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why are pumps calulated in Heads?

gurrieman69
gurrieman69 Member Posts: 3
in A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
i was in class and we went over pumps but the teacher did not have the answer and was hoping someone could help?

Comments

  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,260
    Pumping Heads:

    What didn't he explain that you didn't understand?

    I can give you a low knowledge comprehensive explanation but I need to know what you don't know or understand.
  • gurrieman69
    gurrieman69 Member Posts: 3
    heads

    i know that it is a distance but why is it called head?
  • Tom Blackwell_2
    Tom Blackwell_2 Member Posts: 126
    lift

    The convention of head as used in pumps comes from the amount of pressure required to lift water-as in an open system. At least the industry uses head for all pump measurements and does not use different terms. 2.31 feet equal 1 psi and one atmosphere is 34 feet.
  • gurrieman69
    gurrieman69 Member Posts: 3
    H.E.A.D

    my teacher thought the reason we use "head" is because the letters stand for something. What?
  • NRT_Rob
    NRT_Rob Member Posts: 1,013
    I don't know for sure

    but since it always is expected to refer to a height, I imagine head is just referring to the fact that we're talking about the top of a column, or it's head.



    If you have 15 ft of head available on the pump, it will push a column of water 15' high in the air.



    I'm guessing, but I think it's a better guess than some mysterious acronym ;)
    Rob Brown
    Designer for Rockport Mechanical
    in beautiful Rockport Maine.
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