Drum pumps make it easy to remove liquids from heavy drums. They come in different types, including hand-operated, electric, and air-operated pumps, and can be used for various liquids. They are also available with flow measurement mechanisms and can fit smaller containers.
Removing liquids from a 55 gallon (208.2 liter) drum or drum is made infinitely easier by using a drum pump. Liquids that may need to be pumped from a drum include water, oil, and fuel. Since water alone weighs approximately 8 pounds (3.5 kg) per gallon, a 55-gallon (208.2 liter) drum of water would weigh approximately 440 pounds (about 200 kg). Oil, fuel and other liquids usually weigh at least that amount, if not more. Simply tipping over a drum of that weight is difficult, not to mention dangerous.
In essence, a drum pump is a pumping mechanism between two hoses or a hose and a hose. The bottom suction tube or pipe is generally the exact depth of the typical 55 gallon (208.2 liter) drum, while the discharge tube can be longer or shorter as needed. The pump mechanism is located on top of the drum. This little pump is simply inserted into the drum, and is used to pump the liquid from the drum to another container, or vat. Since the terms drum and cylinder are essentially interchangeable, drum pumps are very often known as drum pumps.
As a rule, the vacuum hose or tube is inserted into a plug hole in the top of the drum. Some keg pumps, however, will have an attached skirt that fits over the top of the keg if no cap is available and the entire lid needs to be removed. The typical drum pump is a hand pump. The operator simply operates a handle on the pump housing, thereby pumping the liquid from the drum to the vessel.
While there are electric drum pumps, as well as air-operated or pneumatic drum pumps, the type of drum pump used will depend on the nature of the liquid being pumped, as well as the complexity of the pumping operation. Many liquids are volatile, making them unsuitable for an electric drum pump for obvious reasons. Air operated pumps, on the other hand, require air lines and compressors which can be expensive and cumbersome. Often times, a hand-operated drum pump is used in the food industry simply because more attachments mean more lubrication, therefore more chances of food contamination.
While there are drum pumps manufactured with built-in flow measurement mechanisms, a drum pump is reasonably easy to set up with a flow meter attachment, thus allowing the flow of the pumped liquids to be measured. Additionally, drum pumps are manufactured to fit smaller containers, such as 30-gallon (115.36 liter) drums and even five-gallon (18.93 liter) pails.
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