Pump Operations
Pump Curve
The pump curve is the relationship between how much water a pump moves and how much pressure it can make at the same time — more flow means less available pressure. It explains why pressure drops when you open another line.
A pump trades pressure for flow. At zero flow it sits at churn, its highest pressure; as discharges open and flow climbs, the pressure it can hold falls along the curve. The curve is fixed for a given engine speed.
Understanding the curve dissolves a common myth: the pump does not 'create pressure' on demand. Pressure appears where flow meets resistance, and asking for more flow at the same throttle simply moves you down the curve to a lower pressure.