When running submersible pumps in your application, it is important to know some of the top challenges associated with your pumps. You should also know how to solve these common problems. This knowledge can save you a lot of money and make it easier for you to maintain your equipment. Since we have experience with different types of pumps, we will provide you with some of the top challenges you can face when using submersible electric pumps.
Educating your customers on how to maintain the pumps
When a pump requires maintenance with the vertical pumping applications, the entire pump should be dismantled. A line shaft that is only 42 inches weighs over 20000 pounds. If you have to reach over the station to get the submersible electric pump out and take the motor and gear out, this is a big job. When it comes to submersible electric pumps, you take the lid of the can from the pump and pull out the heavy pump using an A-frame hoist. You can also use a gantry crane. You will only pull out the pump using the motor and not taking out the entire line shaft and column along with everything.
With submersible electric pumps, the shaft is about 5 feet long. There are no issues of wear on shaft wear and bushings such as in an A-line shaft pump. When viewing things from a maintenance standpoint, submersible electric pumps are simpler to maintain because you don’t need a complete dismantling that may require some help from your submersible pumps supplier.
Spare parts availability
A lot of original equipment, most manufacturers construct custom-sized parts to ensure there is no option but to buy the overly-priced parts from them directly. Their bearings, shafts, and seals have very odd sizes. Lack of parts options makes them expensive.
Installation choices can save construction costs
Submersible electric pumps can be installed horizontally, vertically or at an angle. This means that a low-profile station can be constructed.
Educating engineers on the difference in system losses
When most pump engineers do a calculation, they are using the friction losses in the pipe, the static head, and the velocity head. With a submersible electric pump, you have a can that your pump slides down inside. This configuration makes it possible to have the motor/pump in the discharge flow, but you have a region of the motor loss that should be calculated.
A lot of engineers use a standard formula or a spreadsheet they have used for a lot of years for line shaft pumps. Even with this small loss added to it and taken into consideration, the availability of local parts, ease of installation, and the reduced cost, then the benefits are still there. They must understand the concept of the region loss of the motor.
Once an educated customer knows the effective and efficient solutions submersible pumps offer, the submersible electric pumps will become an easy choice for them and they will get the most out of their pumps.