Flood feed versus suction feed is the way to prevent cavitation in your hydraulic/fluid power system. When you have a flooded suction, you have a reservoir either to the side or above the pump itself—so that you use the height of the fluid to create pressure to push into the pump itself. The pump doesn’t count on pulling suction, so the chance of cavitation and angles within the system are very low.
Whereas you have an application where your pump and motor are mounted above the reservoir. It has to pull suction so if you have any issues related to viscosity or a clogged suction strain or all the things that cause poor inlet conditions, those can be exacerbated when you’re pulling out the suction.
Filed Under: Mobile Hydraulic Tips