- Do keep delivery and suction lines as short as possible.
- Do use the minimum number of bends in rigid pipe runs. If there must be a bend use a swept bend and not a tight elbow.
- Do use suction and delivery pipelines with a bore equal to or larger than the tube bore fitted in the pumphead. When pumping viscous fluids, the losses caused by increased friction can be overcome by using pipe runs with a cross sectional area several times greater than the pumping element.
- Do run at a slow speed when pumping viscous fluids.
- Do use largest bore tube running at slow speed for longest tube life.
- Do not fit valves in the suction or delivery line without considering that peristaltic pumps are self-priming and will hold their prime up to several metres, so there may be no need for non-return or foot valves, nor loading valves used on many other kinds of pumps.
- Valves when fitted must cause no restriction. If electrically actuated valves are fitted, they should be interlocked so that the pump will only run when the valves are open. Fit an automatic by-pass if manual valves are installed.
- Tube selection: The chemical compatibility list published by Watson-Marlow catalogue is only a guide. If in doubt request a tube sample card for immersion trials.
- In sterile or long running applications, a useful hint is to fit an extra length of pump tube in the system so that you can move the tube along from time to time, without needing to break the pumping circuit.
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