Troubleshooting pumps

One of the major problems facing industry is the limited number of people with sufficient skill and
experience to diagnose and rectify the basic problems plaguing centrifugal pumps. Another
difficulty is that the same lack of skill and experience is creating many of these problems in the
first place. A detailed evaluation of a pump problem requires a depth of knowledge which usually
surpasses that to which most people are ever exposed. Most pump engineers, operators and
maintenance people develop their knowledge base from the same "school of hard knocks." While
this on-the-job type of training has much to commend it, unfortunately it exposes the pupil to the
opportunity of learning the mistakes and misconceptions of others. At best, it only teaches what is
necessary to execute a particular job function in exactly the same manner as it was previously
performed-good or bad!

The ramifications are generally imposed on the maintenance department, where the training is
usually limited to the physical change-out of the parts when a breakdown occurs. As the underlying
cause of pump failure often extends beyond the failed item, these maintenance methods will
effectively reinstall the same old problem.

This is particularly concerning when we realize that over 80 percent of all pump failures tend to
manifest themselves at the mechanical seal or the bearings, which then act in a manner similar to
a fuse in an electrical system.

When a fuse in an electrical system fails, it does not mean there is anything wrong with the fuse.
In fact, we understand that the problem is almost always somewhere else in the system. Despite
this, when a seal or bearing fails, we rarely look for the real problem. Instead, we simply replace
the offending part. While that will occasionally solve the problem, simply replacing a seal or
bearing rarely provides long-lasting relief from the problem.

The extent to which this happens varies from industry to industry, as some are more aware of the
root causes of pump failure than others.

Pump Failure Analysis

As there are only a few symptoms with which to recognize a troubled pump, the key to failure
analysis lies in understanding how the combinations of symptoms identify the underlying cause of
the problem.
Speed of Problem Occurrence

An effective pump troubleshooting tool will always begin with the question, "When did this start?"
If the problem has only suddenly appeared, it is likely to have a different cause than a similar
problem that has been developing over time. It is also fairly obvious that a sudden appearance of
the problem is probably caused by a sudden change in the condition that created the problem.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that such a problem can be attributed to normal wear and tear. It is
much more probable that an inappropriate action has been initiated.

It can be argued that the exception to that concept is where wear gradually takes place until the
point at which failure suddenly occurs. In this case, however, the wear is usually indicated by a
gradual reduction in performance until the breaking point is reached, which provides some prior
notification of imminent failure. This type of condition underscores the need for constant
performance measurement as it relates to temperature, pressure, flow, vibration and power draw.

Frequency of Problem Occurrence

A typical example of this problem is when a mechanical seal in a particular pump fails every six
months, regardless of the type of seal used in that pump. Maintenance may have tried many
different models, types and face material combinations, but the seal fails with the same frequency
every time. As it is logical to expect different seals to last different periods of time between failures,
it becomes evident that this is a situation where the seal is simply acting as the "fuse" in the
system. Consequently, the underlying problem is obviously elsewhere in either the pump or the
system.

Skill and experience come in to play here. The above condition is one where the experienced
troubleshooter would immediately consider either the pump shaft or the piping arrangement,
depending on the pump model in question.

Hydraulic Imbalance in a Double Suction Pump

A horizontal, double-suction pump may be fitted with a 90-deg elbow mounted on the suction
nozzle in such a way that the line leading to the elbow is parallel with the axis of the pump shaft
(see Figure 1). When the liquid sweeps round the elbow, it is centrifuged out towards the long
radius and feeds the eye on one side of the impeller, effectively starving the opposing eye. This
creates an imbalance of the liquid in the pump casing that can cause an excessive axial thrust to
be imposed on the impeller.
 Figure 1

The normal outcome of such an arrangement is a consistently frequent failure of the mechanical
seal or bearing (when packing is fitted) at the end of the shaft closest to the suction source. Such
failure will normally occur at approximately 6-month intervals regardless of the type of seal or
bearing installed.

Undersized Shaft in an End Suction Pump

In a horizontal, end suction centrifugal pump, frequent and regular seal failure with different seals
indicates an undersized shaft subjected to excessive deflection.

The same thing is true of a packed pump that cannot maintain a minimal amount of leakage for
any length of time and seems to be constantly leaking excessively regardless of the amount of
time and expertise spent on minimizing the leakage. This problem is frequently blamed on the last
individual who repacked that pump, or even on the type of packing used, resulting in many different
packing styles being tried. In this case, the underlying source of the difficulty is also an undersized
shaft that is subjected to excessive deflection.

Under ideal operating conditions where the pump will be running at the Best Efficiency Point, the
radial forces exerted on the shaft through the various hydraulic loads on the impeller will be
minimal and not affect the shaft. However, when a pump is not operating close to the BEP, the
radial forces exerted on the shaft through the various hydraulic loads on the impeller will be
excessive and have a tendency to deflect the shaft.

This problem is negated when the pump in question is of a double volute design in which the radial
loads are balanced and have minimal effect on the shaft.

In most end-suction, single volute process pumps, the amount of deflection that will take place will
depend on the effective diameter of the shaft. If the effective diameter is large enough, the
deflection will be minimal. However, if the effective diameter is too small, then the deflection will
be excessive and cause premature seal and packing failure, as described above.
If the shaft sleeve is shrunk onto the shaft, the effective diameter will be the sleeve diameter.
However, if the sleeve is secured by a hook design or is keyed to the shaft, the effective diameter
becomes the diameter of the shaft under the sleeve. This results in a much weaker shaft that is
almost twice as susceptible to deflection in the event of a hydraulic upset condition such as that
which may occur close to the shutoff point on the curve.

The pump is not producing enough head

Let me begin by pointing out that there are a couple of things you must keep in mind when
troubleshooting centrifugal pump problems:

 The centrifugal pump always pumps the difference between the suction and discharge
heads.
 A centrifugal pump always pumps a combination of head and capacity. These two
numbers multiplied together must remain a constant. In other words, if the head
increases the capacity must decrease. Likewise if the head decreases, the capacity must
increase.
 The pump will pump where the pump curve intersects the system curve.
 If the pump is not meeting the system curve requirements the problem could be in the
pump, the suction side including the piping and source tank, or somewhere in the
discharge system.
 Most pumps are oversized because of safety factors that were added at the time the
pump was sized. This means that throttling is a normal condition in most plants,
causing the pump to run on the left hand side of its curve.

THE PROBLEM COULD BE IN THE PUMP ITS SELF

o The impeller diameter is too small.

o The impeller is running at too slow a speed
o You are running an induction motor. Their speed is different than synchronous motors.
It’s always slower. The pump curve was created using a variable frequency motor that
ran at a constant speed. Put a tachometer on your motor to see its actual speed.
o Your pulley driven pump is running on the wrong pulley diameter.
o A variable frequency motor is running at the wrong speed.
o Check the speed of the driver if the pump is driven by something other than an electric
motor.
o There is something physically wrong with the motor. Check the bearings etc.
o Check the voltage of the electric motor. It may be too low.
o The impeller is damaged. The damage could be caused by excessive wear, erosion,
corrosion or some type of physical damage.
o Physical damage often occurs during the assembly process when the impeller is driven
on or off the shaft with a wooden block and a mallet. Many impeller designs do not
have a nut cast into the impeller hub to ease removal.
o Erosion occurs when solids enter the eye of the impeller. The solids can chip off pieces
of the ceramic that are passivating the impeller, causing localized corrosion.
o Damage can occur if the impeller to volute, or back plate clearance is too small and the
shaft experiences some type of deflection. The original clearance could have
diminished with thermal growth of the shaft. Keep in mind that some open impellers
adjust to the volute (Gould) while other designs adjust to the back plate (Duriron).
o In an ANSI and similar design centrifugal pumps, the normal thrust towards the volute
has bent the snap ring designed for bearing retention. This can allow the rotating
impeller to hit the stationary volute.
o Here are some examples of shaft displacement:
o Operating the pump too far off the BEP.
o Pulley driven applications.
o Pipe strain.
o Misalignment between the pump and driver.
o The shaft could be bent.
o The rotating assembly was probably not dynamically balanced.
o The impeller is clogged. This is a major problem with closed impellers. With the
exception of finished product, most of what you will be pumping contains entrained
solids. Remember also that some products can solidify, or they can crystallize with a
change in fluid temperature or pressure.
o Impeller balance holes have been drilled between the eye and the wear rings of a closed
impeller. The reverse flow is interfering with the product entering the impeller eye. A
discharge recirculation line should have been used in place of the balance holes to
reduce the axial thrust.
o The double volute casting is clogged with solids or solids have built up on the surface
of the casting.
o The open impeller to volute clearance is too large. 0.017″ (0,5 mm) is typical. This
excessive clearance will cause internal recirculation problems. A bad installation,
thermal growth, or normal impeller wear could be the cause.
o A large impeller to cutwater clearance can cause a problem called discharge
recirculation. Wear is a common symptom of this condition.
o If the impeller is positioned too close to the cutwater you could have cavitation
problems that will interfere with the head.
o The impeller specific speed number is too high. Lower specific speed numbered
impellers are used to build higher heads.
o An impeller inducer was left off at the time of assembly. Inducers are almost always
needed with high specific speed impellers. Leaving off the inducer can cause cavitation
problems that will interfere with the head.
o The impeller is loose on the shaft.
o The impeller is running backwards
o The shaft is running backwards because of a wiring problem.
o The pump is running backwards because the discharge check valve is not holding and
system pressure is causing the reverse rotation. This is a common problem with pumps
installed in a parallel configuration. Check valves are notoriously unreliable.
o The impeller has been installed backwards. This can happen with closed impellers on
double ended pumps
o The second stage of a two stage pump is wired backwards. The pump reverses when
the second stage kicks in. You should have heard a loud noise when this happened.
o The wear ring clearance is too large.
o This is a common problem if the shaft L3/D4 number is greater than 60 (2 in the metric
system).
o You should replace the rings when the original clearance doubles. Needless to say this
can only be determined by inspection.
o If you are pumping a product at 200°F (100°C) or more you should use a centerline
design volute to prevent excessive wear ring wear as the volute grows from the base
straight up, engaging the wear rings.
o A wear ring is missing. It was probably left off during the installation process.
o A high suction tank level is reducing the differential pressure across the pump
increasing its capacity. The pump pumps the difference between the suction and
discharge heads.
o A bubble is trapped in the eye of the impeller. The eye is the lowest pressure area.
When this bubble forms it shuts off all liquid coming into the pump suction. This could
cause the pump to lose its prime.
o You cannot vent a running pump because centrifugal force will throw the liquid out
the vent leaving the air trapped inside.
o Air is coming directly into the pump. This happens with a negative pressure at the
suction side. Negative suction happens when the pump is lifting liquid, pumping from
a condenser hot well etc.
o Air is coming into the stuffing box through the pump packing.
o Air is coming into the stuffing box through an unbalanced mechanical seal. As the
carbon face wears the spring load holding the faces together diminishes.
o If you are using mechanical seals in vacuum service, they should be of the O-ring
design. Unlike other designs, O-rings are the only shape that seals both pressure and
vacuum.
 o The pump was not primed prior to start up. With the exception of the self-priming
version, centrifugal pumps must be full of liquid at start up.
o Air can enter the stuffing box if the gasket between the two halves of a double ended
pump is defective or does not extend to the stuffing box face. Any small gaps between
the face of the stuffing box and the split at the side of the stuffing box will allow either
air in, or product out.
o Air is coming into the suction side of the pump through a pin hole in the casing.
o Air is entering the stuffing box between the sleeve and the shaft. This happens if you
convert a double ended pump from packing to a mechanical seal and fail to install a
gasket or O-ring between the impeller hub and the sleeve.
o The open impeller was adjusted backwards and now the close fitting “pump out vanes”
are creating a vacuum in the stuffing box.
o You need a volute casing instead of a concentric casing. Volute casings are much better
for producing head.
o You have the wrong size pump. It cannot meet the system curve requirements:
o The pump was not selected to meet the system curve requirements because no system
curve was given to the pump supplier.
o At replacement time the same size pump was purchased because no one had calculated
losses in the system.
o The pump was sized from a piping diagram that was thirty five years old. There have
been numerous piping changes and additions since the original layout. In many
instances additional pumps have been installed and this pump is running in parallel
with them, but nobody knows it.

THE PROBLEM IS ON THE SUCTION SIDE OF THE PUMP. THE PUMP COULD
BE CAVITATING.

o Air is entering the suction piping at some point.

o Air is being pumped into the suction piping to reduce cavitation problems
o Fluid returning to the sump is being aerated by too far a free fall. The return line should
terminate below the liquid level.
o The fluid is vortexing at the pump inlet because the sump level is too low and the pump
capacity is too high.
o Air is coming into the system through valves above the water line, or gaskets in the
piping flanges.
o The liquid source is being pumped dry. If this is a problem in your application you
might want to consider a self-priming pump in the future.
o The vapor pressure of the fluid is too close to atmospheric pressure. When it rains the
drop in atmospheric pressure causes the inlet fluid to vaporize.
o There is a problem with the piping layout. It is reducing the head on the suction side
of the pump.
o There is too much piping between the pump suction and the source tank. You may need
a booster pump or an inducer. The higher the pump speed the bigger the problem.
o There is an elbow too close to the pump suction. There should be at least ten diameters
of pipe between the elbow and the pump suction. Suction piping should never run
parallel with the pump shaft in a double ended pump installation. This can cause
unnecessary shaft thrusting.
o A piece of pipe of reduced diameter has been installed in the suction piping.
o Piping was added on the inlet side of the pump to by-pass a piece of equipment that
was installed on the floor.
o A piping to pump reducer has been installed upside down causing an air pocket.
Concentric reducers can cause the same problem..
o Multiple pump inlets are too close together.
o The pump inlet is too close to the tank floor.
o The suction lift is too high.
o A gasket with too small an inside diameter has been installed in the suction piping
restricting the liquid flow.
o A gasket in the suction piping is not centered and is protruding into the product stream.
o A globe valve has been substituted for a gate valve in the suction piping. The loss of
head in a globe valve is many times that of a gate valve.
o Two pumps are connected in series. The first pump is not sending enough capacity to
the second pump.
o The piping inlet is clogged.
o A filter or strainer is clogged or covered with something.
o Intermittent plugging of the suction inlet.
o Loose rags can do this.
o If the suction is from a pond, river, or the sea, grass can be pulled into the suction inlet.
o A foot valve is stuck.
o A check valve is stuck partially closed
o The foot valve is too small.
o A small clam or marine animal cleared the suction screen, but has now grown large on
the pump side of the screen.
o The suction piping diameter has been reduced.
o The suction piping collapsed when a heavy object either hit or ran over the piping.
o Solids have built up on the piping walls. Hard water is a good example of this problem
o A liner has broken away from the piping wall and has collapsed in the piping. Look for
corrosion in the piping caused by a hole in the liner.
o A foreign object is stuck in the piping It was left there when the piping was repaired.
 o The suction is being throttled to prevent the heating of the process fluid. This is a
common operating procedure with fuel pumps where discharge throttling could cause
a fire or explosion.
o The pump inlet temperature is too high.
o The tank is being heated to deaerate the fluid, but it is heating the fluid up too much.
Look for this problem in boiler feed pump applications.
o The sun is heating the inlet piping. The piping should be insulated to prevent this
problem.
o The operating temperature of the pumped fluid has been increased to accommodate the
process requirements.
o A discharge recirculation line is heating the incoming fluid. You should direct this line
to a reservoir rather than the pump suction.
o Steam or some other hot cleaner is being circulated through the lines.
o The problem is in the tank connected to the suction of the pump.
o The pump capacity is too high for the tank volume.
o The tank float is stuck, showing a higher tank level that does not exist.
o The tank vent is partially shut or frozen, lowering the suction pressure.
o There is not enough NPSH available for the fluid you are pumping. Maybe you can use
an inducer or booster pump to increase the suction pressure.
o A high suction tank level is reducing the differential pressure across the pump,
increasing its capacity and lowering the head.

PROBLEMS ON THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE PUMP INCLUDING THE

PIPING

 Two pumps are in connected in series. The first pump does not have enough capacity
for the second pump. They should be running at the same speed with the same width
impeller.
 The pump discharge is connected to the bottom of the tank. The head is low until the
level in the tank increases.
 Units in the discharge piping should not normally be shut off, they should be by-passed
to prevent too much of a change in the pump’s capacity.
 If too many units are being by-passed in the discharge system the head will decrease as
the capacity increases. This can happen if an extra storage tank farm is being by-passed
because the storage capacity is no longer needed.
 A bypass line has been installed in the pump discharge increasing the capacity and
lowering the head.
 Piping or fittings have been removed from the discharge side of the pump reducing
piping resistance.
  Connections have been installed in the discharge piping that have increased the demand
that increases capacity.
 The pump is acting as an accumulator, coming on when the tank level drops. The head
will be low until the accumulator is recharged.
 Consider the possibility of a siphon affect in the discharge piping. This will occur if the
pump discharge piping is entering into the top of a tank and discharging at a lower level
the pump must build enough head initially to take advantage of the siphoning action.
 A discharge valve (manual or automatic) is opened too much.

A predominant condition requiring troubleshooting expertise in centrifugal pumps is referred

to as cavitation. More paragraphs have been penned on this topic than on every other aspect
of pumping combined, yet the vast majority of the world's pumps have never experienced
the problem. However, there are enough pumps subjected to cavitation for us to review the
matter in some detail.

To anyone who works with pumps, the symptoms of cavitation are relatively familiar: a
unique rumbling/rattling noise and high vibration levels. Closer inspection will also reveal
pitting damage to the impeller and a slight reduction in the Total Head being developed by
the pump. To consistently avoid or cure these problems, it is important to understand what
cavitation really is and what causes it in a centrifugal pump.

Cavitation is a two part process caused by the changes in pressure as the liquid moves
through the impeller. As the liquid enters the suction nozzle of the pump and progresses
through the impeller, there are a number of pressure changes that take place, as shown in
Figure 2.

Figure 2

As the liquid enters the pump through the suction nozzle, the pressure drops slightly. The
amount of reduction will depend on the geometry of that section of the particular pump and
will vary from pump to pump. The liquid then moves into the eye of the rotating impeller
where an even more significant drop in pressure occurs.
The first part of the cavitation process occurs if the pressure falls below the liquid's vapor
pressure in the eye of the impeller. This causes vapor bubbles to be created in that area (in
other words, the liquid boils!). The second part of the process occurs as the centrifugal action
of the impeller moves the bubbles onto the vanes where they are instantly re-pressurized and
thus collapse in a series of implosions.

While a single such implosion would be insignificant, their increasing repetition and severity
develops energy levels well beyond the yield strength of most impeller materials. At this
stage, the impeller starts to disintegrate and small cavities are created in the metal. This
condition also creates the noise and high vibration levels mentioned earlier.

When considering Figure 2, it is evident that the problem results from the pressure of the
liquid dropping below its vapor pressure in the eye of the impeller. This is what creates the
vapor bubbles in that area. Consequently, cavitation can usually be avoided or stopped by
simply increasing the pressure of the liquid before it enters the suction nozzle of the pump.
This will ensure that the pressure in the eye area does not fall below the vapor pressure, so
no vapor bubbles will be created and no cavitation will exist.

Much of the critical pressure drop that is created as the liquid moves into the eye of the
impeller can be attributed simply to the loss of energy of a liquid moving from a static
environment (the pump suction) to a dynamic environment in the rotating impeller.
However, it has been suggested that other design factors may occasionally play a part, such
as the entrance angles of the impeller vanes as they relate to the velocity of the liquid.

Confusing Conditions

The reason cavitation continues to be a difficult problem to correct on a consistent basis is

that its classic symptoms are shared by three other conditions. This means that when we
experience the unique noise and high vibration levels, they could also be caused by suction
or discharge recirculation or by air entrainment, all of which have little to do with cavitation
or suction pressure.

Suction Recirculation

This condition results from various types of instability such as turbulence, backflow
circulation and swirling actions that can occur in the impeller when operating the pump at a
low flow rate. Sometimes referred to as "separation" or "hydrodynamic" cavitation, these
flow patterns tend to double back on themselves under low flows. Unfortunately, the flow
rate at which this occurs will vary from one impeller to the next. Frequent occurrences at
flows lower than 30 percent of the BEP have been identified, while others have it tagged as
high as 80 percent.
While some industries favor a model that identifies recirculation occurring at the eye of the
impeller, physical evidence in other industries shows the pitting damage almost halfway
along the vane. It would also appear as though the impeller design contributes to a condition
where that damage could be on either the leading or the trailing side of the vane.

In a nutshell, suction recirculation happens when the pump is operating at low flows, and the
pitting damage normally occurs about halfway along the vanes.

Discharge Recirculation

Discharge recirculation is a similar occurrence that results in pitting damage at the tip of the
vanes and sometimes at the cut-water of the casing. It can also be caused by operating the
pump at low flow rates.

Air Entrainment

Air entrainment defines a variety of conditions where the vapor bubbles are already in the
liquid before it reaches the pump. When they arrive in the eye of the impeller, exactly the
same thing happens as if they were created at that point. In other words, the vapor is subjected
to the increasing pressure at the start of the vanes and is thus imploded, causing the identical
damage as cavitation, and at the same location.

This condition can often be a result of pumping fermenting liquids or foaming agents found
in a wide variety of industries. It can also be a result of pumping a liquid, such as condensate,
that is close to its boiling point.

Figure 3

However, air entrainment is most frequently caused by turbulence in the suction line, or even
at the suction source. For example, the kind of inappropriate piping conditions in Figure 3
will cause turbulence in the suction line that will create vapor bubbles moving into the pump
suction.
A similar condition can occur if the pump is drawing suction from a tank in which an agitator
or fluid mixer is operating. These problems can frequently be minimized by the use of
appropriate baffles in the tanks, if such a condition is feasible.

Turbulence in the suction lines to a pump can also be created by using too many elbows in
the line. Even one elbow located directly onto the suction flange of the pump can create
enough turbulence to cause air entrainment. If there are two elbows close to each other in
the suction piping in different planes, the liquid will exit the second elbow in a swirling
fashion that will cause considerable turbulence. This will create an air entrainment problem
for the pump by causing pockets of low pressure in the liquid flow in which vaporization
can occur.

The ideal situation is to provide the suction side with a straight run of pipe, in a length
equivalent to five to 10 times the diameter of that pipe, between the suction reducer and the
first obstruction in the line. This will ensure the delivery of a uniform flow of liquid to the
eye of the impeller and avoid any turbulence and air entrainment.

Figure 4

As air entrainment causes the same pitting damage to the impeller in precisely the same
location as cavitation, it can be a little confusing, particularly as both can occur
simultaneously in the same service. However, a quick comparison of the NPSHA and
NPSHR, combined with a visual review of the piping characteristics will usually help
identify the root cause of the so-called "cavitation" and solve the air entrainment problem.

Similarities and Differences

Cavitation, air entrainment and recirculation all result in pitting damage on the impeller
caused by the formation and subsequent collapse of vapor bubbles. The difference between
them lies in the method by which the bubbles are formed and the location of the resultant
impeller damage.

As the severity of all these conditions increases, the noise, vibration and impeller damage
will also increase. Under severe conditions, the pitting damage will spread throughout the
impeller and may also extend to the casing.
All these conditions share some similar symptoms. As a consequence, they can be diagnosed
incorrectly. However, they are caused by three separate conditions and, by focusing on these
root causes, an accurate diagnosis can be simplified.

It must be recognized that the harmful effect on the impeller is only one consequence of
these conditions. The bigger problems come from the subsequent vibration and its
detrimental effects on seals and bearings.

Cavitation Troubleshooting

The biggest problem overall is identifying which of three hydraulic conditions are present
when the common symptoms of noise and vibration are experienced.

This is accomplished by the throttling of the discharge valve, which reduces the flow through
the pump and creates three possible scenarios:

 The noise and vibration will grow quieter and perhaps even die away completely.
 The noise and vibration will get worse.
 Little or no difference is experienced.

With the first result, the pump will be operating at a lower flow where a lower level of NPSH
is required, and the quieter, smoother operation identifies that cavitation is being eliminated.

If the noise and vibration gets worse, it indicates that the pump is moving into a worsening
condition of low flow which demonstrates a problem with recirculation.

When little difference is experienced, that indicates an air entrainment problem that is not
immediately susceptible to changes in flow rate.

Cavitation is a main cause of losing pump suction, but remember that there are
several different types of cavitation:

 Vaporization of the liquid within the pump caused by a loss of suction head or an
increase in suction temperature.
 The “vane passing syndrome” caused by too small an impeller to cutwater clearance.
 Too high a suction specific speed number will cause internal recirculation problems
resulting in cavitation.
 Air ingestion on the suction side of the pump allows air and bubbles into the suction of
the pump.
 Turbulence of the fluid that releases entrained gases into the suction piping.
 Each of these cavitation’s has been addressed in other papers in this site In this paper we
will be looking at only the intermittent loss of suction fluid. You will be looking at several
possibilities:

 A recurring restriction in the suction piping that may or may not be causing a cavitation
problem within the pump.
 Intermittent cavitation problems as opposed to a design or operation problem that causes
a constant cavitation condition.
 A repetitive need for an increase in the pump’s capacity.

Now we will take a look at each of these possibilities in detail:

A re-occurring restriction in the suction piping that may or may not be causing a cavitation
problem within the pump.

 A foot valve or any valve in the suction piping is sticking.

 Something is occasionally plugging up the suction piping. If the pump suction is coming
from a river, pond or the ocean, grass is a strong possibility.
 A loose rag is another common cause.
 A collapsed pipe liner will restrict the piping at higher velocities.
 The suction is being throttled to prevent heating of the process fluid. This can happen
with some volatile fuel applications.
 A filter or strainer is gradually clogging up.
 Air is being introduced into the suction side of the pump to reduce the capacity. This is
sometimes done with low specific gravity fluids to avoid throttling the discharge that
might overheat and flash the product.

Intermittent incidents that cause cavitation problems

 The tank vent partially freezes in cold weather.

 The sun is heating the suction piping, raising the product temperature close to its vapor
point.
 The level in the suction tank increases, decreasing the differential head across the pump.
This will increase the pump capacity until the level in the tank drops.
 The level in the open suction tank decreases causing vortex problems that allow air into
the pump suction.
 Several pumps in the same sump are running, decreasing the level too much.
 The suction tank float is stuck. It will sometimes show a higher level than you really
have.
  A discharge recirculation line, piped to the pump suction, opens and heats the incoming
liquid.
 Sometimes the suction lift is too high. The increase in pipe friction will reduce the
suction head.
 The vapor pressure of the product is very close to atmospheric pressure. The pump
cavities every time it rains because of a drop in atmospheric pressure.
 The tank is being heated to de-aerate the fluid. Sometimes it is being heated too much.
 The process fluid specific gravity is changing. This can happen with a change in product
operating temperature, or if a cleaner or solvent is being flushed through the lines.
 A booster pump is malfunctioning or leaking excessively.
 The source tank is changing from a positive pressure to a vacuum due to the process.
 A packed valve in the suction piping is at a negative pressure and air is leaking in
through the packing.
 The tank is being pumped dry.

A repetitive need for an increase in the pumps capacity.

 A bypass line, or relief valve opens, decreasing the discharge resistance, increasing the
capacity.
 A break or leak in the line downstream of the pump will increase the capacity of the
pump as the head drops.
 The pump is supplying many sources and too many valves are open at one time.
 The pump discharge is being directed to several different tank farm locations. The
changing piping resistance is changing the pump’s head and capacity.

The centrifugal pump is drawing too much amperage.

There are a couple of things you must keep in mind when troubleshooting centrifugal pump
problems:

 The centrifugal pump always pumps the difference between the suction and discharge
heads. If the suction head increases, the pump head will decrease to meet the system
requirements. If the suction head decreases the pump head will increase to meet the
system requirements.
 A centrifugal pump always pumps a combination of head and capacity. These two
numbers multiplied together must remain a constant. In other words, if the head
increases the capacity must decrease. Likewise if the head decreases, the capacity must
increase.
 The pump will pump where the pump curve intersects the system curve.
  If the pump is not meeting the system curve requirements the problem could be in the
pump, the suction side including the piping and source tank, or somewhere in the
discharge system.
 Most pumps are oversized because of safety factors that were added at the time the
pump was selected. This means that throttling is a normal condition in most plants,
causing the pump to run on the left hand side of its curve.

The increased amperage can be caused by a pump that is too large for the
application.

 A large pump was specified in anticipation of future needs.

 The pump was sized for the maximum operating condition, but does not run anywhere
near that point most of the time.
 The capacity requirement has been lowered and the pump is being throttled rather than
cut back the impeller diameter.
 The pump was oversized because of safety factors that were added at the time the pump
was sized.
 Increasing the speed of the pump causes a dramatic change in the amperage required.
The amperage changes by the cube of the change in speed or impeller diameter. If you
double the speed of a pump you will need eight times the amperage.

The increased amperage can be caused by a change in the product.

 The motor was sized for a low specific gravity fluid, but the lines are being flushed or
tested with water.
 The specific gravity of the fluid has increased for some reason.
 The viscosity of the liquid is increasing with a change in temperature. Some viscosities
increase with a lower temperature, some with a higher temperature.
 The viscosity of a liquid can increase with agitation. That is how cream becomes butter.

The increased amperage is caused by two part rubbing together as a result of shaft
displacement. Here are some common causes of shaft displacement:

 Pipe strain
 Misalignment between the pump and driver.
 A bent shaft.
 The rotating assembly is not dynamically balanced.
 Cavitation.
 Water hammer.
 Operating off the BEP.
 Thermal growth.
  Pulley driven pumps.
 Different types of vibration including harmonic, slipstick, induced, etc…

There are many parts that can come into contact when the shaft displaces.

 The impeller can contact the pump volute or back plate. This can also happen with an
improper impeller adjustment or thermal growth.
 The end of the stuffing box can be hit by the shaft or sleeve. There is often a close fitting
bushing installed in this location.
 The outside diameter of the rotating mechanical seal and the inside of the stuffing box.
 A gasket or fitting protruding into the stuffing box that rubs against the mechanical seal.
 The rotating shaft and the stationary seal face.
 The shaft and the API gland disaster bushing.
 The closed impeller wear rings are a common source of rubbing.

The increased amperage can be caused by an increase in bearing loading.

 Check the shaft and housing tolerances along with the installation method.
 Cooling a bearing outside diameter causes it to shrink and over compress.
 The wrong lubrication level. There is too much lubricant in the bearing

The starting procedure could be the problem.

 The radial flow pump is being started with the discharge valve open. Radial flow pumps
use the most horsepower at high capacity.
 The axial flow pump is being started with the discharge valve shut. Axial flow pumps
use the most horsepower at high head.

Check to see if there is too much axial thrust.

 See if the impeller balance holes are clogged.

 If there is an elbow too close to the suction of a double ended pump, and the piping is
running parallel with the shaft, The change in velocity of the incoming fluid will cause
axial thrust.
 Converting packing to a mechanical seal can increase the axial loading on the bearing

Here are a few more reasons why you might be using too much amperage.

 Your pump is equipped with an axial flow or high specific speed impeller. These
impellers cause the pump to draw more amperage when the pump discharge is throttled.
 The stuffing box packing has been tightened too much.
 An unbalanced mechanical seal is being used in a high pressure application. There is
too much face load
 The impeller has been installed backwards.
 The shaft is running in the wrong direction.
 The open impeller needs adjusting. You have too much clearance between the impeller
and the volute, or back plate, depending upon the pump design.