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You have four opportunities to trouble shoot centrifugal pumps and each opportunity can offer you a clue as to what is
wrong with the pump. Let's take a look at each of these conditions:
The pump is hooked up to the piping and it is running :
You can observe leakage from the stuffing box or some other area. This would include gaskets, bearing seals an
cracks or holes in the piping.
You can hear an abnormal noise. You can probably "pin point" the source if you try.
You can detect excessive vibration either from the use of instruments or one of your senses
You can check if stuffing box environmental controls are hooked up properly, and in many cases tell if they are
functioning correctly.
You can check the position of control and isolation valves throughout the system. This is especially important to
check while the pump is running.If there are meters available you can check :
o
Flow
Pressure
Power consumption
Temperature
Speed
You can estimate if the foundation is too weak. It should be five times the mass of the hardware sitting
on it.
The pump is still hooked up to the piping, but it is not running. You will be present during the removal process :
During the removal process you can check for excessive pipe strain.
You can check if the piping has been installed according to good engineering practices. This is a major factor in
many cavitation problems.
The pump has been taken into the workshop, but has not yet been disassembled and you will be present at the
disassembly.
You can feel if there is restricted movement of any of the rotating parts.
The pump has been disassembled. You were not present, but the parts are available for your inspection.
You can see if any material or coating has attached its self to one of the components. As an example, calcium ca
build up on the inside of pipes and restrict flow, or magnetite (Fe304) build up on the seal components.
In this paper we will address the last condition. The pump has been disassembled. You were not present, but the parts
are available for your inspection.
Looking At Rub Marks
When a rotating part such as a shaft seal, impeller, etc. comes in contact with a stationary part such as the inside of the
stuffing box, a wear ring, stationary bushing etc., there will be evidence of this contact in the form of rubbing, wear,
discoloration or damage to one or both of the components. There are four possibilities that we will be able to see :
A rubbing mark, or evidence of wear all around the rotating part and one place on the stationary part.
All around the stationary part and one place on the rotating part.
Evidence of rubbing or wear all around both the rotating and stationary parts.
The cause could be the result of a problem in design, operation or maintenance. I will attempt to isolate these three
areas as we look into the problems.
All around the rotating part, one spot on the stationary part.
Design Problems:
o
The pump is pulley driven and the shaft L3/D4 is too high.
Maintenance Problems:
o
Excessive pipe strain. This is a common problem when a Centerline Design is not specified for applicatio
over 200 F (100 C)
Operation problems:
o
A major cause of this problem is the fact that the pump is operating too far from its best efficiency poin
(B.E.P.) and the shaft is not large enough to resist the bending.
Design Problems
o
You have converted the pump to a mechanical seal. The unit was originally designed for the packing to
act as a bearing and stabilize the shaft. This is a very big problem with mixers and agitators
Maintenance Problems
o
Normal wear
Damage
Excessive heat or force was used during sleeve, seal, or bearing removal.
The rotating unit is dragging something around with it.
All around both the rotating and stationary units. This problem could be caused by a combination ofthe first and
second examples or:
Design Problems:
o
High temperature application. The shaft is expanding and a restriction bushing is growing in towards th
shaft/sleeve.
The pump is operating at a critical speed. This can happen with variable speed motors.
Operation Problems:
o
Maintenance Problems
o
Bad bearings.
The oil is contaminated with water, product, dirt, rust, casting leaching, etc..
Oil temperature too high. Be sure to cool the oil not the bearings. Cooling the housing will cause it to
shrink and thereby increase the squeeze on the bearing.
I have only seen this one time and that was when the pump fell off the back of a pick up truck.
For information about my CD with over 600 Seal & Pump Subjects explained, click here
For information about my CD with over 600 Seal & Pump Subjects explained, click here
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