Which TFT Ball Intake Valve is Right for Drafting?

“We are looking at replacing our intake valve on the pumper tanker and most of our response area does not have hydrants. Is there a particular intake valve for a department like ours that does almost all drafting.”

In this episode of Ask TFT, Brian Podsiadlik explains why the TFT Jumbo Intake Valve is the best for drafting operations.

Why is the Jumbo Intake Valve Best for Drafting?

When your crew is drafting from a water source, you are creating a prime that pulls the water from your source and into your pump. This is different than when using a fire hydrant, since they provide pressure to help move the water.

The largest waterway on an intake valve will always give you the most flow efficient design. This means your friction loss will be lower with a larger waterway.

For example, the our Jumbo Intake Valve has a 5.25″ waterway. This waterway allows a 2000 GPM capacity with only five PSI of friction loss. Our regular intake valve as a 3.65″ waterway, which still allows for 2000 GPM but with a slightly higher friction loss of 8 PSI.

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