Pro/Forums - View Single Post - Finally finished my baseboard heater setup

Brians256 · 02-02-2006, 11:36 AM

Cavitation happens when the impeller is rotating but the blades are unable to cause the liquid to move forward. The blades will always cause a pressure differential, but the lowered pressure behind the blades is unable to be filled by flow coming into the pump. Since insufficient liquid is entering the pump, the pressure behind the blades can drop enough to actually cause phase change in the water: the water turns into vapor and you get bubbles or cavities. Then, the bubbles collapse back into normal liquid and the cycle continues. It sounds like bubbles because there are bubbles. This (I believe) only happens in fairly powerful pump and in restricted systems.

Three ways to solve: lower the restrictions, decrease pump velocity, pressurize the pump intake.

02-02-2006, 11:36 AM	#22
Brians256 Pro/Staff Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Klamath Falls, OR Posts: 1,439	Re: Finally finished my baseboard heater setup Cavitation happens when the impeller is rotating but the blades are unable to cause the liquid to move forward. The blades will always cause a pressure differential, but the lowered pressure behind the blades is unable to be filled by flow coming into the pump. Since insufficient liquid is entering the pump, the pressure behind the blades can drop enough to actually cause phase change in the water: the water turns into vapor and you get bubbles or cavities. Then, the bubbles collapse back into normal liquid and the cycle continues. It sounds like bubbles because there are bubbles. This (I believe) only happens in fairly powerful pump and in restricted systems. Three ways to solve: lower the restrictions, decrease pump velocity, pressurize the pump intake.