Pump Surge control valves are ubiquitous features of most pump stations and
pumping plants. Because most pumping plants are pumping to elevated storage, some of
the new features found in variable frequency control drives are often, by expense, not
appropriate for such systems where variations of flow are not needed. The goal is to get
that water out to the distribution system and fill that tank or take care of that demand as
efficiently and as expeditiously as possible. However, the need to take the initial starting
force of a pump and motor starting instantaneously to full speed in most standard motor
controls and slowly introduce that flow to the distribution system through a slowly
opening control valve is a well respected, time honored and common practice in water
systems throughout the world. The paper provides a line diagram of a standard pump surge
control integrated into a standard motor control. This paper deals initially with
diaphragm control valves but there are similarities in issues with quarter turn operators on
ball and butterfly valves employed as pump surge controllers as well. Includes figures.