CTP Mechanically Sealed Plastic Centrifugal Pump Troubleshooting

Maintenance

The CTP range pumps have been designed and tested to run for 5000 hours in ideal working conditions. Please note that it is a conservative figure since the actual duty point of your pump can substantially modify this value. Additional factors such as intermittent operation, type of pumped liquid and installation in the plant may affect the life of components that are subject to wear. In any case, Tapflo advises to service pumps every year, even when used in ideal operating conditions.

Periodically check the suction and discharge conditions and motor according to the instructions provided by the motor manufacturer.

Overheating of Motor	Insufficient Capacity	No Pressure in the discharge	Irregular Capacity	Noise & Vibration	The pump gets Clogged	Overheating of the Pump	Abnormal Wear	Leak in the Mechanical Seal	Possible Reason	Solution
	X		X						Motor running in the wrong direction	Invert the direction of rotation
	X	X	X	X					Insufficient Suction Head (NPSHa)	Increase NPSHa by: –  Raise the Fluid Level at the fluid source –  Lower the pump –  Increase the Pressure in the Suction Tank –  Reduce Vapour Pressure –  Increase the ø of the Suction Pipework –  Make the Suction Pipework shorter and more direct
		X							Pump/pipe is clogged	Clean Pump and Pipework & introduce Strainer / Filter
	X		X	X			X		Cavitation	Increase NPSHa Bring the pump “on curve” by use of a regulation valve on the discharge of the pump Reduce the temperature of the liquid Clean any filters or strainers Ensure there are no air pockets in the pipework
	X		X	X			X		The pump is sucking air	Make sure all the connections leading to the pump are tight.
		X	X	X					Discharge Pressure too high	Reduce the head by increasing the pipe ø and/or reduce the number of valves and bends
	X			X					Flow Rate is too high	Reduce the Flow Rate by: –  Partially close the discharge valve –  Reduce the impeller ø –  Reduce the speed of the pump
	X			X	X	X	X		Liquid Temperature is too high	Cool the liquid or introduce a Thermosiphon
								X	Broken or Worn Mechanical Seal	Replace the Seal
								X	Wrong material of O-Rings	Mount O-Rings in suitable materials (contact us)
X				X	X	X			The Impeller scratches on the pump housing	Reduce the temperature of the fluid and/or suction pressure. Adjust the clearance between the impeller and the housing.
				X			X		Too much load on the pipe	Connect the pipework independently of the pump using expansion joints/bellows
				X	X	X	X		Foreign Objects in the liquid	Install a suitably sized strainer/filter in the suction side of the pump.
								X	Spring Tension in the Mechanical Seal too low	Adjust, as detailed in the manual
		X							Shut Off Valve Closed or Obstruction on the Suction Side	Check & remedy
	X								Discharge Pressure too Low	Increase the pressure generated by the pump by installing a larger impeller Review the discharge pipework to assess whether it can be made any more direct or shorter.
					X	X			The pump is not filled with liquid	Fill the pump with liquid
X	X			X					Liquid Parameters are different from those calculated with when selecting the pump	Check the liquid parameters against those supplied. Verify selection. Review pump suitability and change if necessary.