Dive into the 2026 NY Wastewater Exam – Flush Away the Competition with Confidence!

The type of pump that utilizes rollers or shoes to compress a flexible hose and discharge material is the peristaltic pump. This design operates by having a rotating mechanism that moves the rollers along the hose, creating a vacuum that draws fluid in and then expels it as the roller continues to push through the hose. The key characteristic of this pumping action is that it can handle a variety of fluids, including those that may be viscous or sensitive, without contamination since the fluid only comes into contact with the internal hose material.

Peristaltic pumps are particularly beneficial in applications where the fluid being pumped must remain sterile or unchanged, as the mechanism avoids backflow and ensures minimal shear stress on the fluid. This feature makes them especially popular in medical and pharmaceutical applications, as well as in water treatment processes.

Other pump types, such as diaphragm, reciprocating, and submersible pumps, have different operating principles. Diaphragm pumps operate using a flexible diaphragm to create a pumping action, while reciprocating pumps use a back-and-forth movement of a piston or plunger to move fluids. Submersible pumps are designed to be submerged in the fluid they are pumping. None of these pump types use the roller mechanism characteristic of peristalt