Industrial Water Pumps

How to Maximize Lifespan of Industrial Water Pumps 

There are many ways to prolong the lifespan of your pump, whether traditionally or technically, maximising the life of industrial water pumps or systems are depend on 3 fundamental elements: Selection, installation and maintenance of water pumps.

Water Pump Selection

Not all pumps are created equal. Therefore, you should spend some time to gather fundamental information about various industrial water pumps to ascertain their performance and suitability to the application. Rule of thumb, selection criteria should include duty cycle, flow and pressure, power supply, liquid compatibility, temperature. Lastly, requirement on installation location and method of feeding the pump is also very critical.

Most pumps carry standard specifications for normal operation. However, few pumps will operate at all maximums under continuous-duty conditions. Hence, do not exceed the rated specifications of the pump. You may want to consider multiple pumps to achieve optimum performance. Lightweight industrial water pumps are prefer as they normally require smaller footprint if space is a constraint. You may also need to consider whether the pump will encounter freezing or extremely hot temperatures due to weather and external factor during your selection process. Always check your local voltage to ensure your selection can operate under adequate horsepower.

Water Pump Installation

Even the best pump will fail if not following industrial best practise. Hence, a good installation should include careful consideration of several section of every pump system: starvation, cavitation, pulsation, abrasion and overpressure.

Starvation. Starvation is restricting the inlet liquid flow to the pump. The result is a pump that runs dry and overheats, which will quickly destroy the pump seals and valves. Liquid pumps are designed to have liquid at all times to provide lubrication to the seals. To assure a positive feed to the pump inlet, size the inlet feed line one size larger than the pump inlet port, shorten the line length, replace 90-degree elbows with swept elbows and consider adding a booster pump. Install adequately sized filters to avoid frequent clogging, and size your supply tank to sufficiently cover the system demand. Consider heat introduced from by-pass and review the total demands on the facility water supply to reduce the risk of starvation.

Cavitation. Cavitation is the formation and collapse of vapor bubbles in the pumped liquid. The energy released from the collapse of these bubbles during the suction stroke causes erosion, and this condition will result in severe damage to the pump. Cavitation can be minimized by keeping a consistent inlet pressure, protecting the pump from excessive heat, increasing the inlet supply line, minimizing the number of elbows and eliminating excess turbulence when using a supply tank.

Pulsation. Pulsation is repetitious surges in the system liquid that can cause fatigue to the pump components, fittings, accessories and plumbing. The triplex pump design minimizes pulsations from the pump. A pulsation dampener at the head of the pump and the CAT at the pump inlet will help control system pulsations. Installing reinforced flexible hose between the pump and any hard plumbing will also help absorb flow surges and extend the life of the pump.

Abrasion. Pumping abrasive liquids is not tolerated by standard piston and plunger pumps and will prematurely wear seals and valves. Abrasion can be controlled with the installation of an inexpensive inlet strainer or a special smaller micron filtration, if pumping recycled liquids. Some systems may call for larger capacity or dual filters to prevent frequent clogging. Some local water conditions may require water softening to prevent scale buildup in the pump and plumbing.

Overpressure. Protection from overpressure is a critical life factor of your pump. It is recommended that every high-pressure system include a primary and a secondary safety valve. The primary valve is for setting system pressure and protection against overpressure cause by discharge line obstructions. A secondary safety valve is typically set approximately 200 psi above the system pressure and only goes into by-pass should the primary valve fail. Equally important is a pressure gauge. This inexpensive accessory is your system monitor. Low or fluctuating pressure readings indicate that your system is not functioning correctly and prompts you to initiate scheduled maintenance. To optimize the pump life, these primary system accessories should be included in the pump system.

Water Pump Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is the easiest and least expensive step in maximizing your pump life. Each system is different, so it is important to establish a regularly scheduled preventative maintenance program that is exclusive for your system. Following initial start-up, inspect the seals and valves for wear when you complete your first oil change, typically around 500 hours. If no wear is visible, check again at 1,000 and 1,500 hours or until wear is noticed. This time frame will become your maintenance schedule. Use genuine original manufacturer’s service parts to assure full rated performance and maximum pump life. Refer to manufacturers’ owner’s manuals for service procedures and identifying potential system problems.

In summary, selecting a pump that is designed for the application is the initial step. Once the appropriate pump has been determined, proper installation is crucial. Finally, establishing a regularly scheduled preventative maintenance program will optimize the life of your pump and system. Following these basic selection will help maximize your pump life and enable you to realize the greatest return on your pump investment.

 
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