Everybody knows water carts are indispensable for a wide range of vital applications. Whether it’s roadworks, dust suppression, water supply to towns in drought or firefighting, these truck, tank and pump combos fulfil a vital role for transport.
One company, Australian Pump Industries, has focused on this important industry sub-section to produce a range of pumps that can handle almost any water or even other liquid transfer applications. The company began by supplying 2” and 3” Honda powered pumps to water cart operators.
Today, they’re major suppliers of a complete and comprehensive range of water cart pumps that provide flows up to 2200lpm, pressures as high as 75psi and have a range of features that lend themselves particularly well to this vital application.
What is a good tanker pump?
According to Aussie Pumps’ chief engineer, John Hales, the first requirement is the pump should be self-priming. That feature means the tanker can, depending on the situation, refill itself without any auxiliary water supply equipment.
Self-priming means no priming devices, no priming of the suction hose, but rather, just pulling up at a creek, river or dam and refilling the tanker using the pump to draft water.
“Our pumps can handle lifts of eight metres vertical for filling tankers, something that most other pumps can’t do,” said Hales.
The company has come a long way in its evolution, being able to now offer heavy-duty cast iron self-priming semi trash pumps that will handle not just clean water, but silty liquid as well, without damage. These pumps incorporate a stainless steel wear plate and a big open impeller, capable of handling solids in suspension. A front opening port, mounted below the suction intake enables the operator to clear blockages or chokes without dismantling pipework or any section of the pump itself.
“That combination of features, together with the cast iron construction makes these pumps virtually indestructible,” said Hales.
Popular models include a 3” pump that delivers 1500lpm and produces pressure up to 43psi. “That means it can load fast. For example, fill a 15,000 litre tank in 10 minutes,” Hales added.
Other models produce higher pressures and higher flows. One model, also in semi trash configuration, will provide pressures up to 77psi. A 4” hydraulic drive will pump 2200lpm and achieve heads as high as 30m.
Common applications for tankers or rigid chassis tankers, with capacities of 8000 litres to 25,000 litres, include water transfer, roadworks, mine dust suppression and can even double as drought relief water supply tanker pumps in times of drought.
The Aussie GMP range is available in Honda petrol, diesel engine or hydraulic drive. Although the company makes big quantities of petrol and diesel drive versions, hydraulics are becoming more popular.
“We know that’s because of the drive being totally enclosed and the elimination of service and maintenance work on rear mounted petrol or diesel drives. Hydraulic drives are also popular because they utilise the power of the vehicle engine, giving the drive to the pump a virtually unlimited amount of horsepower. That can be a big advantage in an emergency,” said Hales.
Up to 50,000, Aussie has the pumps
“As this application grows, we see tankers up to 50,000 litres servicing remote locations, including mines, as well as providing stock water in times of drought. Where required, they will handle other liquids as diverse as diesel fuel, whey (a by-product of milk) and even in specialist applications, effluent and sewage pump-out,” said Hales.
Aussie Pumps works with tanker fleet operators all over the country as well as Australia’s biggest tanker OEMs. They get terrific feedback about applications they never would have imagined, including carting seawater, liquid fertiliser and lots more.
For a free copy of Aussie Pumps guide to tanker pump selection, including chemical compatibility charts, please contact Australian Pump Industries. Visit aussiepumps.com.au.