Buying pumps for your business is a major decision for most companies. The initial cost of equipment, the installation and the on-going normal maintenance all affect capital costs. Maintaining and understanding why pumps fail can save your company costs and down time affects to your business. Let’s look at ways we can kill a pump.
1. Overwork it:
Work the pump continuously at higher capacities, flows, heads, or speeds than originally specified.
2. Under or over lubricate:
Never grease or oil the pump or over grease your pump.
3.Choke it:
Lower the water level in the sump.
Let the suction strainer clog and never clean it.
Let the temperature of fluid rise without raising the suction pressure.
4. Fry it:
Operate at shutoff for a long time with the bypass line closed tight will convert your power to heat.
5. Poison it:
Change the pumped fluid without checking with manufacturer (for example adding chemicals).
6. Stab it:
Remove the suction strainers which will introduce grit, sand, and scale into the fluid.
7. Piping and coupling loads:
Impose heavy piping loads on the suction and discharge nozzle, either through initial misalignment or
through thermal expansion.
8. Shake it:
Don’t align at installation or install on a flimsy foundation.
9. Drown it:
For a mechanical sealed pump, plugging the vent line and forcing the leakage into the bearing housing.
For a packed pump with a drain for the gland leakage:
Plug the drain with a cigarette butt, gum, or paper.
Remove the water shield.
Line up the splits on the packing rings.
10. Neglect check-ups:
Ignore the manufacturer’s recommendations for “check-ups”.
Don’t check packing, gaskets, O-Rings, or other small parts.
Don’t ever repaint it, or lubricate the couplings, if required
Don’t check vibration.
By: Detroit Pump & Mfg. Co.
8/15/2018
