Columnists Joe Evans and Lev Nelik discuss this commonly misunderstood concept.

While cavitation is a common problem in many pumping applications across a range of industries, it is an often misunderstood concept. The following three columns, written by Pumps & Systems columnists Joe Evans and Lev Nelik, clear up these misconceptions and give end users the knowledge they need to troubleshoot this common issue.

1. Cavitation vs. Air Entrainment

The "cavitation" noise that comes from problematic pumps results from bubbles passing through the pump. But what kind of bubbles? Knowing the differences between cavitation and air entrainment is the first step to preventing equipment damage.
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2. When Bubbles Don't Burst: Why Cavitation Is Damaging

This article explains the basics of the cavitation phenomenon and why the combination of highly concentrated energy and focused direction makes a collapsing bubble so destructive.
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3. What You Need to Know about NPSH & Cavitation

The real danger of operating a pump too far off-peak comes from suction side considerations: too far to the right, and you risk running out of net positive suction head available, causing cavitation problems; too far to the left, and flow recirculation at the impeller eye will become evident through noise, vibration and damage.
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Cavitation Webinar

Want more information on diagnosing and solving cavitation and air entrainment problems in your pump system? Click here to check out our 60-minute on-demand training seminar presented by SWPA. This SWPA webinar offers CEU credits.