A supplier cannot select a drum pump from the liquid name alone.
The correct configuration also depends on concentration, viscosity, temperature, container, required flow, total head, power, site conditions, and accessories.
A complete duty sheet makes the recommendation easier to verify and quotations easier to compare.
The Short Answer: Send One Complete Duty Sheet
For reliable drum pump selection, provide six groups of information:
Liquid data: exact product name, concentration or composition, viscosity, temperature, density, solids, and special behavior.
Container data: drum, pail, IBC, or tank dimensions, opening, depth, liner, and access restrictions.
Performance data: required flow, transfer volume and time, total head, outlet pressure, and discharge layout.
Power and site data: voltage, frequency, compressed-air supply, indoor or outdoor conditions, and site safety requirements.
Material and process data: wetted-material compatibility, hygiene, cleaning, cross-contamination, and documentation needs.
Commercial scope: quantity, included accessories, spare parts, delivery requirements, and the information you expect the supplier to return.
These inputs allow a supplier to choose the pump principle, drive, tube, wetted materials, length, and accessories from the available drum pump range.
Do not guess a value simply to complete the form.
Mark it as unknown, explain the process, and ask what measurement or test is needed.
1. Describe the Liquid and Its Behavior
Give the Exact Liquid Name and Composition
Start with the exact chemical or product name.
“Oil,” “acid,” “solvent,” “resin,” or “food liquid” is too broad for a final recommendation.
Provide the concentration for a solution and the main composition for a blend.
If the trade name does not reveal the chemistry, share a current safety data sheet or a technical data sheet where permitted.
Also say whether the same pump will handle one liquid or several.
A material that is acceptable for one product may not be acceptable for another.
Product changeover may also affect the seal arrangement, cleaning method, hose, nozzle, and risk of cross-contamination.
This information helps the supplier prepare a model-specific wetted-parts review instead of selecting from the outer tube material alone.
Report Viscosity at the Transfer Temperature
Viscosity can change with temperature, so provide the value at the actual pumping condition.
Include the unit and test temperature.
If the liquid becomes much thicker when it cools, give the expected starting and normal operating conditions.
If it is shear-sensitive, thixotropic, or otherwise non-Newtonian, say how it behaves during mixing and transfer.
One apparent viscosity value may not describe the complete duty.
Viscosity affects the pump principle, motor load, flow, pressure loss, and practical hose size.
A standard impeller tube and a positive-displacement pump do not respond to viscous liquid in the same way.
If your product is thick, sticky, or difficult to feed, compare dedicated high-viscosity drum pumps and ask the supplier to confirm performance with the actual product data.
Include Temperature, Density, Solids, and Special Behavior
Give the normal, minimum, and maximum liquid temperature when they differ.
Density or specific gravity helps the supplier evaluate load and convert between head and pressure.
If you do not know it, share the product data sheet rather than assuming it is the same as water.
Describe any suspended solids, crystals, fibres, abrasive particles, or settled material.
Include particle size and solids content if known.
A statement such as “contains some particles” does not let a supplier confirm an inlet, pumping element, or strainer.
Also identify behavior that can change the design or procedure, such as:
foaming or aeration;
volatility or strong fumes;
flammability or combustibility;
crystallization, curing, or hardening;
tendency to separate or settle;
sensitivity to contamination or shear;
toxicity or other site-controlled hazards.
The supplier should use these facts together.
No single property proves that a pump is suitable.
2. Define the Source Container and Destination
Describe the Container, Opening, and Required Tube Length
State whether the source is a pail, closed-head drum, open-head drum, IBC, tote, or tank.
Provide the usable internal depth and the opening size.
A nominal container volume does not always define the correct immersion length or prove that the pump tube can pass through the opening.
Mention a liner, tapered wall, raised base, internal obstruction, or unusual lid.
If the pump must be held by a bung adapter, bracket, or cover plate, give the opening thread or mounting dimensions.
Say how much residual liquid may remain.
A normal transfer and a low-residual emptying requirement may need different equipment or operating procedures.
Explain the Receiving Point and Transfer Route
Describe where the liquid goes after it leaves the source container.
Give the vertical difference between the lowest source liquid level and the receiving point.
State whether the destination is an open container, closed vessel, machine, filter, filling head, or pressurized process.
Include the horizontal distance and routing.
A nearby open container creates a different duty from a long hose feeding elevated or restricted equipment.
If the same pump will serve several destinations, provide the minimum, normal, and most demanding route.
The supplier can then show which condition controls the selection.
3. Define the Required Performance
State the Transfer Volume, Time, and Required Flow
Give the usable volume per batch and the acceptable transfer time.
Required flow can be estimated from volume divided by time, but the process may also need a slower filling rate, adjustable flow, or a minimum and maximum range.
State the unit clearly.
Do not use the highest catalogue flow as your requirement.
Maximum flow may be measured under low-resistance test conditions.
Your actual liquid, hose, elevation, fittings, and accessories determine the operating flow.
If filling small containers, explain whether you need rapid transfer, controlled dispensing, or repeatable dosing.
These are different tasks even when the source drum is the same.
Provide Total Head or Enough Data to Calculate It
Total head includes more than vertical lift.
It can include elevation, friction through hose or pipe, losses through fittings, and pressure required by a nozzle, filter, flowmeter, valve, or receiving process.
If you cannot calculate total head, provide the complete layout with dimensions and components.
Ask the supplier to state the calculation assumptions.
Flow and head must be evaluated at the same duty point.
The article on the relationship between flow rate and head explains why two separate maximum values do not prove site performance.
List the Hose, Pipe, and Outlet Accessories
Provide the hose or pipe length, internal diameter, material, and connection type.
Count significant bends, valves, reducers, quick couplings, filters, meters, and nozzles.
Identify connected equipment that requires inlet pressure or creates backpressure.
State whether the pump should discharge freely, fill through a nozzle, or connect permanently to a process line.
Also say whether you need flow control, automatic shutoff, measurement, filtration, or low-residual emptying.
These details help the supplier size the complete transfer path and define which accessories are included in the quotation.
4. Specify Power and Site Conditions
Give the Available Electrical or Air Supply
For an electric drive, provide voltage, phase, frequency, plug requirements, and any site restrictions on cables or controls.
For an air drive, provide available running air pressure and air flow at the point of use.
A static pressure reading alone may not describe the air supply while the pump operates.
If the site needs air power, review the appropriate pneumatic drum pumps and confirm the pumping mechanism, motor, tube, hose, and accessory configuration.
“Pneumatic” describes the drive source; it does not by itself confirm liquid compatibility or site suitability.
If either power source is acceptable, say what matters most: portability, speed control, available utilities, operating cost, noise, or site policy.
Describe the Operating Area and Safety Requirements
Tell the supplier whether the pump will operate indoors, outdoors, in a wet area, in a clean area, or where dust, fumes, washdown, or corrosive atmosphere may affect the equipment.
For a hazardous area, provide the site classification and the documentation required by your plant or authority.
Do not ask for a generic “explosion-proof pump” without describing the liquid, vapor risk, area, and complete system.
Also state the ambient temperature range, grounding or bonding requirements identified by the site assessment, and any restrictions on electric equipment, compressed air, or operator access.
The supplier should confirm the complete proposed configuration against these conditions.
A motor label alone does not establish suitability for every component in the transfer system.
Explain the Duty Cycle and Handling Method
State how often the pump will run, the approximate run time per cycle, and whether the duty is intermittent or continuous.
Explain whether operators will move the pump between containers or leave it installed.
Include lifting, mounting, storage, and cleaning constraints.
Frequent changeover can increase the importance of quick connections, manageable weight, drainage, and a safe storage bracket.
A fixed installation may need different support and process connections.
5. Define Materials, Hygiene, and Cleaning Needs
Request a Complete Wetted-Parts Review
Ask the supplier to list every proposed wetted material, including the pump tube, pumping element, exposed shaft where applicable, seals, O-rings, hose liner, nozzle, valve, and meter internals.
Then compare that list with the exact liquid, concentration, temperature, and cleaning fluid.
Do not approve the pump only because one visible part uses a familiar material.
If your company already requires a material or seal, explain the source of that requirement.
The supplier should still check whether the whole configuration is compatible.
State Hygiene and Documentation Requirements
For food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, or other controlled transfer, describe the required product-contact condition, cleanability, surface requirements, connection style, and documentation.
Name the exact certificate, declaration, material record, test report, or standard your project requires.
Do not use “food grade” or “sanitary” as a substitute for the required evidence.
The supplier must confirm which documents apply to the exact proposed model and wetted components.
A general catalogue claim may not cover every configuration.
Explain Cleaning and Product Changeover
Describe how the pump will be cleaned: flushing, manual disassembly, an approved cleaning cycle, or another site procedure.
List the cleaning liquid, temperature, frequency, and acceptable residual product.
Say whether the pump will transfer only one product or switch between incompatible or contamination-sensitive products.
These details can influence the seal arrangement, disassembly method, hose and nozzle, surface design, and spare-parts plan.
6. What If Some Information Is Unknown?
Unknown data is common during early selection.
The correct response is to label it, not invent it.
Use these approaches:
If viscosity is unknown, provide the product data sheet, test temperature, and a representative sample if the supplier accepts samples.
If total head is unknown, provide a sketch with elevation, hose length, diameter, fittings, and receiving equipment.
If flow is unknown, provide container volume and acceptable transfer time.
If material compatibility is unknown, provide the exact composition and operating temperature for review.
If the area classification is unknown, ask your site safety owner before the final configuration is approved.
If the container opening is unclear, provide measured dimensions and photographs with a scale.
Ask the supplier to mark every assumption in the proposal.
An assumption can be reviewed and corrected; an invented value can quietly produce the wrong pump.
7. Copy-and-Paste Drum Pump Selection Form
Use this template when requesting a recommendation:
Liquid/product name:
Concentration or composition:
Safety or technical data sheet available: Yes / No
Viscosity and test temperature:
Normal/minimum/maximum liquid temperature:
Density or specific gravity:
Solids, particle size, fibres, or crystals:
Special behavior: foaming / volatile / flammable / shear-sensitive / settling / curing / other
Source container type and volume:
Usable internal depth and opening size:
Liner, lid, mounting, or access restrictions:
Destination and vertical elevation:
Required transfer volume and time:
Required flow range:
Known total head or outlet pressure:
Hose/pipe length and internal diameter:
Bends, valves, filter, flowmeter, nozzle, or connected equipment:
Available electric supply or compressed-air supply:
Indoor/outdoor and ambient conditions:
Hazardous-area or site safety requirements:
Required wetted materials or documentation:
Cleaning and product-changeover method:
Operating frequency and run time:
Accessories and spare parts required:
Quantity and delivery requirement:
Unknown items requiring supplier calculation or confirmation:
You can send this information through Contact Zhilong together with relevant drawings or data sheets.
8. What Should the Supplier Return to You?
A useful recommendation should be reviewable.
Ask the supplier to return:
proposed pump principle and model;
drive type and model;
pump tube material, length, and connection;
complete wetted-parts and seal-material list;
expected performance at your stated duty point;
limits or conditions that affect performance;
hose, nozzle, adapter, meter, filter, and other included accessories;
excluded items and site work required;
required operating, cleaning, and maintenance documents;
requested certificates or declarations for the exact configuration;
assumptions and information still awaiting confirmation;
spare-parts recommendation and part identification method.
This lets you compare suppliers on the same application instead of comparing unrelated catalogue maximums.
9. Common Information Gaps That Delay Selection
Avoid these frequent gaps:
giving only a broad liquid category;
giving viscosity without a temperature;
stating vertical lift but omitting hose and outlet restrictions;
requesting “maximum flow” without a transfer-time target;
giving drum volume but not depth or opening size;
choosing a tube material without checking every wetted component;
requesting explosion-proof equipment without a site classification;
omitting voltage, frequency, or running air-flow data;
forgetting cleaning liquid and product changeover;
assuming the quotation includes hose, nozzle, adapter, and meter;
hiding unknown values instead of identifying them as assumptions.
Correcting these gaps early reduces repeated questions and makes the final recommendation easier to approve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Supplier Select a Drum Pump If Viscosity Is Unknown?
A preliminary direction may be possible, but final selection can require viscosity at the pumping temperature.
Provide a data sheet, range, test condition, or sample where possible.
Ask the supplier to state any provisional assumption.
Do You Need Exact Flow and Head Before Asking for Help?
You need a defined task, even if you cannot calculate the final numbers.
Provide the volume, transfer time, elevation, hose, fittings, and receiving process.
The supplier can calculate or confirm the duty from complete layout data.
Is the Chemical Name Enough for Material Selection?
Not always.
Concentration, temperature, mixture composition, contamination, and cleaning liquid can change compatibility.
Request a complete wetted-parts list and compare it with the actual service conditions.
Why Must the Hose and Nozzle Be Included?
They contact the liquid and add resistance to the discharge path.
Their length, diameter, material, fittings, and control devices can affect compatibility, delivered flow, and the items included in the quotation.
Conclusion
Give your supplier one complete duty sheet covering the liquid, container, performance, power, site, materials, cleaning, and accessories.
Mark unknown values clearly and request documented assumptions.
This turns a general inquiry into a configuration you can verify, compare, and approve.
