When choosing between different pumps and controls, there are a lot of factors to consider. One that tends to get overlooked, in our experience, is the wire-to-water efficiency of the pumping system. While less important than issues like overall pumping capacity, wire-to-water efficiency is still critical to ensuring you get the best performance from your pump!
What Does Wire to Water Efficiency Mean?
Simply put, wire to water efficiency indicates how well the pumps and controls convert electrical input into actual pumping work.
After all, in the real world, no mechanical system is ever 100% efficient. So, the theoretical maximums listed on a pump/motor’s spec sheet are rarely, if ever, achievable. Also, different pump and motor combinations will typically have different levels of efficiency at different power levels.
The math behind this is simple; the formula is just: (water horsepower/motor horsepower) x 100 to derive the wire to water efficiency. So, most pumps come with a chart indicating the wire-to-water efficiency of their system, at different power ranges across its spectrum of performance.
Why Does Wire to Water Efficiency Matter to Pumps and Controls?
There are a few ways that wire-to-water efficiency can affect your operations.
First, as mentioned above, the theoretical specs on the product sheet usually don’t accurately reflect real-world performance. So, knowing or calculating the wire to water efficiency helps you more accurately work out the performance you need from your pumping system.
Also, they can help explain poor efficiency in a pumping system. Since the overall efficiency is determined by both the pump and the motor, an issue with one will drag down the performance of the other. So, for example, in some cases, you may be better off installing a second pump to hit the desired pumping target, rather than trying to invest in a bigger motor for a single pump. The performance gain may come at the expense of lower efficiency.
Plus, of course, CO2 emissions are a concern for all of us. Optimizing your pumps with the help of wire-to-water calculations will reduce energy usage and reduce CO2 emissions in turn.
Pumps and Controls
FloRight Pump & Controls has decades of experience helping to install high-efficiency pumping systems of any size. To get better performance from your pumping system, contact us for advice.