Crane Engineering:

Troubleshooting
Possible causes and solutions to most common problems
found in pump installation and operation

General
In most pumping systems, pumps are likely to be the most vulnerable components. The
symptoms frequently show the pump to be at fault regardless of what may be wrong. The
problem is usually caused by inadequate control of the pumped fluid or a change in
operating requirements of which the system or pump is not capable of handling or a
component malfunction.

Before starting to correctly identify the problem it is important to gather as much

Diagnosis of problems
information relating to the process as follows:
will be greatly assisted
by having pressure
Reconfirm original duty conditions.
gauges fitted to both
What has changed in the process since operation was last satisfactory? i.e. pressure,
pump inlet and outlet.
temperature, fluid viscosity etc.
Was the system undergoing routine maintenance?
Were any new or repaired components omitted to be fitted?
When was the pump last serviced?
What was the appearance and condition of the pump internal components?
How long did the pump operate before the problem?
Any changes in pump noise or vibration?

The most common problems found are generally as follows:

Loss of flow.
Loss of suction.
Low discharge pressure.
Excessive noise or vibration.
Excessive power usage.
Rapid pump wear.
Seal leakage.

Common Problems
Loss of Flow
A simple cause of this could be incorrect direction of shaft rotation, which although
obvious is often overlooked. Loss of flow can be caused by excessive discharge pressure
and/or by a change in fluid viscosity.

In general terms:
For a rotary lobe pump if the viscosity is significantly reduced, the pumps rated flow will
be reduced, more so for higher-pressure operation.
For a centrifugal pump if the viscosity is increased, the pumps rated flow will be
decreased.
Loss of Suction
Loss of suction can be minor, causing little short-term damage or sufficiently major to
cause catastrophic damage. Loss of suction means fluid is not reaching the pumping
elements or not reaching them at a sufficiently high pressure to keep the fluid being
pumped in a fluid state. Loss of suction can be interpreted as the inability to prime,
cavitation or a gas content problem.

The rotary lobe pump can be classed as self-priming. This means that within limits, it is
capable of evacuating (pumping) a modest amount of air from the suction side of the
pump to the discharge side of the pump. Filling the inlet system with fluid or at least filling
the pump (wetted pumping elements) will make a major improvement in the pumps
priming capability.

The liquid ring pump can also be classed as self-priming when the pump casing is half
filled with fluid and the LKHSP centrifugal pump range is specially designed to be self-
priming.

Cavitation is caused by insufficient system inlet pressure to the pump. This can be caused
by an inlet system restriction, excessive fluid viscosity or excessive pump speed. Inlet
restrictions can include dirty or clogged inlet strainers, debris floating in the fluid supply
that covers the inlet piping intake, or rags. If the fluid is cooler than design temperature, its
viscosity may be too high causing excessive friction (pressure loss) in the inlet piping
system. Cavitation is frequently accompanied by noise, vibration and significant increase
in discharge pressure pulsation. If a pump is allowed to cavitate over long periods this will
cause damage to the pumphead components. The surface of these components are
typically perforated and pitted.

Gas in the inlet pipework has the same impact on pump operation and creates the same
symptoms as cavitation. This can occur under other circumstances such as a pump
operating at an inlet pressure below local atmospheric pressure. In this instance it is quite
likely that air is being drawn into the pipework through a loose pipe connection or pump
casing joint, leaking inlet valve stem, defective or otherwise damaged joint gasket in the
pipework system. In recirculating systems, such as a lubrication system where the fluid
pumped is continuously returned to a supply source or tank, if the tank and return lines are
not adequately designed, located and sized, air is easily entrained in the oil and
immediately picked up by the pump inlet system. Be sure fluid level at its source is at or
above minimum operating levels. Lines returning flow to a supply tank should terminate
below minimum fluid level.

Low Discharge Pressure

Low discharge pressure can only be caused by loss of flow. Pump discharge pressure is
caused only by the systems resistance to the flow provided by the pump. Either the pump
is not providing the flow expected or the system is not offering the expected resistance to
that flow. It is possible that flow is being restricted into the pump (cavitation), usually
accompanied by noise and vibration, the pump is not producing its rated flow (pump worn
or damaged), or the pump flow is bypassing rather than being delivered into the system as
intended.
Excessive Noise or Vibration
Excessive noise and/or vibration can be a symptom of cavitation, mechanical damage to
pump assembly, misalignment of drive or harmonics with other elements of the system.
Cavitation is especially true if the discharge pressure is fluctuating or pulsating.
Mechanical causes of noise and vibration include shaft misalignment, loose couplings,
loose pump and/or driver mountings, loose pump and/or driver guards, worn or damaged
driver or pump bearings or valve noise that seems to be coming from the pump. Valves,
especially on the discharge side of the pump can sometimes go into a hydraulic vibration
mode caused by operating pressure, flow rate and the valve design. Resetting or a
change in an internal valve component is usually sufficient to solve the problem.

Excessive Power
Excessive power consumption can be caused by either mechanical or hydraulic problems.
Mechanical causes include imminent bearing failure, pumping elements rubbing which can
lead to a pump seizure and poor shaft alignments. Too high viscosity can result in the
motor overloading.
For a rotary lobe pump too high discharge pressure can cause the motor to overload.
For a centrifugal pump too high capacity (too low discharge pressure) can cause the
motor to overload.

Rapid Pump Wear

Rapid wear of pumphead components is either caused by abrasives being present in the
fluid, chemical corrosion, loss of shaft support (bearing failure), or operation at a condition
for which the pump is not suitable i.e. cavitation, excessively high pressure or high
temperature. To avoid any abrasive foreign material entering the pump, strainers or filters
should be employed wherever possible and practical. Rapid wear is sometimes not wear
in the sense of a non-durable pump, but really a catastrophic pump failure that occurred
very quickly. Looking at the pump internal parts alone may not provide much help in
identifying the cause, thus the importance of knowing what was occurring in the time
period immediately preceding detection of the problem.

Seal Leakage
Mechanical seals fitted to centrifugal, rotary lobe and liquid ring pumps can be seen as the
weakest point for any pump leakage and special care should be taken to ensure the
correct seal for the application is installed i.e. mounting attitude, seal face combination
and elastomer selection.

Apart from mis-selection and poor servicing, seal leakage can be due to pump cavitation,
too high discharge pressure, being allowed to run dry and unexpected solids in the fluid.
Problem Solving Table
The table shown offers probable causes and solutions to the most common problems
encountered.

In ( ) next to the particular solution given you will find annotation relating to what pump
type the solution is for.

i.e. ce = Centrifugal Pump

liq = Liquid Ring Pump
rlp = Rotary Lobe Pump

See table on the following pages:

Note: Reprinted with permission from Alfa-Laval Pump Handbook