What Is the Perforated Paddle?
The Perforated Paddle replaces the standard solid paddle with one that has a symmetric pattern of holes through the paddle face. Rather than deflecting all flow around the paddle edges, some fluid passes directly through — reducing the turbulent wake and the low-pressure zone that forms behind a solid paddle.
This is particularly valuable in applications with high-velocity, turbulent, or pulsating flow where a solid paddle would chatter, give false trips, or suffer cavitation damage over time.
Key Features
Turbulence Reduction
Symmetrically placed perforations allow fluid to pass through the paddle face rather than deflecting entirely around it. This breaks up the turbulent wake behind the paddle and stabilizes the actuation point.
Cavitation Prevention
High-velocity flow creates a low-pressure zone behind a solid paddle — a vacuum that can cause cavitation damage to the paddle and pipe wall. The perforations equalize pressure across both faces, preventing vacuum buildup.
Symmetric Pattern
The perforation pattern is precisely symmetric to ensure balanced flow forces on both sides of the paddle. Asymmetric loading would cause the paddle to drift off-center, leading to erratic switching behavior.
Combinable with Paddle Shroud
For the most demanding high-velocity and turbulent applications, the Perforated Paddle can be specified together with the Paddle Shroud — providing both structural reinforcement and turbulence reduction in a single assembly.
Combine with the Paddle Shroud
For the most demanding applications — high velocity AND turbulence — specify both the Perforated Paddle and the Paddle Shroud together. The shroud provides structural reinforcement while the perforations handle turbulence and cavitation.
Learn about the Paddle ShroudSpecifications
| Primary Use | Turbulence & cavitation reduction |
| Compatible Series | N, E, H Series |
| Perforation Pattern | Symmetric — balanced flow forces |
| Combinable With | Paddle Shroud (specify both) |
| Materials | Matches base unit wetted materials |