Pump Testing

Provided the inlet pressure is sufficient to prevent cavitation, the fact that the differential pressure and flowrate fit the manufacturer's published performace curve is the result of a satisfactory test. Don't worry about the inlet pressure being 20psig or 1620psig, or any value in between.

That's quite some pump, and quite some pipework!

You've been flogging this same pump since at least January of this year.

I suggest that you take a course in fundamentals of pumps and save us all some aggravation.

[DOC] PUMP BASICS

Your questions suggest a complete lack of fundamental understanding of pumps!

Ooooh! Well spotted. Good recommendation.

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As PWSlack says, as long as the suction pressure is high enough to avoid cavitation, it shouldn't make any difference. But I'd guess with ΔP like that the suction pressure needs to be much higher than 20 psig. What does the pump supplier say? If you have 1612 psig available it's not likely to be a problem, but he ought to tell you.

I would expect the supplier to prefer a high suction pressure for the test as that's more likely to avoid any cavitation risk, and improve the chance of passing the test.

Are you testing using the same operating fluid of the same density? keep in mind that pressure change with density. Better to test the head in meter of feet.

Could you explain, "Better to test the head in meter of feet."?

Sorry typo error, it should read "meter or feet"

It's an easy enough conversion. 4389 feet of head.

That's if it's water, less feet if SG is higher.

This is from January of 2012 thread on the same subject by OP: "The above pump will be tested with water at flow: 610.4 gpm, rated".

AS I said earlier, OP's been flogging this same pump for almost a year, with no progress that I can see.

They don't seem to have learned anything about pumps in that year, either.

OK thanks, I'll have a read of it for amusement