engineering
How do pumps work at splash pads?
Quick answer
Splash pad pumps draw water from the surge tank, push it through filters and disinfection, then send it to the spray features at the right pressure. Most installations use one or more centrifugal pumps with 1-10 HP motors, often paired with variable-speed drives.
Splash pad pumps are typically end-suction centrifugal pumps similar to those used in pools, sized for the system's flow and pressure requirements. The pump pulls water from the surge tank through a hair-and-lint strainer, drives it through the filter (sand, cartridge, or DE), then through any disinfection equipment, and finally delivers it to the spray feature manifold. Pump horsepower ranges from 1-3 HP for small residential pads to 10+ HP for large municipal installations with many features. Many newer pads use variable-frequency drives (VFDs) that vary motor speed to match demand, saving 30-50% on electricity versus single-speed pumps. Larger pads have multiple pumps in parallel: one or two run continuously, others kick in for peak demand. Backup pumps provide redundancy when one fails.