What is a known drawback of piston positive displacement pumps?

Piston positive displacement pumps are characterized by their mechanism, which involves moving a piston back and forth within a cylinder to displace a specific volume of fluid with each stroke. One of the notable drawbacks of this design is that it can lead to a pulsating flow in the fire stream. This occurs because the pumping action is not continuous but rather a series of discrete strokes, meaning that the fluid is pushed out in bursts rather than in a smooth, steady stream. This pulsation can affect the performance of firefighting operations, as a continuous and steady stream is generally more desirable for effective water delivery and accurate targeting during firefighting efforts.

In contrast, other options do not accurately capture the primary drawback associated with piston positive displacement pumps. The maintenance costs can vary and may not be prohibitively expensive, the operation pressure can range widely based on design and application, and while sediment clogging can happen in various types of pumps, it is more related to the general design and condition of the fluid rather than a specific characteristic of piston positive displacement pumps.