Carri er

TEXT & REFERENCE

TE CH l\ll CA L
DE VE LD PM El\ IT
PR Dli RA M

DESIGN FACTORS
SIZING PROCEDURES
PUMP SELECTION &
APPLICATION

Copyright ,c Carrier Corporation 1965, 1986

Printed in U.SA

791-033

Section T200-33

T200-33

TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

WATER PIPING SYSTEMS AND PUMPS

CONTENTS

Page

FORMUI..AS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TYPES OF PIPING SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SUPPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VALVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9
1. Starting and Stopping Flow
11

Flow
Throttling
or
2. Regulating
3. Preventing Back Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 12
STRAINERS ............. .. ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

EXPANSION TANKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16

AIR VENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

OTHER ACCESSORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

PIPE SIZING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2

1. Pipe Sizing Example ........... ............. ......... 25

26
2. Total Head on Pump .
27
3. Direct Return System Sizing
PUMPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.............................................
.............................................

1. Pump Terms
2. Capacity
3. Head .... ... ... .

28

28
28
28

............................ ...

Page
Suction Head
Discharge Head
Total Head
Liquid Horsepower ................ ..................
Brake Horsepower
Net Positive Suction Head

28
29
29
29
30
30

DETERMINING PU MP HEAD .................... .................... .

32

TYPES OF CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

34

PUMP PACKING ................... ................... ..........

36

PU MP 'MATERIALS ............... ........ ...

37

PUMP RATINGS ................... .................... ...........

38

NOISE IN PUMPING SYSTEMS

50

CONCLUSION .................... .................... ........... .

52

WORK SES SI ON ............... ............... ........

55

4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.

............................... .
....................................... .

............................... .
............................... .

TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

WATER PIPING SYSTEMS AND PUMPS

INTRODUCTION
In air conditioning work, water is often used to carry heat from a
point of generation, such as a cooling coil to a point where it can
be rejected to some other medium such as the refrigerant in a water
chiller.

The water is often recirculated so that the pick up and re-

jection of heat is a continuous process.

The piping and pumping systems used to transport the water to and from

the various heat exchangers are usually relatively simple and straight
forward, and are complete in themselves, that is they do not function
as part of a big piping network.

The water is usually at temperatures

between 40F and lOOF, although year-round air conditioning may require
hot water piping for heating.

The motive force for circulating or

"pushing" the water through the piping system is almost invariably

furnished by a centrifugal pump.

The design of piping systems is an old art and much has been written
about it.

This presentation will review overall design considerations,

with emphasis on those points which we consider especially applicable

to the piping and pumps used in air conditioning work.

Frequent

reference will be made to the Carrier System Desig_n Manual Part 3 -

- 2 -

ation of mate rial pres ente d

Pipin g Desi gn for illus trati ons and amp lific
here .

FORMULAS
to the heat carry ing
A revie w of some of the form ulas perta ining
capa city of wate r is in orde r.!7 JXAN A/C HllN ,; PGt. I 67
I
re chan ge in F
1. BTU /HR. = GPM x 500 x wate r temp eratu

2.

Tons of refri gera tion effec t

= GPM x temp eratu re chan ge in F

24

arriv e at appr oxim ate cond ense r

If we use chill er tons as a base , we can
follo ws.
wate r gpm 's and/ or temp eratu re chan ges as
rejec tion facto r of 1. 25
For mech anic al refri gera tion assu ming a heat
(1. 18 BHP per ton):

3.

Chil ler tons

ge in r
GPM Cond ensin g Wat er x Tem pera ture Chan
30

rejec tion facto r of 2. 55

For abso rptio n refri gera tion assu ming a heat
of refri gera ting effec t).
(19. 6 lbs. of 12 psig steam per hour per ton
Chan ge in r
tons = GPM Cond ensin g Wat er x Tem pera ture
4. Chil ler
61
r temp eratu re chan ge of
Pres ent desi gn prac tice uses a chill ed wate
ge of abou t 1 OF for
abou t 1 OF; a cond ense r wate r temp eratu re chan
a cond ense r wate r temp ermech anic al refri gera tion with cool ing towe r;
gera tion with cool ing towe r;
ature chan ge of abou t l 7F for abso rptio n refri
of abou t 20F when usin g
and a cond ense r wate r temp eratu re chan ge
city wate r at 70 or 75F.

- 3 -

These values are assumed to result in reasonable economic balance

among first cost, operating costs, and energy requiremen ts.

We

believe that this assumption is being challenged more often than it

Higher temperature changes result in less gpm, smaller

was.

sizes, lower operating costs, and lower energy requiremen ts.

pip~

For

instance, chilled water temperature changes of 20F or more can be

used without incurring any great problem in the selection of water
chillers and water cooled coils.

TYPES OF PIPING SYSTEMS

For our purpose, water piping systems can be classified as follows:

1.

Once through type, where water flows from a source through

the system and out to waste.

Examples are a city water

condensing system and a well water chilling system.

pump may or may not be required.

2.

Open recirculatin g type, where water is pumped from a

reservoir through the system and back to the reservoir for
reuse, with the water being brought into intimate contact
with air somewhere in the circuit.

Examples are chilled

water systems using washers for cooling and dehumidification and condensing water systems which use cooling
towers

- 4 -

3.

Closed recirculatin g type, where water is simply circulated through a closed system of piping and equipment,
without coming in close contact with air, except at the
expansion tank, whose area of contact is negligible.

An

example is a chilled water system using coils for cooling

and dehumidifyi ng.
4.

Recirculatin g Piping systems are further classified as either

A direct return system is

direct return or reversed return.

illustrated in Figure 1 on the left.

The same units are

shown on the right piped with a reversed return system.

SUPPLY

RETURN

RETURN
SUPPLY
UNITS PIPED VERTICALLY

UNITS PIPED VERTICALLY

n~BB
RETURN.

RETURN
UNITS PIPED HORIZONTALLY

UNITS Pl PED HORIZONTALLY

Reverse Return Piping System

Direct Return Piping System

FIG. 1

- 5 -

If the pressure drops through the units are identical, then in the

case of the direct return system, each of the first five units will
required a balancing valve and means to measure flow plus balancing
time to insure the same flow through all units.

In the reverse return

system, however, the pressure difference from supply line through the
unit to return line is the same for all units.

Each unit will, therefore,

take an equal share of the total flow and no balancing is required.

The cost of the extra length of return pipe is probably less than the
cost of valves and balancing, and much time and trouble will be saved.
A reversed return should always be used in a multi-room system which

uses a large number of under the window units of identical pressure

drop.

GENERAL CONSIDERATJONS
Water piping systems should be as direct and uncomplicated as possible.
Offsets, bends, and changes in elevation should be kept to a minii:num.
Any fitting or valve that is omitted, represents a reduction in first cost,
operating cost, and maintenance cost.

On the other hand, condenser and chiller tubes must be periodically

cleaned, and cooling coils, control valves and pumps will eventually
require repair or servicing.

All of these operations must be preceeded

- 6 -

by draining the water out of the equipmen t involved.

It is convenie nt

and economic al to be able to isolate such parts by means of shut off or

isolating valves so that the entire system does not have to be drained
and refilled.

It may also be important that any piece of equipmen t

can be isolated and worked on while the remainde r of the system conIn addition to shut off valves, unions or

tinues to operate normally.

pairs of flanges are required at strategic locations so that the piping

can be easily dismantle d for the possible removal of such things as
coils, and control valves.

Judgment and imaginati on are needed to

balance convenie nce in servicing against first cost and maintena nce
cost of the system.
Let us examine the various parts of a piping system in some detail.

MATERIALS
The usual piping materials are black steel for the large sizes say
1 1/2" and above and hard copper for the smaller sizes.
steel may be used, but usually only for drainage lines.

Galvaniz ed
It is now

customary to specify water treatment to control corrosion and galvanize d

or wrought iron is not generally required.
Fittings for black steel pipe are usually welded for larger sizes or
malleable iron screwed type for smaller sizes.
are wrought copper or brass.

Hard copper fittings

- 7 -

The weight of the pipe and fittings will depend on the pressures and
Various codes will have

temperatu res encounter ed in the system.

something to say about this and the ones that apply must be.
consulted .
Special condition s may required special materials , but this is beyond
the scope of this presentat ion.

We refer you to Chapter 1 of the

Design Manual, Part 3, for additiona l informatio n on materials , pages

3-2 and 3-3.

SUPPORTS

Hangers or supports are required at intervals ranging from 8 ft. to

20 ft. depending on the pipe size.
Manual.

See tables 7 and 8 in the Design

Except at anchor points, pipe supports should not be rigid

but allow some movemen t of the pipe.

In many systems, with

several changes of direction , the expansion due to temperatu re

changes can be taken care of in this way.

The hangers for chilled

water piping are installed outside the

insulation to prevent sweating , and
some means must be provided to prevent
crushing the insulation .

This is usually

a metal plate of suitable length and

thickness curved in cross section to

fit around the bottom part of the
insulation and mounted between the

FIG. 2

- 8 -

insulation and the hanger.

For hot water service, the hanger is

usually around the pipe and pipe and hanger are insulated together.
1

At the flanges of pumps or heat exchangers, the piping should be

supported so that no stress is imposed on the pump casing or the
heat exchanger itself.

At pump suction and discharge, flexible

rubber connectors are sometimes used to prevent stress, and also

to compensate for slight misalignment.

They are also supposed to

prevent the transmission of vibration into the piping system, but they
are not very effective for this purpose.

Water is an incompressible

liquid and vibrations from the pump are transmitted through the water
column with very little reduction in intensity.

Pump vibration problems

are best handled with spring type pipe hangers and by providing a good

mass under pumps or other vibrating components in a piping system.

Refer to pages 7 and 8 of the Design Manual.

In large and important

systems, it may be desirable to consult vibration experts.

Often it becomes necessary to support a long straight vertical riser

which goes from the bottom to the top of the building.
the pipe and water represent a very large weight.

In large sizes,

The accompanying

sketch shows a method of support which is inexpensive and provides a

dirt leg with cleanout and a solid support with a minimum of hangers

.
rI
.

ii
'

- 9 -

and special fittings.

Note that

the weight of the water is carried

The

directly into the foundation.

joint between the horizontal main

TEE

and the riser should be made with

HORIZONTAL
MAIN

a forged welding tee and not by

field cutting and welding.

-CLEANOUT
...,.-DRAIN

Ex-

FOUNDATION ,..r=::i:::~-- STEEL PLATE

-,:,...::;.s=-.=,...,.=~,:el;,

pansion of the pipe due to

BASEMENT FLOOR /

temperature changes in the riser, may

FIG. 3

need special attention in this case

VALVES
There are hundreds of types of valves, each one of which best
suits a particular application, but for our purposes only five or
six types need consideration.
pages 10 to

We refer you to the Design Manual,

15, and also to the catalogs and other publications of

the valve manufacturers.

Valves perform one of three basic functions.

1.

Starting and Stopping Flow.

Gate valves are usually used for this function, because when wide
open water flows straight through with a minimum of pressure drop.

They are not practical for throttling flow

- 10 -

This illustra tion shows an OS and

Y gate valve with rising stem.

RISING STEM

This

HANDWHEEL

AND YOKE) --------

(DOES NOT RISE

WITH STEM)

is the type usually used for isolatin g

pumps , coolers and conden sers.

(OUTSIDE SCREW

BOLTED

GLAND~

quick glance at the stem reveals

whethe r the valve is open or closed

BOLTED
BONNET

SOLID WEDGE

and the stem threads are outside the

valve where they are free from corFLOW

rosion and can easily be lubrica ted.

With stem extend ed, these valves

FLANGED
ENDS

Gate Valve - Rising Stem

FIG. 4

are very tall and it is often difficu lt

to install them in such a positio n in the piping that the stem does

not interfe re with fixed objects or block off passag e.

A plug cock has the same low

pressu re drop, when open, as
a gate and is also excelle nt
for throttli ng service or as a
balanc ing valve.

It can be

used to perform both functio ns

simulta neousl y.
Plug Cock
FIG. 5

T'I
-

2.

11 -

Regulating or Throttling Flow

Globe valves or angle valves are usually used for this service.
Globe valves have a relatively high pressure drop when open, but
give good throttling characteristics , that is, the percent flow is
nearly proportional to the per cent of opening.

If a globe valve is used for balancing

flow, the wheel should be removed

after adjustment to prevent accidental
readjustment.

An angle globe valve

RING BONNET

can be advantageously used for

throttling.

SCREWED
ENDS

It's use saves one elbow

and the pressure drop when open is

less than half that of a straight

Globe Valve
FIG. 6

through globe valve.

If a plug cock or butterfly valve

is used as both shut off and balancing

RISING STEM
(RISES WITH STEM)

(INSIDE SCREW)

valve an indicator should be provided

so that after use as a shut off, the valve

SCREWED
THREADED BONNET

can be reopened to the original position.

SCREWED
ENDS

NARROW SEAT DISC

Control valves are usually auto-

(CONVENTIONAL)

matically controlled globe valves I

although butterfly valves are be-

FLOW

Angle Valve
FIG. 7

- 12 -

coming popular for this use, especia lly in the larger sizes.

3.

Preventi ng Back_ Flow.

Check valves perform the single function of checkin g or preventi ng

the reversa l of flow in piping.

The 15 swing check is the usual type,

with lift checks often used at pump dischar ge.

If a pump operate s

between two water levels in an open system, the water will surge
back from the top level through
the pump to the bottom level at shutdown causing it to run backwa rds,
BOLTED

damage seals, or even complet ely

BONNET-~-!

drain the pump if it is above the

FLOW

lower res evoir.

To prevent back

COMPOSITION
DISC

flow, a check valve is placed near

the pump discharg e.

This should be

Swing Check Valve

FIG 8

of the non-sla m type, to prevent

water hammer as the check closes.

Most non-sla m checks are

expensi ve and must be installe d in a vertical riser.

It is possible to use a pneuma tically operated butterly valve at the

pump discharg e to perform all three function s so far conside red.

For

this multiple use, the valve is a normally closed type so that when air
is bled from the branch air line the valve goes to the closed position .
Air can be bled manuall y, which perform s function #1.

- 13 -

If a mechanical stop is provided at the valve open position which gives

rated flow in the piping system, then after use as a shut off, the
valve automatically returns to the correct
degree of opening, and function #2 is

SCREWED UNION
RING BONNET

accomplished.

COMPOSITION DISC

A; bleed valve can also

be installed in the branch air line,

FLOW

which will automatically open whenever

the pump shuts down.

By adjusting

the bleed rate of this valve to accom-

'-SCREWED END

Lift Check Valve

FIG. 9

plish a reasonably fast closing of the

valve, function #3 is attained .

Finally, if several pumps are installed

in parallel, a check valve should be
installed in each pump discharge to
prevent water being bypassed back
through an idle pump.

See Figure 10.

Multiple Pump Piping

FIG. 10
Pressure reducing valves are occasionally used in water piping.

One

instance is when supplying clean city water to the lantern ring in a

pump seal, where the pressure must be regulated to about 5 psi above
suction pressure at the pump.

Such valves should be sized to suit

the downstream flow rate and not to suit the pipe size

- 14 -

Pressure relief valves are also sometimes required.

For instance, in

a chilled water system, there may be a stretch of pipe which can be

accidentally valved off at each end.

The water trapped between the

valves can exert a high pressure when warmed up and it may be

desirable to supply a relief valve to prevent damage.

Also, in an

extensive system in which all the control valves are the throttling
type rather than three-way valves, the pump can build up a high
pressure when all valves are nearly closed, and a relief valve is often
installed at the pump discharge to relieve the excess pressure into the
pump suction.

STRAINERS
In many piping systems, a certain amount of finely divided "trash"
can circulate without doing any great harm.

In such cases, the need

of a strainer is doubtful, and if one is used it should be no finer than

20 mesh to prevent its becoming clogged too rapidly.

Operators are

human like the rest of us and if the task of cleaning strainers becomes
too irksome, the strainer basket will get punched full of holes or be
removed.

In a condenser water system using a cooling tower and not using control
valves, the strainer provided at the tower suction connection is usually
considered sufficient.

A mud ring is sometimes installed around the

- 15 -

intake as shown in the illustration

to hold back heavy dirt so that it
accumulates in the bottom of the pan

HANDLES

where it can be easily removed at the

yearly maintenance period.

COOLING TOWER
TANK

Spare

tower sump screens should be provided

so that when the dirty screen is

STRAINER BASKET
-::-it--SUMP

lTO Cl!::O=ND=E=N=S:::!JER PUMP SUCTION

removed, it can be replaced immediately

FIG. 11
without shutting down the tower.

If a strainer is used it is usually placed at the pump suction and

a "y" pattern strainer as shown in Figure 12 is often used.

In some instances, continuous

and positive cleaning is absolutely
necessary.

Perhaps dirty river water is

being used in a once through system

for condensing purposes.

In such

cases, a double basket type strainer

such as the type illustrated in Figure

FOR BLOW OUT

13 should be provided.

It should be

installed in a location that is easily

FIG. 12

accessible, and everything should be

done to make the task of routine cleaning as easy and convenient as

- 16 -

possible, otherwise the cleaning

will be neglected.

These strainers

contain two strainers baskets and an

easily operated transfer valve diverts
flow from the dirty basket to the
clean one.

The dirty basket can

then be removed and a spare clean

basket installed.

The cleaning

can then be done at a convenient

,,

time and place, and the piping system

is not shut down for even a short
time.

These strainers are expensive

but in an extreme case, their cost

is well justified.

Self-cleaning

strainers are also available, for use

in extreme cases where dirt accumulates rapidly or for remote locations
which cannot be conveniently serviced
at frequent intervals.
FIG. 13
EXPANSION TANKS

Every closed recirculating system needs an expansion tank to take

care of expansion and contraction of water due to temperature change;
and to provide a place to automatically replace water lost through pump

.lii

- 17 -

gland leakage and other losses.

An open tank is preferre d, and is

usually placed at the top of the return main closest to the pump so
(See

as to maintain a positive suction pressure at the pump intake.

Figure 14).

If it is impract ical to install an open tank at the top of

the system because of difficult y in protecti ng the tank from freezing ,

obtainin g city water supply, or providin g overflow drains, a closed
expansi on tank may be installe d at any conveni ent point in the
system .

It should. be tied in as close

as possible to the lowest pressure point,

QUICK FILL LINE

and may need a vacuum breaker to prevent

FLOAT
VALVE

collapse of the tank if the system is

GAGE
GLASS

GATE
VALVE-....

drained .

See Figure 15.

DRAIN VALVE-....
(GATE VALVE)

The variatio n in volume of the water can

be calculat ed by obtainin g the total internal volume of the system includin g

TO DRAIN
TRAP
EXPANSION LINE
ENLARGED PORTION OF
RETURN LINE TO PERMIT
AIR SEPARATION~
(NOTE 2)
RETURN
LINE

piping, heat exchang ers, pumps, etc.

and multiply ing the volume by the change
in specific volume of water between the

( I r MIN.)

ENLARGED TEE FOR

AIR SEPARATION

L:..-1
AT LEAST 4d

.J

NORMAL LINE SIZE

f--1~1,_J i
"-CIRCULAT ING PUMP

FIG. 14

highest and lowest tempera ture expecte d.

This change in volume is usually about
1% for chilled water systems and 3% for hot water systems .

page 3-31 of the Design Manual) .

(See Table 15,

A safety factor of about 25% should

- 18 -

be added.

Note that the volume calculate d is not the volume of

the expansion tank but the volume of the space above the normal water

'

level in the tank.

The equalizer line from the expansion

GATE
VALVE

tank to the system should be at least

SIGHT

1 1/2" size and should' not be provided with a shut off valve.

GL~

In a

chilled water system, the sides

GATE
VALVE_/

and bottom of the tank and the equalizer line may have to be insulated to
FIG. 15
prevent sweating .
The connectio n of potable water to any system is usually restricted
by water departme nt rules.

These lex:: al codes should be consulted

to be sure that the method of connectin g is approved .

AIR VENTS
When properly placed, an open expansion tank acts as an air vent.
Entrained air in water can be expected to collect as bubbles of air
where the water stream reduces velocity, changes direction , or is

'

'

- 19 -

Any such point in

heated.

the system should have either

a manual or an automatic air
vent.

Figure 16 shows how an

automatic air vent is installed.

VENT

VALV~

The outlet should be piped to

a drain.

Manual vents should

be provided at heat exchangers

and cooling coils.

MAIN

OTHER ACCESSORIES

FIG. 16

Piping systems are meant to circulate definite gpm's at specified

points in the system.

After the system is in operation, it often

becomes necessary to find out if the specified quantities are in fact

being delivered.

Pressure

gages, thermometer wells, and possibly

flow meters should be provided at all necessary locations so that

this may be done and to assist the operator in trouble shooting .

Each pump should be furnished with a certified characteristic curve or

plot showing head versus gpm and gages should be provided as close

as possible to the pump suction and discharge flanges so that total

- 20 -

pressure rise across the pump can be found.

By referring to the charac-

teristic curve, the gpm can then be read from the chart.

This will

give a fairly accurate reading.

Flow meters can be installed which give a continuous reading of the
gpm flowing but the expense is usually not considered justified.
Often times 1 it is only necessary to accurately determine the flow at
very infrequent intervals, or perhaps only once to demonstrate that
specified gpms are being delivered.

In such cases, a standard ASME

orifice plate installed between two flanges, with the necessary auxiliary
tappings can be provided.
Figure 17 shows a rough sketch of a concentric orifice plate with its
pressure tappings.

For accurate

readings of gpm flows, the orifice

plate must be made, installed, and
used in strict accord with the
specificatio ns of the ASME Power
Test Code.
to the

11

For information , refer

Flow Meter Computatio n

Handbook

11

or the supplement to

FIG.

17

the Power Test Code, Chapter 4,

Flow Measureme nt, Part 5 Instruments and Apparatus.

Both publication s are available from the

- 21 -

ASME.

Note that the orifice plate forms a dam across the pipe and

dirt can collect and restrict flow.

This orifice type of flow meter

also imposes a fairly substantial additional pressure drop in the system.

For these reasons, it is often removed after use and replaced with a
flat disc which has a hole equal in diameter to the inside diameter
of the pipe.

Thermomete rs or thermomete r wells should be installed to assist the

system operator in routine operation and troubleshoo ting.

Permanent

thermomete rs of correct scale range and with separable sockets should

be used at all points where temperature readings are regularly needed

Thermomete r wells only, should be installed where readings will be
needed during start up and infrequent troubleshoo ting.
Gage cocks should be installed at points where pressure readings will
be required.

It should be remembered that gages installed permanently

in the system will deteriorate rapidly due to vibration and pulsation

and will not be reliable for use in troubleshoo ting when needed.

For

this reason, gages should be removed from the system except when readings
are being taken.

Good practice is to install gage cocks and provide the

operator with (or request that he obtain) several good quality gages for

troubleshoo ting.

Sleeves are usually provided at points where piping passes thru walls
and floors.

In finished areas, sleeves are fabricated by cutting a

- 22 -

IE'

.~

length of pipe of sufficiently large diameter for pipe and insulation

to pass thru.
sheet metal.
the wall.

In unfinished areas, sleeves may be fabricated from

Wall sleeves are generally flush with both sides of

Floor sleeves in equipment rooms usually project several

inches above the floor to prevent water leakage around the pipe in
case of flooding.
Pages 33 and 42 of the Design Manual give detailed information on
the recommended accessories, and method of piping around various
pieces of equipment, such as are found in air conditioning systems.

PIPE SIZING

'

After a piping system has been laid out and the gpm figured it
becomes necessary to size the pipe and determine the total resistance

in the system so as to know what head the pump must work against.

Pipe size is limited by the maximum velocity permissible.

Table 13

on page 21 of the Design Manual gives some recommended water

velocity limits 1 based on noise considerations and the effect of water
and entrained air wearing away or eroding the pipe.

Erosion is, of

course, increased with high velocity but it is also affected by the

number of hours of operation per year.

Table 14 on page 21 of the

Design Manual gives some recommended velocity limits, which are

based on experience and are designed to give a good balance between

'

r
i

- 23 -

pipe size (or cost) and a reasonab le life before the pipe is eroded
away.
Pipe velocity may also be limited by the total head available or
desirable .

For instance, in a city water system, the total head

(includin g static lift; pressure drops through meters, condense rs,

control valves; and pipe friction) cannot exceed the total pressure
available in the city main.

Economic considera tions such as high

pumping costs, may also place a ceiling on velocity.

Friction Loss rate in pipe may be found by using Charts 3, 4, and 5 on

pages 22, 23, and 24 in the Piping Design Manual.

Chart 3 applies to new, smooth, clean standard weight steel pipe and
can be used to determine the friction loss rate in a closed piping
system, such as a chilled water recirculat ing system.
Chart 4 applies to steel pipe which has been subjected to scaling and
corrosion for 15 to 20 years.

This chart is used to determine the

friction loss rate in open recirculat ing type systems such as condense r
water systems using cooling towers.
Chart 5 is used to determine friction loss in copper tubing which can be
expected to stay clean throughou t its normal life

- 24 -

Note that the friction loss or head is given in feet of water per
100 ft. of straight pipe.
Friction loss in valves, fittings, or obstructions can be evaluated by
assigning an equivalent length of straight pipe to each size and type
of fitting as shown in Tables 10, 11, and 12 in the Piping Design
Manual.

For instance, in Table 10, we note that a 4" globe valve

has an equivalent length of 120 feet.

In other words, the friction

loss in one 4" globe is the same as that through 120 feet of 4"
straight pipe.

Note that a 4" angle valve is equivalent to only 4 7 feet

of 4" pipe, yet both valves perform the same function.

~.

In a closed system, friction is the only loss or head which the pump
has to overcome.

The height of water on the suction side of the pump

is always exactly equal to the height on the discharge side.

In open

systems, this is not true, and there is always a difference in head on

the two sides of the pump.

In a cooling tower, for instance, the

height between the water in the pan and the exit from the distribution
at the top of the tower constitutes an unbalanced 'head which must be
overcome by the pump.

If the distribution system consists of spray

nozzles which require a pressure behind them to force water through the
nozzles, this pressure must be added to the unbalanced static head.

'

'

- 25 -

The total head on the pump will consist of the following:

pipe friction head, including entrance and exit losses; losses through
fittings, valves, and accessories; pressure losses through equipment,
such as coolers, condensers, cooling coils, etc.; any unbalanced
head between reservoirs and at the base of cooling towers; and
pressure drops through nozzles or similar equipment.

Pipe Sizing Example.

21

Tower Nozzles Require - 8 psi

T
l

COOLING
TOWER 12

99

Pressure drop thru cond. = 13 psi

(Includfog ent. & exit losses)

Pressure Drop thru Strainers

10

GPM

4 psi

1200

Max. Velocity
Pump - 8
1

8 ft. per second

suction connection

85
GATE VALVE

6" discharge
All elbows are long radius

COND.
1

1--12 --i i-12'-I

FIG.

18

Since this is an open recirculating system, we will use Chart 4 on

page 23 of the Piping Design Manual, to determine friction losses .

Referring to the Chart, we find that an 8 11 pipe size gives 7. 7 ft.
per sec. velocity and 3.8 ft. per 100 ft. friction loss.

- 26 -

Total equiva lent length of straigh t pipe (Tables 10, 11, and 12)
Straigh t pipe

10 + 85 + 12 + 12 + 3 + 2 + 8 + 20 + 99 + 21 + 8 + 3

675 x 3.8

283'

283'
24'
130'
18'
220'
675'

Equiva lent lengths

Exit loss - sump =
Ells = 10 @ 13' =
Gate Valves = 2 @ 9
Lift Check =

Frictio n Loss

= 26'

100

Note that if we had used an angle lift check instead of one elbow
we could have reduce d the total equiva lent lengths by the followi ng:
Deduct one ell

Diff. in checks

13'

=
220' - 85'

135'

'

'

148'
This is 5. 6 1 friction head or ..hQ. x 100
26

21% of the total friction head.

Total Head on Pump

Frictio n Head

26'

Unbala nced head at base of tower

Pressu re drop in straine r

Pressu re drop in conden ser

Pressu re drop in nozzle s
TOTAL
25 psi x 2.31

12'

4 psi

=
=

13 psi
8 psi
25 psi
58'

=
TOTAL HEAD ACROSS PUMP

96'

- 27 -

At this point, some designers add a safety factor of 5 to 10%.

We

have neglected the loss in the 6" to 8" increaser at the pump disOn the other hand, we are starting out with clean pipe

charge.

and it is unknown whether the pipe will "age" to the predicted

condition.

At the start, the pump has a tendency to pump more

gpm than needed which might overload the pump motor.

Note that the

reduction in head due to clean pipe would be (refer to Chart 3 page

22 of the Design Manual).

26' -

675
100

x 22

26 - 15'

11'

or 11 1/2% of the total head.

Let us be conservative and select a pump to handle 1200 gpm at 100'

total head.

Direct Return System Sizing

In any direct return system which contains several parallel circuits,
the pressure drop through each circuit at its rated flow must equal
the available difference in pressure between the supply and return mains
at the circuit connections.

Since the available pressure differences will

vary with the distance from the pump, balancing valves may be required
in. some of the circuits to insure rated flow in that circuit.

At the end of this presentation, a work session is included to illustrate

problems encountered in designing a direct return system.

- 28 -

PUM PS

ng syst em and figu red out the

Afte r the desi gne r has laid out the pipi
a pum p.
tota l pum ping hea d, he mus t sele ct

The pum p (or pum ps)

shou ld be easy to serv ice,

mus t fit into the spa ce ava ilab le, and
aga inst the exis ting hea d
and be able to pum p the nec essa ry gpm
at the low est pos sibl e hors epo wer .
the man ufac ture rs cata logs .
Info rma tion abo ut pum ps is foun d in
pum ping clea r wat er at 60F
Suc h info rma tion is usu ally base d on
to mos t con ditio ns foun d in air
and is app lica ble with out corr ecti on

con ditio ning wor k.

PUM P TERMS

per min ute, alth oug h othe r unit s

Cap acit y is usu ally give n in gall ons
is is volu me per unit of time .
may be use d. In any cas e, the bas

Hea d

ress ed in feet of the

is a form of ener gy and is usu ally exp

in.
liqu id bein g pum ped or pou nds per sq.

Tota l hea d aga inst whi ch

hea d (or lift) ; disc harg e head ;

a pum p mus t wor k con sist s of suct ion
fric tion head ; and velo city hea d.
the pum p suct ion noz zle and
Suc tion Hea d is the tota l pres sure at
; entr anc e loss and fric tion hea d
incl ude s; stat ic suct ion hea d (or lift)

).

- 29 -

I
I

'

in the suction line; velocity head; and any positive pressure which may
exist on the suction reservoir.

With the system in operation, a

pressure gage at the pump suction would indicate a positive static suction
head minus suction line friction head; minus velocity head.

A vacuum

gage would read suction lift plus friction head plus velocity head.

Discharge head is the total pressure at pump discharge and includes

static discharge head;

plus any positive pressure existing at the discharge

reservoir; discharge pipe friction loss; plus equipment pressure drop;

and velocity head.

A discharge pressure gage would indicate total

discharge head but not including velocity head.

. .
I
fl

Total head

is the Jischarge head minus the suction head, or discharge

head plus suction lift

Nhere suction pressure is below atmospheric

pressure.

Velocity head is usually neglected in pump calculations because it is

a very small part of the total head (at 8 fps velocity it equals
or 64/64. 4 = 1 ft.)

Calculations of pumping head are not sufficiently

accurate to warrant concern with velocity head.

~

v2/2g

It should be

remembered, however, that the pump must furnish the additional energy

represented by the velocity head, and in open systems the velocity

head is lost when the water is discharged to atmosphere .

Liquid horsepower is obtained by the following formula Liq. HP=

GPM x 8.33 (lb./gal) x Hd. (ft.)

33,000

GPM x Hd.
3960

!1''

- 30 -

Brake Horsepower - is the power required to drive the pump and equals
Liquid Horsepower divided by the overall efficiency of the pump.

'

'

Overall efficiency is determined by test measurement and includes

mechanical as well as hydraulic losses.

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

If the pressure anywhere in a piping system falls below the vapor

pressure of the liquid, vapor bubbles will form.

When moved into

This is called

a higher pressure area, these bubbles will collapse.

cavitation and is most apt to occur at the inlet to the pump impeller.
It causes noisy pump operation, rapid erosion and wear, or in extreme

Pump ma nu-

cases, violent water hammer, and it must be avoided.

facturers give the NPSH required by their pumps, usually on the

characteristic curves, at various capacities (see figure 35 & 36).
NPSH is equal to the pressure drop in feet of liquid from suction flange
to the point inside the impeller where pressure starts to rise.

Available

NPSH at the pump suction must always be greater than NPSH required by
the pump.

To find the available NPSH in a given system at the pump suction

flange, use the following formula:
NPSH

- h

vp

+ (h

- h