Pump Care

  • Installation : Most cases of pump bearing, motor bearing, coupling and shaft failure are caused by misalignment of the pump and driver resulting from improper initial installation of the pumping equipment.
  • Good Foundation : The importance of a good foundation cannot b overemphasized if you want a trouble-free installation.
  • Field Alignment : Field alignment is necessary due to bedplate distortion caused by handling, shipment or uneven foundation mounting surfaces. Factory alignments cannot be depended upon during or after installation.
  • Bedplate Grouting : With the bedplate properly installed, it must be grouted. Grout is a concrete material that is used to fill the cast iron or fabricated steel bedplate so that when hardened, the bedplate and foundation are as one.
  • Initial Alignment : Correct alignment of your pump and driver is of extreme importance for trouble-free mechanical operations. Noisy pump operation, reduced bearing life, shaft failures, coupling failures and waste of power may result from faulty alignment.
  • Keep Air Out : Majority of pumps where not designed to operate on a mixture of liquid and gases. To do so is an invitation to serious mechanical trouble, shortened life and unsatisfactory operation.
  • Excessive Throttling : A centrifugal pump should never be operated continuously near shutoff or zero capacity. To do so may shorten the life of the pump and greatly increase down time and maintenance.
  • Mechanical Seals : Mechanical seals behave very much like bearings. Conditions that lead to bearing failure also lead to mechanical seal breakdown. Here are following conditions to consider:
    • Misalignment, Lack of Lubrication, Overheating, Abrasive Damage, Corrosion.
  • Ball Bearings : Ball bearings are carefully designed and made to watch-like tolerances. They give long, trouble-free service when properly used. They will not stand abuse:
    • Keep Clean, Pull Bearings Carefully, Inspect Bearings and Shaft, Check New Bearings, Install Carefully
  • Impeller Clearance : Abrasive wear an open impeller is distributed over the diametrical area swept by the vanes. The resulting total wear has less effect on performance than the same total wear concentrated on the radial ring clearance of a closed impeller.
  • Pump Maintenance Records : Complete maintenance records, filed in accessible location, are invaluable in diagnosing pump failure, in ordering repair parts, in establishing lubrication and maintenance scheduling.