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4 November 2022

How to Mitigate the Ageing of Hose Pump Tubing

Why is There an Element of Slowing Down if Everything is Working Fine?

You have invested in the best peristaltic pump, and everything seems on point. The dosing is within error limits, and there is no failure. Maintenance is simple and everything is working as it should. Yet there seems to be an element of slowing down of the flow rate. A slowing down that was not there before.

You have changed nothing, including the hose pump tubing. The fluid and position are all the same. Chances are the problem could lie in the ageing of the tubing.

Why Hose Pump Tubing Ages Over Time?

3 key elements affect the life of peristaltic pump hoses. These are the pump conditions, quality of the hose, and the liquids moving through the hose.

Peristalsis is an action in the human body. During peristalsis, the muscles in the intestine or other canals create wavelike motions. This action within the body assists with pushing the content of the canal forward.

They named the peristaltic pump after this action. The human body can heal itself, whereas thermoplastic elastomers cannot self-repair.

Instead, over time, rubber tubing deteriorates. The elasticity of the tubing decreases with use, losing its effectiveness.

About Your Peristaltic Pump. What is it and How Does it Work?

We refer to the term ‘peristaltic’ as the way the pump moves liquid. The pump moves liquid through a hose pump tube independently from the pump. The pump is perfect for moving chemicals and liquids without coming into contact with the pump’s internal components.

How it Works:

The two key working parts of a peristaltic pump are the tube and the motor.

  • The motor turns the rotor, which is fitted with shoes.
  • The shoes pinch the hose between the outer casing and the shoes.
  • The shoe presses against the hose, which seals the suction side and discharge side of the hose.
  • The result is the prevention of any fluid from passing by.
  • The motor turns where the hose is pinched flat and moves along the tube.
  • The fluid is in the front of this pinched area and can only escape through the discharge side of the pump.
  • Once the shoe that is pinching the hose has passed, the hose opens up back to its original round shape.
  • This causes a low-pressure area that sucks more fluid through the suction side of the pump, thus starting the entire process once again.
  • A larger pump with a larger diameter hose increases the volume of water in the hose.
  • The volume of water displaced will increase the flow rate that the pump delivers.

The Many Uses of Peristaltic Pumps Include:

The greatest advantage of a peristaltic pump is that it keeps chemicals and liquids in the tube. Peristaltic pumps are perfect for any application that calls for strict adherence to no cross-contamination. These include blood for dialysis, chemicals, and nutrients.

  • Chlorine for wells
  • Liquid phosphate in scale control
  • The transportation for blood for dialysis treatment
  • Chemicals in water treatment
  • Agricultural applications
  • Vitamins for animal feed

There are 3 principal contributors to the deterioration of hose pump tubing.

These are:

  • System pressure
  • Temperature
  • Drive RPM (revolutions per minute)

Some hose manufacturers provide life expectancy on hose pump tubing. In certain instances, they provide the greatest tube performance under certain conditions. Some of these are static RPM and water at atmospheric temperature.

Hose pump tubing carries no manufacturer’s guarantee after the expiration date. Even though the hoses might still move liquids after the guarantee has ended, consumers can expect a greater variation in accuracy. Performance could be affected.

The hoses won’t continue functioning once the tubing has become brittle and dry because of ageing.

What is Cold Tubing and How Does it Affect Flow Rate?

Cold tubing is tubing that has not been used before or tubing that has not had a break-in period. Users will experience the same inefficiencies with cold tubing as they would with aged tubing.

1. We can only test the tube accuracy after the breaking-in period. The reason is that most tubing is at the break-in stage before each use.

2. As the tubing warms, it becomes a little more elastic (think of your garden hose when it is cold and stiff).

3. Tubing becomes more malleable when it reaches thermal balance. This occurs inside the head of the pump.

4. When you achieve peak flow rates and accuracy, the thermal system will plateau.

5. It is important to balance a couple of factors into the pump’s operation. This will ensure the pump delivers the desired performance. This is to maximise the life of the hose.

6. Factors include the drive revolutions per minute and the temperature of the fluids.

Smart Ways to Get the Most Out of Tubing:

According to the experts, there are a couple of ways we can extend the life of hose pump tubing.

Apply These Inspection Methods for the Best Results

Always prime the pumping before using it. Check the tubing regularly. Run the pump and use the break-in period to ensure the hosing becomes flexible.

Physical inspection of your pump and hosing after half an hour is important. Calibrate the tubing once again after an hour. Recording the hours you use the hose will allow the accurate prediction of hose failure.
It is wise to test your tubing regularly near the end of its life span. This is to avoid hose failures and ruptured tubing.

Make use of technology as constant breaking-in of the hose uses some of the important operating life.
Cloud-based monitoring technology is now available to test hose pump tubing.

What You Need to Know to Make Your Tubing Go the Extra Mile

Never store the tubing inside the pump head. This will affect the elastic memory of your hose. The result is a decrease in durability and longevity.

Ensure the hose assembly is correct. The incorrect application of the hose pump tubing could cause fast wear and tear. Avoid tube rupture by ensuring the tube is not rubbing against the rotor.

You will automatically control the flow downstream from your pump when installing an ultrasonic flowmeter.

Your flowmeter assists with flow rate. Your pump will regulate the flow and balance out any worn-out tubing, pressures, and cold tubing. Anything at all that affects your flow rate, your flowmeter will balance out.

Find Out More About Making Your Hose Pump Tubing Go Further

Get the information you need to make your hose pump tubing last longer. Find out everything you need to know about tubing and pumps from our team of experts.
Give our AxFlow AQS Liquid Transfer experts a call now. You will find us on +27 12 548 7204 or fill out our enquiry form. Our team is here to assist. We will get back to you with pertinent advice on our world-class products.
Sources – What is a Peristaltic Pump and How Does It Work? – Fresh Water Systems

https://www.coleparmer.fr/blog/2020/03/10/4-ways-to-mitigate-aging-pump-tubing/

Do you still have questions? Give our AQS Liquid Transfer team a call on +27 12 548 7204 or fill out our enquiry form, our friendly team will get back to you with first-hand expertise on how to select a borehole pump for your needs.

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