Instant Pump fix?

A poorly running tank fed pump - vibration, pressure loss -was back up to 100% after pressure feeding for about 10 seconds?? It ran for a half hour and then went back and forth every so often. The pump actually ran dry and and would not prime so I hooked up a water hose and started it. This pump has been under the weather for quite awhile, been changing the o-rings under the valves often because of some erosion.

Tom, that's a really easy fix brother. Five EASY steps:

1) Loosen the four bolts holding the pump to the frame, slide the pump forward and remove the belts.
2) Turn it over and remove the four bolts that hold the plate to the pump.
3) Buy a new pump
4) Reverse those steps
5) Turn on the machine.

Lol!

For every minute you spend trying to fix it now you are losing money.

That's my new philosophy. Ron told me three years ago but I didn't listen.

Thats funny. I thought you were actually going to tell him something.


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Could be the inlet seals sucking air, maybe cracked pistons. Probably time for a new one.

Chris, I did tell him something!

Tom is a mad scientist, he wants to squeeze the last drop of usefulness out of his equipment. Unfortunately in this case, he already has.

Ok, the pump has been up for replacement, but now that it ran like a champ? Thought it was interesting that a 10 second pressure feed did that. I will look at the low pressure side I guess. I am lucky I placed the pump myself so it is easy to get to, I haven't actually spent time trying to fix it, just a couple minutes every other week to pop in a o-ring. Tony I will spend time to get something better, faster, easier but I know for sure (in theory) that it's better not to screw around and just replace stuff.

OK class.. pay attention..
On a tank fed pump, here's the laundry list of cause and effect..

Tank fitting at the pump..
needs to not be sucking air from low water level,
needs to be clear of blockage, no rusty "flow restrictors" ..aka small constrictive thorofares.
Filter..
needs to be checked inside and out monthly, or weekly. (don't make me tell you why.)
needs to be plumbed with ball valve, for easy cleaning, or nobody will check it.
Feed lines to pump..
needs to be fed with big feed lines.. 3/4" for every 3gpm.. that's 2 feed lines for 6gpm !
.. dual feed lines means never having to say "seal problems are expensive".
The pump needs to be plumbed with a garden-hose fitting somewhere,
.. to feed the p ump with pressure or troubleshooting.
Pump Check valves,,
needs to be checked for scale build-up, where an acid soak does some good. (..a specific acid.)
The valves needs to be checked for cage-wear.. that's where the poppet lays against the cage on the inlet valves.
.. The cage can be turned so the wear is not where the poppets lay.
The o-ring under the valve and the surface in the head they sit on, is important too..
The o-ring should be Viton (for strength) and not flattened or worn.
.. If they are cut, look for cracks in the head surface. If they are "shaved".. chech your water supply.
Seals can suck air from being worn before they actually start leaking out..
.. Pressure feed to check for leaks once each month !
Thermal relief valves.. should NOT EVER be used on tank-fed systems..
.. .. bypass to the water tank and you don't need it !
The thermal relief will suck air, causing valve and head surface damage,
.. it causes seal damage, unloader damage, shaft-chatter on direct drive systems, OMG ! get rid of 'em!

OK. If you want more,
buy something from us, and we are free troubleshooter-coaching,
or come to our next PressureWasher Troubleshooting and BulletProofing class.
How's Las Vegas in May sound !??
:{)

Thanks for the info Jerry.
I take it your not a big fan of upstream injectors!

Vegas in may is starting to get a little shaky for me

Tony told me about the canadians coming down in July. Bad Deal!

Vegas in June or July, I could even bring my son with me then as he will be out of school and he has helped me a lot and we need to get out of town for a few days at least.

I would like to attend the bulletproofing class, I think it would be a great investment in the business.

OK dork alert. First thing I checked as always was the o rings under the valves, high pressure side. Sure enough one was worn, then saw it was a little chingered underneath it. So I found what I was looking for, and when the new o -rings stopped helping, blamed it on the erosion in the head. Never seen the low pressure o - rings wear - but they were all trashed! So the whole time I just had to look on the low pressure side, but I stopped trouble shooting at the first sign of trouble. Runs like a champ now.

Two things from general. Tech says if you have some erosion in the head, cut a *thin* washer out of plastic and put it under the o-ring where the valve sits. Confirmed by multiple engineers at general - if you tank feed a pump, one inlet only, they were absolutely certain on this? I took one inlet off my 10 gpm pump but it lost some pressure, so I put it back on. I dont trust filters on the inlet to the pump, I just filter into the tank.

General actually has some valve orings available for their Emperor pumps that will fit in the TS-2021 with a plastic or nylon oring to go under the rubber oring. They really prolong the life of the orings.

You guys are hardcore. I don't have the patience to do that kind of thing anymore.

I have been doing this and providing for my family for 20 years, verifiable through invoicing. I am bound to pick up a few things along the way. A lot different from a guy that starts his experience curve from the first time he used a coin operated car wash.

You mean washing your car doesn't count as "time in the field?"

I never liked those things anyway. I like to sit in the car and let somebody else do it.

Here's a good, semi-permenant fix..
the o-ring is sup[posed to makew a seal, right ?
..and a spacer theoretically breaks the seal.. a short story:
I recieved 12 pumps in a batch from Comet for one project (12 PHD diesel-Diesels for Marines).
6 of'em wouldn't make full psi tank-fed..
Factory sent little spacers for the valves.. didn't work.
I replaced the o-ring under the valve with SQUARE ..particularly "Quad" rings..
..they look more like a clover-feaf than a square in a crossection.
That fixed the problem.

If you want a tighter-fiitting o-ring, go to a Quad o-ring.
It is a substantially better seal.

If you need them, call me..
I have a vast assortment of o-rings and backup rings.

Square o-rings .... Learn something new every day!

UPDATE: I feel like more of a man when the equipment is running strong

Really, this pump had erosion under 3 or 4 valves, inlet and outlet. I cut little washers out of the lid to a ziplock disposable container - and that plastic is super tough, and put them under the o-rings. Well three months, hundreds of hours and not a hiccup out of the pump. This may be temporary but I would call it a successful fix.

Great tip Tom thanks for sharing. Three months is a good fix.

UPDATE:

Pump is running strong 9 months later! Began to feel a little something at the gun. opened up the head - all o-rings with the plastic washer were perfect! Two o-rings were chewed that did not have the washer and there was slight erosion under those. Made a set of washers and installed, running great again. This pump has significant erosion under the valves. This is a lid from a ziploc disposable container - it is tough as nails. The two washers were in the pump 9 months.