What is a pump curve and why is it Important? Every pump has a pump curve or performance curve--a graph of the overall performance capabilities of your pump. A pump curve may also be displayed in a chart format and can provide the same information.

Either way, a pump curve or performance chart displays a pump’s ability to sustain a certain flow rate (gpm) at a specific pressure (psi).

Not all pumps perform the same way, even if they are connected to the same engine. For this reason, it is important to look at a pumps performance chart or curve to know if the pump will work for your application.

The largest sprinkler we recommend using with a 2-inch trash pump would be the SIME K-1 sprinkler or the 1250K sprinkler cart, which has the K-1 sprinkler attached to it.

This sprinkler has a set of nozzles that use a flow range of 10 gpm up to 50 gpm. If you choose a sprinkler that requires more flow, your trash pump will not be able to produce the proper flow with enough pressure.

What's the difference between a high pressure pump and trash pump? There is a significant difference between using a trash pump compared to a high-pressure pump when providing water to your big sprinkler(s).

A trash pump is designed to have a large flow rate with a low amount of pressure. A high-pressure pump is designed to move water with much higher levels of pressure.

If you are going to be using a pump to supply the water to your sprinkler, it is important to get the right size pump for the intended performance level.

Each sprinkler comes with a performance chart. Use this to find out the pressure and flow rate needed to use that sprinkler to water the area you wish to cover.

Then, find the performance chart provided on the pump you’re interested in to find the option that will produce the required flow at adequate pressure to match the requirements of your sprinkler and the distance you wish to cover with water.

How much gpm and psi is required to get a certain amount of coverage? Our sprinklers come with a set of nozzle sizes, which are fitted to each specific sprinkler. We have a performance chart for each sprinkler that shows the distance that can be covered with a given flow and pressure through each nozzle size. You can use this to match your flow rate and pressure with the proper nozzle size for the area you want to cover.

Reaching a greater distance requires a larger sprinkler that can handle a larger flow amount. It takes a larger volume of water at high pressure for the stream to not dissipate before reaching its end point.