Page 40 - Practical Machinery Management for Process Plants Major Process Equipment Maintenance and Repair

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair of Horizontal Pumps 25

Pump Repair

Field Checks Before Removal
Most pump repairs in the petrochemical environment are breakdown
repairs as a consequence of component failure. Typical failure causes
are:

Leaking shaft seal
Reduced pumping rate
Pump binding or stuck
Failed bearings
Excessive vibration
Leaking casing

The following steps should be taken before the removal of the pump:

1. Check with operator as to perceived failure cause.
2. Run the pump where possible and attempt to diagnose failure by:

Looking
Listening
Feeling
Smelling
0 Measuring bearing temperatures
0 Measuring power
0 Analyzing vibration
0 Measuring flow and pressures

Field Checks During Removal
If diagnosis shows the pump has to be removed, a sequence of field
checks will still be appropriate:

1. Check coupling for wear or lack of grease.
2. Visually check oil and oil level.
3. Remove pump, check body gaskets, seats.
4. Visually check impeller and casing wear rings. Also check impeller
vs. casing wear ring clearance, check impeller, volutes and balance
holes for plugging.
5. Check flush lines and quench lines for internal corrosion or plug-
ging.
6. Visually check condition of gauges, etc.
7. Remove pump to shop for repair.