Front view of a black industrial double diaphragm pump with green gaskets on a white background.

WA Series

3 Inch WA Series Metallic Air Operated Double Diaphragm Pump

The 3 inch WA series metallic AODD pump delivers 897 LPM at 8.3 bar, making it the highest flow option in the WA range. It handles fluids with suspended solids up to 9.5 mm and lifts 5.4 m dry. The pump is available in aluminum, cast iron or 316 stainless steel, with bolted construction for leak-free operation and easy access to internal parts. It runs on 3/4 inch air and requires no oiler, so it starts under load every time and can be dead headed without damage.

Maximum flow rate	237GPM(897 LPM)
Maximum operating pressure	120psi(8.3bar)
Suspended solids max diameter	3/8"(9.5mm)
Fluid inlet	3"BSPT or 3"NPT
Fluid outlet	3"BSPT or 3"NPT

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Metalworking And Machine Tools Chemical Processing Water And Wastewater Treatment

Key Benefits

What The 3 Inch Metallic Build Buys You

The WA series is a separate platform from DP3X. It is built for durability and serviceability, not for the latest air end design.

The Largest Volume In The WA Series

At 897 LPM, it outperforms the 2 inch WA at 651 LPM and the 1-1/2 inch WA at 340.7 LPM. It is the only 3 inch metallic model in the WA range for high flow transfer duty.

Lightweight For Its Size In Aluminum

At 49.8 kg, the aluminum version is less than half the weight of the stainless steel at 100.8 kg or cast iron at 96.7 kg. Two people can carry it between tanks or skids without a trolley.

No Oiler On The Air Line

The air end is self lubricating and lube free. No oiler is fitted, so there is no oil mist in the exhaust and no maintenance task to check or refill.

Stall Free Operation

The air motor design ensures the pump shifts cleanly between strokes, even under load. It does not hang at mid stroke and does not need a tap to restart.

Bolted Construction For Leak-Free Handling

The fluid caps and center body are bolted together, not welded or glued. This allows for easy disassembly and reassembly without damaging the seal surface.

Easy Access For Maintenance

The fluid caps are removable without tools. Ball checks and diaphragms can be replaced in minutes without removing the pump from the line.

Who It Is For

Who Buys This Pump

The 3 inch WA metallic pump is for plants that need high flow from a portable, air-driven unit and already use the WA series. It is not a DP3X replacement.

Chemical and pharmaceutical plants transferring bulk liquids between storage tanks and reactors
Machine shops and metalworking facilities pumping coolant, quenching oil and swarf-laden fluid
Waste water treatment plants feeding filter presses and dosing tanks
OEMs building skid-mounted transfer units or filter carts
Contractors who need one pump to empty large sumps and tanks
Plants replacing a 3 inch competitor AODD pump and wanting to keep the same pipework

Problems It Solves

Problems This Pump Is Bought To Fix

Most enquiries for this model come from sites that have a pump failing at one of these five points.

A centrifugal pump loses prime when the tank runs low, while this pump self primes and runs dry without damage
Line blockages deadhead the pump, and an AODD simply stops and restarts when the valve opens
Coolant and quenching oil carry chips and grit that damage close clearance pumps, while ball checks pass solids to 9.5 mm
Electric pumps bring an area classification issue in a solvent storage area, and air drive avoids that entirely
A heavier 3 inch pump cannot be moved by two people, but 49.8 kg can be carried between duties

Application Scenarios

Where It Ends Up In A Plant

01

Tanker And Drum Unloading

Self priming with 5.4 m of dry suction lift, so it empties a road tanker or drum bank from ground level without a foot valve.

02

Bulk Transfer Between Tanks

Handles high volume transfer between large storage tanks, with flow control via air pressure and throttle valve.

03

Filter Press Feed

Can be dead headed as the cake builds and restarts when the press is stripped, without damage.

04

Sump And Pit Emptying

One person carries it to the pit, drops the hose in, and runs it dry at the end without burning out the diaphragm.

Technical Features

How The Air End Is Built

The WA series uses a separate platform from DP3X. It has a different air motor design and does not use the pilot valve system.

Stall Free Air Motor
The air motor design ensures clean, positive shift between strokes. It does not hang at mid stroke and restarts under load every time.
Lube Free Air System
No lubricator is fitted to the air inlet. The system is self lubricating and requires no oiling or maintenance.
Bolted Fluid Section
The fluid caps and center body are bolted together. This allows for easy disassembly and reassembly without damaging the seal surface.
Easy Access To Internal Parts
Fluid caps are removable without tools. Ball checks and diaphragms can be replaced in minutes without removing the pump from the line.
Interchangeable Connection Options
Fluid inlets and outlets are available in 3 inch BSPT or 3 inch NPT. The air inlet is 3/4 inch BSPT, with 3/4 inch NPT available on request.
Selectable Wetted Materials
Center body, fluid caps, manifold, seat, ball check, diaphragm, connection thread and hardware are each chosen in the model code.

Specifications

Published Performance

Transcribed from the performance table Nuodean publishes for this model in the series catalogue.

Maximum flow rate	237GPM(897 LPM)
Maximum operating pressure	120psi(8.3bar)
Suspended solids max diameter	3/8"(9.5mm)
Fluid inlet	3"BSPT or 3"NPT
Fluid outlet	3"BSPT or 3"NPT
Air inlet	3/4"BSPT(3/4"NPT available on request)
Maximum dry suction lift	17.6feet(5.4m)
Sound level	86.3db(A) at 70psi, 60 cycles/min.
Weight	aluminum 109.8 lbs(49.8kg); stainless steel 222.2 lbs(100.8kg); cast iron 213.1 lbs(96.7kg)
Model series code	WA66630X-XXX-C, WA66632X-XXX-C

Materials

Material Options

Set in the model code. Ask us if you need a combination the code allows but the sheet does not show.

Wetted body material	Aluminum, cast iron or 316 stainless steel
Diaphragm options	Nitrile, PTFE/Santoprene, Composite PTFE, Hytrel, Santoprene, Nitrile
Ball check options	Nitrile, PTFE, Stainless Steel, Hytrel, Santoprene
Seat options	Aluminum, 316 Stainless Steel, PVDF (Kynar), Carbon Steel, Hard Stainless Steel, Hytrel, Santoprene, Nitrile

Performance figures are transcribed from the Nuodean data sheet for this pump. Flow is measured at the pump discharge with water at ambient temperature; your duty point depends on air supply pressure, suction conditions, fluid viscosity and discharge head. Ask our engineers to confirm the duty point before you order.

Quality Control

Before It Is Crated

Every pump is run on air before it leaves, so the shift behaviour is checked rather than assumed
Sound level is published for the model at 70 psi and 60 cycles per minute so you can hold us to it
Ball, seat and diaphragm materials are checked against the ordered model code at assembly
The pump ships with the data sheet and both the fluid section and air section part lists

Customization

What You Can Change

Center body in aluminum, cast iron or 316 stainless steel
Fluid caps and manifold in aluminum, 316 stainless steel or cast iron
Seat in aluminum, 316 stainless steel, PVDF, carbon steel, hard stainless steel, Hytrel, Santoprene or nitrile
Ball check in neoprene, nitrile, Viton, PTFE, EPDM, acetal, polyurethane, stainless steel, Hytrel or Santoprene
Diaphragm in neoprene, nitrile, Viton, PTFE with Santoprene backing, EPDM, acetal, Hytrel or Santoprene
3 inch BSPT or 3 inch NPT fluid connections, stainless steel or carbon steel hardware
3/4 inch NPT air inlet in place of the standard 3/4 inch BSPT, on request

Comparison

Against The Alternatives

Where this pump wins and where you should be buying something else.

Versus the 3 inch DP3X aluminum pump	Same 897 LPM and same 8.3 bar, but the DP3X has a pilot valve system for faster shift and lower noise. The WA series is simpler and more serviceable, but not as quiet. Choose DP3X for lower sound and faster cycling.
Versus the 3 inch cast iron WA pump	The cast iron version at 96.7 kg is the choice for abrasive slurry duty where wall wear matters. The aluminum version at 49.8 kg is the choice where weight and portability matter.
Versus the 3 inch polypropylene pump	The polypropylene pump handles strong acids and alkalis that would attack aluminum, at a lower 237 GPM. Pick polypropylene on chemistry, not on flow.
Versus the 2 inch WA aluminum pump	The 2 inch WA at 651 LPM is sufficient for most transfer duties. The 3 inch WA is only needed when 897 LPM is genuinely required.
Versus a centrifugal pump	The centrifugal is cheaper to run at a fixed high flow with clean fluid. This pump wins when the tank runs dry, the line blocks, the fluid carries solids or the area cannot take a motor.
Versus the 3 inch flap valve pump	The flap valve pump passes 50 mm solids and is designed for high solids content. The WA series is for clean to moderately loaded fluids. Choose the flap valve pump when solids exceed 9.5 mm.

Use Guide

Getting The Best Out Of It

Five things that decide whether this pump does 897 LPM or half of it.

Give It Real Air
Flow follows air. Use the full 3/4 inch inlet, keep the hose short and confirm the compressor can hold pressure at the flow the pump asks for.
Do Not Throttle The Suction
Throttle the discharge or the air, never the suction. Starving the suction causes cavitation, hard running and short diaphragm life.
Match The Elastomer To The Fluid
Diaphragm and ball material is chosen in the model code. Get the chemistry right and the pump lasts. Get it wrong and nothing else you do will save it.
Keep Suction Lift Honest
The published 5.4 m is a dry lift figure on the data sheet. Priming a flooded suction is always easier, so put the pump below the tank where the layout allows.
Stock The Two Repair Kits
One air section kit, WA66630-Air, and one fluid section kit, WA66630-Flu, coded for your diaphragm and ball material. Between them they cover almost every wear part.

Documents

Documents For This Pump

Straight from Nuodean's own literature: series catalogues.

PDF WA Diaphragm Pump Catalogue Series Catalogues PDF 4.0 MB Download

Need a 2D or 3D CAD model of this pump? CAD on request via WhatsApp.

Answers

3 Inch WA Series Metallic Air Operated Double Diaphragm Pump FAQ

What flow will this pump actually give me?

237 GPM, which is 897 LPM, is the maximum with a free discharge and full air supply. Real duty points are lower. Send us the discharge head and the air pressure you can hold and we will tell you where on the curve you land.

Can it run dry?

Yes. An air operated double diaphragm pump can be run dry and can be dead headed against a closed valve without damage. That is the main reason plants choose one over a centrifugal pump.

What is the largest solid it will pass?

3/8 inch, which is 9.5 mm, on the suspended solids figure from the data sheet. If your fluid carries bigger solids, look at the 3 inch flap valve pump at 50 mm.

Will it replace another brand of 3 inch AODD pump?

Usually yes. The WA series pumps are built so that installation dimensions and footprint are compatible with other brands. Send a photo of the nameplate and the pipework and we will confirm before you buy.

Which diaphragm should I order?

PTFE with a Santoprene backing for aggressive solvents and acids, Santoprene for general duty and long flex life, Viton for hot oils and aromatics, nitrile for petroleum products. Tell us the fluid and the temperature and we will put the right code on the quotation.

How loud is it?

86.3 dB(A) at 70 psi and 60 cycles per minute, as printed on the data sheet. Slower cycling is quieter, and a piped exhaust takes more off.

What connections does it come with?

Fluid inlet and outlet are 3 inch BSPT or 3 inch NPT. The air inlet is 3/4 inch BSPT female, with 3/4 inch NPT available on request.