Griner Drilling Service Pump Repair and Maintenance

The terms ‘repair’ and ‘maintenance’ are referring to two completely different actions, but yet they are closely related. A pump ‘repair’ is when the pump is pulled out of the well because of poor performance. ‘Maintenance’ is what you do to limit the number and/or frequency of pump repairs you must perform. Proper maintenance on your water well is important, just like with your car, house, etc.

What should you expect from an annual water well inspection? Current capacity of the pump. Current water level inside the well, if at all possible. Check for sand production. Check the amp load on the motor.

On vertical hollow shaft motors, drain and replace the oil, or re-grease the bearings. Many VHS manufacturers recommend changing the oil after every 1000 hours of operation. 8 hrs. of operation per day is nearly 3000 hours of operation over a one year period. Remove the vent screens on motors and clean the dirt and trash out of them.

On oil lubricated pumps, check the oiler and disassemble and clean On oil lubricated pumps, check the oiler and disassemble and clean. Oil ‘gunk’ will build up and stop up the needle valves over time. On water lubricated pumps, check and add packing if necessary. Check the shaft for wear that may cause a problem in the near future. Check the fly screens on the well vents.

If the pressure gauge is broken, put on a new one. Caulk around openings, such as where the airline comes through the head. Examine the grout that forms the seal around the discharge head. Repair it if it is in poor condition. Cracked or missing grout can allow contaminants to be sucked into the well when the water level drops upon pump start-up. If the pressure gauge is broken, put on a new one. The operator can tell a lot about a pump just by looking at the pressure gauge.

Receive a written report which details the results of the annual flow test. Make sure to evaluate the pump properly. Use the results from several years worth of tests to determine trends. This is where the real value of annual flow tests are found. Some trends we developed from actual flow tests:

What information can we gather? Current capacity? Current water levels? Status of the pump? A short-term and/or long-term budgeting plan to give to your mayor, public works director, or manager?

Based on the known trend, you can forecast the next two years. 550 Based on the known trend, you can forecast the next two years. 525 Capacity 500 475 Will this capacity be a problem? 450 425 400 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year

Accurate tests can provide good information on the current condition of the pump. These tests provide good routine maintenance to help improve your pump life. Good records can be used to predict the way a pump will be operating in the next few years. This may help avoid emergencies and reduce the cost of the pump repairs.

Once a pump repair is needed, there are things that you should expect out of your contractor. Don’t be fooled. Get a THOROUGH inspection of every part of the pump. Any part of the pump can cause a failure or limit the life expectancy of your pump – from the motor to the suction pipe. This means EVERY part.

So, what should you expect? First of all, there should never be any parts left on the job site while the ‘inspection’ is taking place. If there is, then you probably are not getting a thorough inspection? Start with the column pipe. This should always be pressure washed and inspected closely. Poor jamb surfaces, threads, or pitting can lead to premature pump failure. A pit, or washed out spot, on a jamb surface will lead to erosion of the threads and eventually a hole in the column pipe. This can lead to several different types of problems.

All bearings should be closely inspected All bearings should be closely inspected. This does not mean a visual inspection. Use tools to measure the tolerances and provide a written report.

All shafts should be checked for straightness All shafts should be checked for straightness. If they are out of tolerance, then they should be straightened. The industry standard is .005”, but try to get them closer.

The pump bowl combines each of these important items: The bowl shaft should be straightened, preferably to within .003”. There are jamb surfaces that must create a tight seal. These areas should be cleaned and inspected. There are bearings and wear rings that need to be measured. If they are out of tolerance, then they should be replaced. These are checked like the others described earlier.

The impellers need to be balanced.

The electric motor should be inspected The electric motor should be inspected. Bad bearings can create a vibration. Don’t spend the time and money on the pump, then ignore the motor. This vibration can transmit down the shaft and into the pump. Gear drives are no different. Make sure they run smoothly. Make sure everything is clean prior to installation. This is especially true with the oil tubing. The oil tubing should be cleaned with wire brushes to remove all rust, oil gunk, etc.

Whether you have an oil lubricated, water lubricated or a submersible pump routine maintenance is very important. The pumps may be different, but there is still a proper way to repair them and important steps that can not be eliminated. A THOROUGH inspection is the only way to insure a proper repair job.