What are chopper pumps and grinder pumps?

There’s a huge variety of pumps out there to tackle all manner of applications and today we’re going to look at two of them – chopper pumps and grinder pumps.

Chopper pumps

Chopper pumps are a type of centrifugal pump used to break up solids in water to allow the liquid to pass through smoothly. These pumps macerate large solids such as bones and are therefore heavily used in industrial and agricultural applications including manure handling, meat processing plants and abattoirs.

The design of a chopper pump is relatively straightforward, with the impeller having a serrated edge to cut down solids and prevent clogging. There will often be another chopper at the back of the impeller to ensure that solids within the liquid are reduced to the required size. Some chopper pumps have a filter at the inlet to stop any pieces that are too large to be broken down from entering and causing a blockage.

Chopper pumps can be found in a number of different configurations, such as self-priming, horizontal end suction and submersible.

Grinder pumps

There are two kinds of grinder pump – centrifugal or positive displacement. Both have grinding teeth integrated into the impeller to break down solids before allowing the liquid to pass through, but there are some differences.

A centrifugal pump is submersible and is immersed in a sewage collection sump where the impeller grinds the waste and passes it out via a volute, creating pressure.

A positive displacement pump, on the other hand, does not have an impeller but rotating parts which push the liquid in a fixed volume and force it into the discharge pipe.

Grinder pumps are different to chopper pumps in that they allow waste to be pumped by pressure rather than by gravity drain. This means that sewage lines can be smaller, making it possible to pump waste over a longer distance to the central sewage treatment plant. This is especially useful in remote locations.

Gibbons stock an extensive range of pumps for industrial and domestic applications, so call us on 01621 868138 or email info@gibbonsgroup.co.uk for information, technical advice or a competitive quote.