HOW DOES A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP WORK?

Before we dive into our recommended centrifugal pump maintenance schedule, let make sure you a
good grasp of how the pump itself works. In its simplest form, a centrifugal pump is made from a
housing with an inlet and outlet. There is an impeller that is located inside the housing, and a motor
or drive that is responsible for rotating the impeller. The pumps casing (outer shell) is designed to
create a gradually widening channel which is known as the volute. When the motor (or drive) rotates
the impeller it is creating centrifugal force.

THIS FORCE THROWS THE FLUID OUTWARD TO THE VOLUTE AND CAUSES TWO THINGS TO
HAPPEN:

● It creates a reduced pressure area at the eye of the impeller, which acts like a vacuum. This
provides a flow of liquid to the pump impeller.

● On the other side, the volute causes the fluid to slow down and the pressure inside the pump’s
housing begins to increase. This increase in pressure forces the liquid out the discharge (outlet) of
the pump and then on to the piping systems of the process.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN PARTS THAT MAKE UP A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP?

Now that we have an understanding of how centrifugal pumps operate, we can give an overview of
its most common parts:

 Casing (Volute) – As we learned earlier, this acts as a pressure containment vessel. It directs
the flow of liquid in and out of the centrifugal pump. It slows down the speed of the fluid
while increasing the pressure within the casing.

 Impeller – This is a rotor that is used to increase the kinetic energy of the flow.

 Motor (drive) – Power source of the pump. It is responsible for driving the shaft.

 Shaft (rotor) – The impeller is mounted on a shaft. This component uses torque from the
motor to transfer energy to the impeller.

 Shaft Seals – These are packing rings or mechanical seals which help prevent any leakage of
the pumped fluid.
  Bearings – work to reduce friction between the rotating shaft and the pump and keep the
impeller spinning in place.

A FEW TIPS FOR LUBRICATING/GREASING BEARINGS:

All bearings will eventually fail, but in most cases, failure is caused by the lubricant or lack thereof,
not equipment fatigue. Refer to your operations manual for lubricating instructions.

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

 For oil lubricated bearings – use non-foaming and non-detergent oils. Fill the oil to the
midpoint of sight glass. Over-lubrication is just as dangerous as under-lubrication.

 For re-greaseable bearings – avoid mixing greases of different consistencies or types. Make
sure the bearings are completely clean to prevent contamination. Over greasing can create
solids on the bearings and force the bearings to run at higher temperatures.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM:

A routine centrifugal pump maintenance program not only extends the life of your system, but also
reduces operating costs. Consistent maintenance also ensures there is enough maintenance history
recorded to identify the source of the problem faster.

YOUR CENTRIFUGAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Maintenance Programs for centrifugal pumps can be grouped into three categories: routine,
quarterly, and annual maintenance. Routine maintenance is the process of setting a schedule to
inspect, log, and repair components. This focuses on components that are leading indicator of
potential failure.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

● Bearing And Lubricant Condition

○ Monitor and log bearing temperatures, lubricant level, and vibration. Lubricant should be clear
with no signs of bubbling. If bubbling is occurring, this is a good indication to add more lubricant to
decrease the temperature of the bearings. If there is an increase in vibration in the bearings, this
may be a good indicator of impending bearing failure.

● Shaft Seal Condition

○ Check the mechanical seals. There should be no signs of visible leakage.

○ During downtime, inspect the pump’s packing to make sure there is adequate lubrication. If the
packing looks compressed and dry, replace the packing and add lubricant per the operation manual.

● Overall Pump Vibration

○ Imminent pump failure can be detected by monitoring overall pump vibration. Excessive vibration
can result from a change in pump alignment, bearing failures, cavitation, and obstructions in the
suction and discharge lines.

● Pump Discharge Pressure

○ The difference in pressure read by the suction and discharge gauges will provide the total
developed head pressure of the pump. Confirm this reading is within the pump’s designed
performance. You can find this on the manufactured website or your operation manuals.

QUARTERLY MAINTENANCE

 Verify the integrity of the pump’s foundation and check the hold-down bolts for tightness.

 For oil-lubricated pumps, as a rule of thumb, you should change the oil after the first 200
hours of operation for a new pump. Then again after every three months or 2,000 operating
hours, whichever comes first. Your operation manual will have specific instructions for oil
change intervals and oil grade.

 For grease-lubricated pumps, as a rule of thumb bearings should be greased every three
months or 2,000 operating hours, whichever comes first. Your operation manual should have
specific instructions for grease intervals and grease grade to be used.

 Grease the motor bearings according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 Check the shaft alignment.

 Bearing vibration spectrum on all pump and motor bearings.

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE

Keep a log of your pump’s performance at least once per year. Performance benchmarks should be
established early on in the life of the pump. At a minimum, the benchmarking data should include
head pressure, flow rate, motor amp draw, and vibration at each bearing.

DURING ANNUAL MAINTENANCE, DISCONNECT AND LOCKOUT POWER TO INSPECT:

 Bearing Frame And Foot – inspect for cracks, roughness, rust, or scale. Machined surfaces
should be free of pitting or erosion.
  Bearing Frame – inspect all tapped connections for dirt. Clean and chase threads as
necessary. Remove all loose or foreign material. Inspect lubrication passages to be sure that
they are not blocked.

 Shaft And Sleeve – inspect for grooves or pitting. Check bearing fits and shaft runout and
replace the shaft and sleeve if worn or if the shaft runout is greater than 0.002 inches.

 Casing – inspect for signs of wear, corrosion, or pitting. If wear exceeds a depth of 1/8-inch,
the casing should be replaced. Check gasket surfaces for signs of irregularities.

 Impeller – inspect the impeller for wear, erosion, or corrosion damage. If the vanes are bent
or show wear in excess of 1/8-inch deep, replace the impeller.

 Frame Adapter – inspect for cracks, warping or corrosion damage and replace if any of these
conditions are present.

 Bearing Housing – inspect for signs of wear, corrosion, cracks, or pits. Replace housings if
worn or out of tolerance.

 Seal Chamber/Stuffing Box Cover – check for pitting, cracks, erosion, or corrosion. Inspect
for any wear, scoring or grooves that might be on the chamber face. Replace if worn more
than 1/8-inch deep.

 Shaft – check the shaft for any evidence of corrosion or wear and straightness. Noting that
the maximum total indicator reading (TIR) at the sleeve journal and coupling journal should
not exceed 0.002 inches.

IN-DEPTH CENTRIFUGAL PUMP MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

DAILY CHECKLIST
 Check pump for noisy bearings and cavitation.

 Check bearing oil for water and discoloration.

 Feel all bearings for temperature.

 Inspect bearings and oil rings through filling ports. Wipe bearing covers clean.

 Check oil leaks at the gaskets.

 Self-flush pumps – Hand check the flush line temperature to determine flow through the
line.

 External flush pumps – Determine if flow indicator and needle valve adjustment are
functioning properly.

 Determine if the mechanical seal conditions are normal.

 Check any water cooling for effective operation. Hand test differential across coolers, jackets
and exchangers. Disassemble and clean as required.

 Check the operation of the heat tracing.

 Determine if steam leakage at packing and glands is normal.

  Check for leaks at pressure casing and gaskets. Determine if steam traps are operating
properly – no continuous blow & water in casing or drain.

MONTHLY CHECKLIST

 Add oil to the bearing reservoirs, if required.

 Clean oiler bulbs and level windows as required.

 Make sure that the oil level is the correct distance from the shaft centerline. Adjust if
necessary.

 Clean out debris from bearing brackets. Drain hole must be open.

 Change oil in hydraulic governors.

 Determine if hydraulic governor heater is working.

 Check for proper oil level & leaks at hydraulic governor. Check for oil leaks at lines, fittings &
power piston.

 Replace guards (repair if required).

 Determine if pump unit requires general cleaning by others.

6 MONTH CHECKLIST

 Overfill bearing housing to bottom of the shaft and rotate several turns by hand to coat the
shaft and the bearing with oil. (Machine not running)

 Apply a light coat of rust preventive product to expose machined surfaces to prevent rust
and corrosion.

 Clean & oil governor linkage & valve stems.

 Exercise overspeed trip & valve steam linkage on turbines not running.

YEARLY CHECKLIST

 Thoroughly inspect disc coupling for signs of wear & cracks in lamination. Tighten bolts.

 Using a dial indicator, check the coupling alignment with the equipment coupled. Use special
coupling indicator clamps where possible. Ensure that thermal growth allowance is correct.

 Using an indicator clamped on the coupling, depress and lift on each coupling and note the
dial indicator change. Determine if the deflection is normal for this machine. Refer to OEM
manual.

 Using an indicator, check axial float of the pump & the driver shaft in similar manner.

 Remove turbine sentinel valve. Shop test & adjust to proper setting.

 Inspect trip and throttle valve stems and their linkages for wear. Check over-speed
mechanism for wear. (Turbine must be down).

 Remove mechanical the governor cover & inspect flyball seat, spring, bearing & plunger for
wear.
 Uncouple from pump & overspeed turbine. Ensure that trip valve will stop turbine with
steam supply valve (throttle valve) fully open. Compare tripping speed with previous records.
Adjust trip mechanism & repeat procedure. Follow manufacturer’s instructions when making
adjustments.

 Where the process will allow it, test run the turbine coupled to the pump. When not
possible, run the turbine uncoupled. With a tachometer − verify proper governor operation
& control. Determine if hand (booster) valves are completely closed when required to carry
load. This influences steam economy.