping industrial enterprises and for solving household problems are:

• a pump whose task is to pump out water (in most cases, pumping stations are equipped with surface-type pumps);
• a hydraulic accumulator, which is a container, the inside of which is equipped with a membrane that separates the liquid medium pumped by the pump from the air;
• a control unit that ensures the operation of the pumping station in automatic mode, turning the pump on and off when the pressure level in the accumulator reaches a certain value;
• control devices, the main of which is a pressure gauge that allows you to determine the pressure level in the system of a water pumping station (WPS).

How to choose the right pumping unit

The question of how to connect a pumping station to a well or well is secondary. The first step is to choose the right equipment. In doing so, a number of factors must be taken into account.

Purpose

According to their purpose, pumping stations are divided into two main types: domestic and industrial. The latter, as their name implies, are equipped with manufacturing enterprises. The technical characteristics of these units allow them to be used for pumping large volumes of liquid medium. Connection, adjustment and, moreover, installation of industrial-type pumping stations are carried out by qualified specialists.

Domestic class pumping stations are easy to install and easy to use

Do-it-yourself installation of a pumping station can be done if this equipment is designed to solve household problems (providing a summer house or a country house with the required amount of water used for domestic needs, watering green spaces, organizing heating and operating washing and dishwashers, boilers, showers booths, instantaneous water heaters, etc.).

Source type

A pumping station for a private house can be connected to various sources of water supply. Each of them determines the scheme according to which the pumping station should be installed.

Working mode

The scheme for connecting a pumping station to a well, well or water supply may imply manual or automatic mode. According to the required degree of mobility in the modern market, you can choose a stationary or mobile model.

When choosing a pumping station according to the mode of operation and other parameters, one must also take into account how much water it must pump per unit of time. So, it is generally accepted that one person living in a private house needs 250 liters of water daily. When choosing a pumping station to equip the cottage, this figure can be slightly reduced.

Installation location

The installation of a pumping station in a private house can be carried out in the basement of the building itself, in a separate building or in a caisson. The best of all the above options is to install the station in the basement of the building it serves, where certain conditions are created for it.

So, in particular, it is necessary that the water pumping station, when installed in the basement of the house, be located at a level that will not allow it to suffer when groundwater rises. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the pumping station, which is installed in the basement, does not touch the walls with its body, which can lead to their vibration. It should also be borne in mind that the room in which the pumping station is installed must be heated. This will protect the equipment from freezing in it in water during operation in the cold season.

If you decide to use a caisson, then it must also be insulated, and the station itself must be located below ground level at a depth at which the soil no longer freezes. Thus, the depth at which the caisson is mounted must be at least 2 meters.

In the event that the depth of the underground water source, for which the pumping station is used, does not exceed ten meters, you can opt for single-pipe models. If this parameter is in the range of 10–20 meters, it is necessary to choose two-pipe pumping stations for a well or well equipped with an ejector device. Before equipping an underground water source with such equipment, it is necessary to develop a scheme according to which the pumping station will be installed in a well or well.

If a separate room located on the territory of a personal plot is used for the installation of a pumping station, then the problem with the noise emitted by such equipment is solved, but access to it for maintenance and repair is difficult. This option also assumes that the room in which the pumping station will be installed is insulated. Care must also be taken to ensure that the pipes through which water from such equipment is supplied to the water supply system of the house are reliably protected from freezing.

How installation is carried out according to various schemes

Connecting the pumping station to the water supply in the house, as mentioned above, can be carried out according to various schemes. In order for you to choose the best of them, you should consider each in more detail.

Two-pipe connection

The connection of a pumping station to a well or a well in a two-pipe scheme is performed according to the following algorithm.

1. The ejector is pre-assembled (for this you will need a cast tee made of cast iron with outlets for connections and a fitting).
2. A mechanical filter is mounted on the lower branch pipe of the ejector.
3. A plastic socket is installed on the upper nozzle of the ejector, to which a fitting of the required length with a diameter of 1 1/4 inches is connected. To connect this ejector nozzle to a pipeline of a certain diameter, it may be necessary to use several spurs.
4. To connect the last run to the pipeline, a coupling made of bronze is used.
5. When placing the ejector in a borehole, it must be taken into account that the inlet pipe must be located at a distance of at least 1 meter from the bottom of the underground source, which will protect the device from large stones and sand entering its interior.
6. The length of the plastic pipe to which the ejector is connected before descending into the mine is calculated as follows: one meter is subtracted from the distance from the bottom of the source to the mouth of the well.
7. A pipe elbow bent at an angle of 90° is installed on the upper end of the casing pipe. With a casing pipe, such a home-made head is connected using plumbing tape.
8. The upper end of the pipe, which is connected to the ejector, is inserted into the socket of the homemade head and the space between the pipe walls is sealed with mounting foam. The second socket of such a head, using corner adapters, is connected to the outer part of the water supply.
9. After carrying out the above procedures, it is necessary to connect a downhole pump with a hydraulic accumulator to the system, configure it to work with an ejector, and perform the first start-up of the pumping station.

You can get acquainted in more detail with how the above-described piping scheme for a pumping station looks like and how it is practically implemented using a video that is easy to find on the Internet.

When connecting a pumping station to a well with your own hands using a two-pipe scheme, you should avoid the typical mistakes listed below.

• When installing the pipeline leading from the pumping station to the house, the required pipe length margin was not taken into account.
• The threaded connections are not very reliable and poorly sealed, which can cause leakage of water supplied to the pipeline.
• Appropriate attention was not paid to the hydraulic tank, which should provide pressure in the pipeline not lower than one and a half atmospheres. If the pressure value is lower, then it should be increased by pumping air into the air chamber using a compressor or a simple pump.

Connection to the plumbing system

The question of how to start a pumping station so that it pumps water from the main water supply system most often arises in cases where the pressure is not enough for the heating system to work efficiently. To properly connect the pumping station to the existing water supply, you must perform the following steps.

• In the place where the connection is planned, the water pipe is disconnected.
• The end of the disconnected pipe, through which water flows from the central system, is connected to the hydraulic tank.
• At the outlet of the storage tank, a pump is installed, the pressure line of which is connected to the pipeline going to the house.
• Then the electrical part of the work is carried out (connecting the power supply to the pump and performing a test run).
• Based on the results of the test run, the pumping equipment is adjusted and adjusted.

You can also get acquainted with the above process of connecting a pumping station in more detail from the video posted on the Internet.

It is very important to understand not only how to make the connection, but also how to adjust the pumping station, which is installed in a caisson, a pit for a well, or embedded in a central water supply system.

A properly adjusted complex of such equipment should automatically turn off at a certain pressure (2.5–3 atm), and also turn on automatically when the fluid pressure in the system drops to 1.5–1.8 atm.

Both the installation of a pumping station in a well, a well or in a central water supply system, as well as its adjustment, can be done by yourself, the main thing is to know the algorithm for performing such procedures. After the borehole pump is connected to the well, the pumping station is installed in the well or the pumping equipment is inserted into the central water supply system, you can proceed to the adjustment.

Any owner of a country house is sure to face the problem of water supply. An attempt to organize it in a cottage / dacha, similarly to a city apartment, inevitably leads to the need to either purchase a pump and a hydraulic accumulator, then assemble a full-fledged automatic station, or immediately buy a complete unit. What is the principle of operation of the pumping station, common to any of its design? Its essence is the automatic maintenance of a given pressure level in the domestic water supply system.

Pumping station for water supply at home from an open reservoir

General characteristics of the principle of operation of the pumping station

The units are designed for water supply of country houses from any source: a well, a well, an open reservoir, a central water supply system (as booster installations). Depending on the power, the stations, periodically switching on and off, can provide water from one to several consumers without loss of pressure in the system.

As soon as at least one water tap opens in the house, the pressure that was in the system before the start of the water intake immediately begins to fall. When its level reaches the lower threshold value (usually 1 atm, maximum 2.5 atm), the automation of the pumping station turns on the unit for pumping water. When the tap closes, the pump quickly brings the pressure inside the system to the upper threshold value (usually 3 atm, maximum 4.5 atm), then the automation turns off the unit and the water intake stops. A summer resident (homeowner) gets the opportunity to use water for domestic needs (irrigation) by simply opening and closing water taps.

Main parts and layout

Completely supplied compact units are equipped with surface self-priming pumps of centrifugal or vortex type. Stations equipped with submersible (borehole) pumps, being distributed (not compact) systems, are not considered further.

The compact pumping station with a surface pump contains the following main parts:

• pumping unit:
• hydraulic accumulator (membrane hydraulic tank);
• automation block.

A pumping unit with a horizontal arrangement of the pump and motor shafts (usually asynchronous short-circuited single-phase) is mounted on top of a hydraulic accumulator, also of a horizontal type. The tanks of some branded stations (for example, Aquario) are equipped with special mounting pads for pumps. This ensures greater stability during transportation and operation.

In well-designed units, the components are connected by means of a five-way fitting (colloquially "five"), brass or stainless steel. Structurally, the “pyaterik” is a conventional tee with two additional outlets, installed on the pressure pipe of the pump. The side outlet is used to connect the adapter hose (metal-braided) to the accumulator. Two additional outlets of small diameter are used to connect a pressure gauge and an automation unit (pressure switch). The remaining outlet is used to connect the pressure pipeline.

However, other options for the layout of stations are also quite common on the market, the manufacturers of which use a simplified package, refusing some components and saving on others. There are stations without a five-way fitting, in which the pressure switch, connecting hose and pressure gauge are attached directly to the pump housing. There is a layout containing an automation unit mounted on the hydraulic accumulator flange. At the same time, manufacturers of such stations, saving on components, sacrifice the convenience of the consumer when operating the equipment.

Purpose of the main parts of the station

The purpose of the pumping unit is well known - lifting water from a buried source and supplying it to the dwelling under pressure through a pressure pipeline. From the foregoing, it follows that technically a pumping station is an electric pump equipped with additional elements. allowing it to work automatically. It follows from this that the flow-pressure characteristics of the station are determined by the pump included in its composition.

The automation unit is designed to monitor the pressure in the water supply system at home. This can be a relatively simple mechanical (spring driven), pneumatic or electronic pressure switch with two settings: lower and upper threshold. Sometimes there is a so-called. "jet" automation, fixing the beginning of each selection of water from the taps. In any case, this unit turns on and off the water intake of the pump by starting / stopping the drive motor.

The hydraulic accumulator is a hollow cylinder, inside of which there is an elastic (rubber, plastic) "pear", filled with water during the operation of the station. This item is for:

• reducing the number of pump starts;
• for damping water hammer;
• creation of operational water supply;
• maintain pressure inside the system when the pump is off.

Its operation is similar to a membrane expansion tank of a closed heating system: filling with water supplied by the pump, the “pear” expands, compressing the air between itself and the walls of the steel tank until the liquid pressure reaches the upper threshold value of the automation. However, the “pear” of the accumulator is constantly subjected to frequent alternating loads (unlike the membrane of the expansion tank). Therefore, it must be much stronger, although its heat resistance may be lower.

A hydraulic accumulator of sufficient capacity allows you to turn on / off the pumping unit less often. After all, the wear of the electric motor and pump is not due to long-term operation, but due to frequent starts / stops. Inside the house, you can draw water as long as the excess water pressure in the system remains above the lower threshold.

Many homeowners (summer residents) do not understand the purpose of the accumulator. In an effort to achieve budget savings, they build an autonomous water supply by connecting an ordinary garden pump to an automation unit, hoping that the latter will maintain water pressure directly in the pipes. Yes, this value can be kept stable in this way. However, the hydraulic accumulator performs a very important function - it dampens (softens) the hydraulic shocks in the system, i.e. sharp jumps in water pressure in pipes caused by changes in the flow velocity. This phenomenon occurs when the taps are opened, when a sharp and strong pressure of water is created. Water hammer greatly reduces the service life of pipes and valves. Frequent pressure surges can damage faucets and other plumbing fixtures.

Pumps and ejectors

In complete stations, pumping units with the following types of pumps are used:

• centrifugal (single-stage - one impeller, multi-stage - several impellers);
• vortex.

The most famous and widespread is the centrifugal type, which refers to the type of dynamic pumps that have a permanent connection between the fluid inlet and the outlet. The inlet of the pumped liquid is located on the axis of the unit, the outlet is at the maximum distance from the axis. Inside the working chamber there is an impeller of two parallel disks with a central hole, between which blades are located along the circumference at a constant angle to the radii. Rotating, they give the particles of the liquid a rotational movement, causing the effect of centrifugal force (hence the name!), Throwing the liquid to the periphery of the working chamber, where the outlet pipe is located. Near the axis, an area of ​​rarefaction is formed, characterized by low pressure, which ensures constant suction of the liquid.

The pressure-flow characteristic of a centrifugal pump H = f (Q) is significantly non-linear (the head drops rapidly) in the region of high flow rates Q. Centrifugal multi-stage units, which are characterized by increased power, high maximum flow rates, and low noise, allow installation of the stations equipped with them directly inside the house, do not have this drawback. .

The line of popular Aquario stations with single-stage centrifugal pumps, numbering about three dozen modifications, has a power range of units from 550 W to 1150 W, a range of maximum flow rates Q_max from 40 l / min to 80 l / min, a range of maximum heads H_max from 38 m to 54 m.

The vortex pump also belongs to the dynamic type, but the liquid flows through it through the working channel, which has the shape of a ring, covering the periphery of the impeller, resembling a toothed gear. A distinctive feature of this mechanism is the proximity of the inlet and outlet pipes, however, in order to pass from the first to the second, the liquid flows along the entire length of the annular channel, twisting in many vortices (hence the name). The pressure-flow characteristic of the vortex pump H=f(Q) is strictly linear over the entire range of flow rate Q.

Any peripheral pumps are very sensitive to sand in the water, the maximum size of solid particles should not exceed 0.1 mm (centrifugal units are not critical to particles up to 1 mm). Manufacturers do not recommend installing them on sources of water with sand: sand wells, silted wells. These mechanisms are very easy to operate and repair, are easily disassembled / assembled by home craftsmen, and are notable for their low cost.

The line of Aquario stations with vortex pumps, numbering nine modifications, has a power range of units from 430 W to 760 W, a range of maximum flow rates Q_max from 35 l / min to 40 l / min, a range of maximum heads H_max from 35 m to 55 m.

Suction height of pumping stations

The water of open reservoirs near its surface is under the action of atmospheric pressure, the value of which is expressed in meters of water column. equal to 10 m (1 at = 10 m water column). Even if we assume that an absolute vacuum occurs inside the working chamber of a centrifugal pump (near the axis) (this is certainly not the case!), then the pressure difference between the water intake and the pump will not exceed 1 atm. It turns out that a height of 10 m from the level of the pump axis is the theoretical limit for the lifting (self-priming) of liquid by such a pump.

Aquario stations with centrifugal pumps are characterized by a maximum suction head of 8 m, consisting of a height of the pump axis above the surface of 0.5 m and a water depth of 7.5 m. 5 m).

The self-priming height of the centrifugal unit can be raised using the built-in ejector. This is an additional, so-called. a jet pump placed inside the working chamber of the main mechanism, increasing its self-priming capacity. Aquario stations equipped with pumps with built-in ejector have a suction head of 9 m.

An ejector (homemade / purchased) can be placed outside the pump by lowering it inside the reservoir to the place of water intake. At the same time, two pipelines approach the water intake from the station pump, forming a circulation ring, including the main unit and the ejector. A small part of the intake water continuously circulates around the ring, creating inside the ejector, due to a specially created flow shape, a high-pressure area at the outlet, and a low-pressure area in front of the side suction pipe, through which the main water flow is continuously added to the body of the device, which is added to a small circulation flow. In this way, the suction height can be raised to 10-15 m or more (though at the cost of some reduction in the efficiency of the station).

Secrets of hydraulic accumulators

According to regulatory documents (SANPiN, GOSTR), the water inside the membrane accumulators of hot and cold water supply systems should not come into contact with the walls of steel tanks. Therefore, the membrane of such devices has the shape of a bag (“pear”).

Manufacturers offer a very large range of such devices with a capacity of 2 liters to 1000 liters or more. However, in compact pumping stations, hydraulic accumulators with a nominal capacity of 18 liters to 50 liters are most widely used. It is important to know: the actual volume of water that can be placed inside such a tank is about two to three times less than its nominal capacity. If the station is assembled on a tank of 24 liters, then the water supply will be 8-12 liters. This is a feature of all membrane tanks, regardless of the manufacturer.

When designing a water supply system, choose the pump capacity corresponding to the maximum required flow rate. However, the duration of the maximum flow rate is usually short. By properly selecting the tank capacity, it is possible to reduce the pump performance to an average value per day, covering peak costs from the accumulator.

Most manufacturers of membrane tanks give a recommendation for determining the volume of a hydraulic accumulator in the form of the following formula:

• VGA \u003d 16.5 Qmax (Pmax + 1) (Pmin + 1) / n (Pmax - Pmin) (P0 + 1), (l)

• Qmax is the average pump flow rate equal to the estimated water flow in the system, l/min;
• Pmax - upper pressure threshold, signaling the need to turn off the pump, bar;
• Pmin - lower pressure threshold, signaling the need to turn on the pump, bar;
• P0 - adjustment air pressure inside the tank, usually accepted (Pmin - 0.5), bar;
• n is the maximum allowable passport switching frequency of the pump (usually n = 12–15), 1/h.

Example: you need to calculate the capacity of the hydraulic accumulator of a system characterized by an estimated flow rate of 10 l / min, at lower and upper pressure thresholds of 1 and 3 bar, respectively.

VGA \u003d 16.5 10 (3 + 1) (1 + 1) / 15 (3 - 1) (0.5 + 1) \u003d 29.3 liters.

The maximum water reserve in the "pear" of the accumulator is calculated by the formula:

• Vwater \u003d VGA (Pmax - Pmin) / (Pmax + 1), l

Example: you need to calculate the volume of water in a hydraulic accumulator with a capacity of 30 liters at Pmax = 4 and Pmin = 1.5 bar.

• Vwater \u003d 30 (4 - 1.5) / (4 + 1) \u003d 15 l.

Dry run protection unit

The practice of operating pumping stations shows the existence of a real risk of running the pump without water (“dry running”), which is prohibited by all manufacturers. This situation occurs in the following cases:

• flow rate of the well/well is less than the performance of the pump (incorrect selection of the pump);
• drying up of sources (debit drop) during the dry period of the year;
• untracked emptying of the source-container;
• loss of water in the water supply source when the pumping station is used as a booster.

Imagine the situation: the pressure inside the system is less than the lower threshold plus the water supply is lost. The pump continues to "thresh dry", trying unsuccessfully to increase the pressure. The breakdown of the unit will be completely guaranteed. Therefore, a station equipped with a dry run protection unit is much more reliably protected.

As such protection, a special pressure switch set to a low value (less than 0.4 bar), called a “dry run” switch, can be used. It turns on next to the main pressure switch.

A number of manufacturers offer flow sensors, as well as flow switches, sometimes referred to as press controls. The latter combines the functions of a conventional pressure switch, additionally detects the absence of water flow through its internal channel, forming a command to turn off the pump motor with a short delay relative to the moment of flow loss.

A pressure control can always be purchased separately and installed in a pressure pipe to record the water flow/pressure. The standard pressure switch of the station can be dismantled. The electrical connection of the unit is made by means of a cord with a plug and a socket, it is intuitive, feasible even for non-specialists.

For some time now, a private house has not lost in terms of its domestic amenities and comfort of a city apartment. This was not always the case, because earlier, if it was located far from centralized utility systems, then a private homeowner was not physically able to create a full-fledged water supply or sewerage system. But, as you know, demand generates supply, and with the appearance on the market of special equipment for household communications, all the "benefits of civilization" that exist today have become available in private homes. One of the very important elements of a modern autonomous water supply system is a pumping station. It can be purchased ready-made, or it can be assembled by hand. Whichever version of this equipment is preferred, in order to operate it correctly, it is necessary to understand the principle of operation of the pumping station.

What you need to know when choosing a unit?

In order to choose the right pumping station for your specific needs, two factors must be taken into account: the technical characteristics of the station itself and the characteristics of the well.

In the first case, the key parameter is performance. That is, the station must ensure the rise of such a volume of water that will fully satisfy all household needs in the house and in the adjacent territory. As for the well, here it is necessary to evaluate its following characteristics:

• performance;
• depth;
• statistical water level - when the pump is not running;
• dynamic water level - when the pump is on;
• pipe diameter.

The vast majority of classic pumping stations are able to effectively lift water from a well, the depth of which does not exceed 9 m.

Properly installed and connected to the water supply system pumping station

As for the pumping station, despite the lack of an official classification, it can belong to one of two categories that are distinguished by practitioners:

• with self-priming centrifugal pump;
• with self-priming peripheral pump.

Practical experience shows that for a house in which a family of 4 lives, it will be enough to install a pumping station of low or medium power. The volume of the accumulator (if included) which will be about 20 liters. Such stations, as a rule, are characterized by a capacity of 2-4 cubic meters. per hour and a pressure of 45-55 meters.

Typical scheme for connecting a station with a hydraulic accumulator

How is the pumping station set up?

With storage tank

The device of the pumping station, where there is a storage tank, is considered obsolete today, although such options can still be found very often. The fact is that the storage tank is a rather bulky design. The pressure and the amount of water in the tank is controlled by a float. When the water level drops to the set values, a sensor is triggered, which starts pumping. Such a system has long been very popular, despite a number of obvious disadvantages:

• water flows by gravity, so low pressure;
• large dimensions;
• complexity of installation;
• the tank must be installed above the level of the station itself;
• if the overflow sensor fails, then the overflow of water into the room is inevitable.

With hydraulic accumulator

The device of a pumping station for water supply with a hydraulic accumulator is a fundamentally new approach to creating an autonomous water supply. Supplemented, such a system is the most progressive and is characterized by a much smaller number of shortcomings.

Through the relay, the upper limit of the ambient air pressure is controlled, and in the accumulator it is compressed under. As soon as the desired pressure value is set, the pump turns off, and will start working again when a relay signal is received about the lower pressure limit. If the water consumption is small, then the pump will not turn on - water from the tank will be supplied to the tap.

General completeness

Regardless of whether a pumping station with a storage tank or an accumulator is selected, in addition to one of these elements, it will be equipped with:

• pump unit;
• membrane pressure tank, which limits the number of pump starts;
• pressure switch;
• pressure gauge;
• cable;
• connector for connection;
• ground terminals.

Varieties by type of pump

With built-in ejector

Pumping stations are classified according to the type of working pump, which can be with or without an ejector. The principle of operation of ejector modifications (with a built-in ejector) is that water rises due to the created vacuum. They have a higher cost compared to simpler models, but due to their special design they are able to supply water from great depths - 20-45 m.

Such pumping equipment is characterized by high performance, but the work is accompanied by a high level of noise. For this reason, such a pumping station should be installed in a utility room and, if possible, outside the residential building. Equipment of this type is most often preferred when maintaining a large subsidiary plot and to satisfy gardening needs.

Such a compact appearance has a very productive station with a built-in ejector

With remote ejector

In addition, consumers are offered pumps with an external ejector, which, together with two pipes, is lowered into a well or well. One pipe sends water down to the ejector, which leads to the creation of a suction jet. This design noticeably loses in comparison with the classic ejector pump in terms of its performance.

Such pumps are "afraid" of the presence of air and sand in the system. In addition, their efficiency is much lower. But on the other hand, a station with such a pump can be placed in the house without problems, even if the well is at a distance of 20-40 meters.

Comparative table of operating parameters of a pumping station with a remote ejector using the example of Pedrollo models for giving

Ejectorless designs

When equipping a pumping station with equipment without an ejector, water is sucked in according to a different scheme. In this case, the key role belongs to a special multi-stage design related to the hydraulic part. Such pumps operate virtually silently and with less energy consumption.

In this article, we have reflected only the main options for the design of a classic pumping station. It is these structures that can most often be found in private households. In fact, there are a huge number of pumps, on the basis of which stations are assembled. Everyone can independently assemble such equipment, taking into account their own capabilities and needs.

The principle of operation of the pumping station is very simple - water is pumped into the storage tank by a pump, which is replenished as the liquid is consumed. Moreover, a special sensor monitors the water level in the storage tank, turning the pump on and off.

However, behind the external simplicity of the principle of operation lies a rather complex device for a water supply pumping station. And in this article we will consider not only the principles of operation, but also design options for pumping stations.

The most important components of any pumping station are the drive and the pump itself. Moreover, drives can be of only two types - a tank and a battery. And there are three types of pumps - with a built-in ejector, with an external ejector and without an ejector.

In addition, the design of the station also has a link that regulates the operation of the pump and the process of filling the tank - a control element, which is based on either a float valve or a pressure sensor.

At the same time, all the above-described types of drives, pumps and regulators affect not only the design of the station, but also the very principle of operation of the device for pumping water. And further in the text we will trace the influence of these nodes on the device and the principle of operation of the stations.

Pumping stations with a storage tank: description of work and design overview

Such stations were built quite recently, and now they are outdated both morally and technically. The principle of operation of such a system is based on pumping water from a well (well) into a sufficiently large tank located in the attic space of the house.

As a result, water flows to consumers by gravity, and the liquid level in the storage tank is controlled by a special float-type valve. The water ran out - the float "fell" and "turned on" the pump. Water filled the tank - the float "surfaced" and turned off the pump.

The undoubted advantage of this design is high energy efficiency. The station does not work until the tank is empty. That is, the pump does not turn on after each turn of the tap valve.

In addition, such stations are suitable for wells with a small debit, which is pumped out in just a few minutes. In this case, a huge storage tank acts as a fuse, providing a pause for filling the well to a static level.

Without a storage tank, wells with a small debit are silted up in a matter of months. Therefore, this node is mounted even in systems with a hydraulic accumulator.

The disadvantages of this design include a high risk of "flooding" of the lower rooms (in the case of an attic location, this is, in fact, the whole house). Therefore, a safety pipe is welded into the upper part of the tank, which is brought out of the building.

Well, the tank itself today is made from an inert polymer that does not change the taste or smell of water and is not subject to corrosion in principle.

The principle of operation and the device of a pumping station for water supply with a hydraulic accumulator

All modern stations operate on this principle. Instead of a storage tank, a hydraulic accumulator is used here - a sealed container divided into two compartments by an elastic membrane. Moreover, air is pumped into the first compartment, and water is pumped into the second.

As a result, the more water in the second compartment, the higher the pressure at the outlet of the accumulator (the air behind the elastic membrane is compacted and begins to work as a shock absorber). Accordingly, it becomes possible to regulate the pressure in the home water supply even if the battery is placed in the basement of the building. The pressure in the conduit is provided by compressed air, which presses on the membrane.

And the filling of the accumulator is monitored by a special pressure sensor that turns the station pump on and off. This design eliminates the very possibility of leakage due to overfilling of the battery.

However, such a scheme also has disadvantages. The most important of which is a small amount of "reserve" of water. The capacity of a typical battery is 20-25 liters. For momentary needs, this is quite enough, but such a system can no longer serve a well with a small debit.

In addition, a hydraulic accumulator is a rather expensive product, because it operates under a sufficiently high pressure. Therefore, it is produced only from steel, which leads to another problem - the threat of destruction of the tank due to corrosion. However, this trouble is easily eliminated - the container can be made of stainless steel or galvanized.

Pumping stations with built-in ejector - design description

Stations with an internal ejector can be equipped with both hydraulic accumulators and storage tanks. The design feature, in this case, lies in the design of the intake assembly of the pump itself.

Water from the well rises through a pipe in which a vacuum is created. Moreover, the condition for transporting the liquid creates a special pump assembly - the ejector - pumping air through itself, “carbonated” water and, finally, 100% liquid. The air content in the liquid can reach up to 25 percent.

The pump connected to the built-in ejector is always centrifugal - it works on the impeller. The vibration analogue simply cannot withstand such volumes of air in the pipe. As a result, such a pump is very noisy during operation and pumps out water only from a well up to 10 meters deep.. At the same time, a pump with a built-in ejector practically does not react to the presence of sand in the liquid.

The principle of operation and design of stations with a remote ejector
Pumps with an external ejector differ from the devices described above by the location of the intake unit. It is outside the pump housing. Moreover, two hoses are supplied to the external ejector - a vacuum one, in which a vacuum is created, and a pressure one, which creates a working pressure in the ejector.

Water rises along the vacuum "sleeve" and merges into the accumulator or flows into the discharge "sleeve". The pressure in the discharge hose is maintained by the pump and provokes, by means of an ejector, a vacuum in the vacuum pipe.

The remote intake unit (ejector) is serviced by a vibration pump, which is characterized by rejection of heavily polluted and “carbonated” water. However, since the ejector is buried below the well mirror, there are practically no problems with the latter. And from particles of sludge, the intake opening of the ejector will be protected by a filter grid.

The main advantage of such a design scheme lies in the practically unlimited depth of the serviced well. However, due to the structural features of the pump, most of the remote ejectors are submerged to the level of 60 meters. At the same time, the station with a remote intake unit works absolutely silently.

Alternative designs

As an alternative to stations with a built-in or remote ejector, only stepped water lifting systems can be considered. Ejectorless pumping stations operate on the principle of locks - intermediate tanks laid at different depths, interconnected by a pipeline.

The transported medium is pumped from the lower tank to the upper one. This solution makes it possible to raise water from considerable depths. However, such installations are used only in the gas industry and in oil production.