A liquid ring pump includes a housing defining an interior working space sized to receive a quantity of gas and a quantity of sealing liquid, a pump head coupled to the housing and defining an inlet channel, an outlet space, and a cone seal area, and an intake valve movable between an opened position and a closed position to control the quantity of a gas entering the inlet channel. A reservoir contains a quantity of sealing liquid, a pump discharge path provides fluid communication between the outlet space and the reservoir, and a first flow member includes a first valve coupled to the reservoir and the inlet channel to provide fluid communication therebetween. A second flow member includes a second valve coupled to the reservoir and the cone seal area to provide fluid communication therebetween and a rotor is supported for rotation by a shaft, the rotor disposed at least partially within the working space, the pump operable in a start-up mode to draw sealing liquid into the working space via only the first flow member and during normal operation to draw sealing liquid into the working space via only the second flow member.
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