Startup, Operation, and Shutdown
If the conditions of service on you purchase order are going to be changed, (for example liquid pumped, temperature or duty), seek written agreement from Peerless Pump.
Frost Protection
If the pump is to be used in area where there is a potential of freezing or frost, necessary steps should be taken to protect pump and cooling systems from freezing and bursting.
Lubrication
Before attempting to start the pump, check the following items:
- Lubrication fitting at packing (if applicable)
- Lubrication for pump bearing
- Lubrication of the driver
- Oil-cooling connections for the driver (if applicable)
- Coupling (if required by manufacturer)
Good practice includes the following:
- Keep lubricant clean. Provide, and use, a dust tight cover on the storage container.
- Use the oldest lubricant first.
- Clean pump lubricant fittings before re-lubricating with grease.
- Use clean dispensing equipment.
- Remove 0.25" [6.4 mm] drain pipe plug on bottom outside of bearing housing cover. Inject clean, new grease, forcing out the old through the drain opening.
- Start and run the pump for a short time to eject any excess grease. Reinstall 0.25" [6.4 mm] pipe plug. Wipe off ejected grease.
- Use the proper amount of lubricant -too much result in churning, unnecessary power consumption, rapid heating to a high temperature and inadequate lubrication.
Normal bearing temperatures vary with the seasons and environment and may range from 0 to approximately 250 °F [-18 to 121 °C]. A continuous rise from the established, normal operating temperature indicates trouble and probable failure of the bearing. Shut down the pump immediately.
Recommended Products
The products listed in the following tables are recommended for the applications mentioned. Other lubricants of equal quality may also be used.
Greases for pump bearings
Use a Lithium soap base meeting NLGI Grade 2 specifications with a minimum dropping point 355 °F [179 °C], operating temperature range of -10 °F to 250 °F [-23 °C to 121 °C].
Rotation
Motor Driven
Prior to checking rotation ensure the power is disconnected and locked out to prevent accidental energizing of the driver.
Disconnect the coupling so that the motor shaft can spin without driving or contacting the pump shaft.
Rotate the motor by hand in both directions to check freedom without binding. Momentarily energize the motor to check that rotation is in the same direction as the arrow on the pump. If motor is three-phase type, reverse rotation (if required) by interchanging any two of the three power leads. The rotation of most single-phase motors is fixed by internal wiring and cannot be easily changed.
After proper rotation has been confirmed, reconnect coupling and shaft guarding.
Engine Driven
Rotation of engine is a constant set by manufacture and confirmed at ordering. No checks are required.
Guards
All guards must be in place on the pump prior to startup. Read and follow all recommended guarding and safety instructions for accessories, if any.
Guards must not be removed while the pump is operational.
Check List
System Flushing
When the pump is installed in the completed piping system, we recommend to backflush the system to remove debris such as stubs of welding rod, welding slag and loose scale. The pump and other sensitive part should be protected with startup strainers, which should in turn be removed upon completion of the flushing cycle.
System Decontamination
After the system has been flushed to remove debris, determine if your system needs to be decontaminated. If so, do that before priming and filling.
Priming
The pump should not be run unless it is completely filled with liquid, as there is danger of damaging some of the pump components.
If the system has suction pressure, bleed all air from the pump casing and suction pipe by the opening of the automatic relief valve at the top of the pump. Rotate the shaft a few times if possible to evacuate any air trapped inside the impeller passages.
Shaft Sealing
The function of a stuffing box is to limit or eliminate leakage of the pumped fluid and to prevent air from entering along the shaft. Pumps are equipped with packing seals. These instructions are intended for pumping units handling water.
Packed Type Seal
A packed type stuffing box must correspond to the suction conditions of the installation. The pump is shipped with the packing installed unless otherwise specified by the customer.
Check the packing carefully, allowing a slight leakage for lubrication. Never force the packing into a leak-proof position since this will create excessive friction and cause damage to the packing or shaft sleeve. Maximum packing life can be expected when the leakage approximates a minimum of 40-60 drops per minute. A reduction of leakage considerably reduces the life of both the packing and shaft sleeve. If leakage is excessive, tighten the gland bolts evenly, about 1/6 of a turn at a time. Do not be confused if the leakage seems to increase after and adjustment of the packing has been made. The leakage will normally reduce after a period of time as the packing adjusts itself to its new position. It should be kept in mind that it takes time for newly installed packing to "run-in" and that during this initial period, frequent attention and adjustments are necessary. It sometimes takes several days to achieve the desired results. Peerless Pump recommends the use of lantern rings and water seal lines.
Recommended stuffing box packing arrangements for use with water.
All UL/ULC listed fire pumps will have water seal piping only when suction pressure is less than 30 psiG.
All FM approved fire pumps will have water seal piping regardless of the suction pressure.
Once the stuffing box housing and stuffing box gland have reached approximately the same temperature as that of the pump parts, the running-in of the stuffing box gland has been completed. If the stuffing box leaks too much, retighten slightly and evenly while the pump is running. To ensure continuous lubrication, a few drops should always drop from the stuffing box to protect the packing or shaft sleeve against damage, see chart for recommendations for drop rate.
When the leakage can no longer be controlled by adjusting the gland, all rings of packing should be replaced. The addition of a single ring to restore gland adjustment is not recommended.
If the pump is to be left idle for a long period of time, we recommend to replace the packing prior to restarting the pump 1.
Startup, Operation and Shutdown
Starting Prior to making an initial start, after installation or major maintenance check the following:
- Refer to local fire code.
- Correct installation and rotation of driver.
- Coupling alignment.
- Bearing lubrication on pump and driver.
- Proper lubrication for stuffing boxes. For pumps having mechanical shaft seals, make certain that the liquid temperature, pressure, cooling and lubrication of seal faces all meet the manufacturer's requirements
- Gauges (if used) of correct range and in good condition.
- All foundation, pump, and driver bolts properly tightened. All external fasteners (nuts, bolts, screws) on pump checked against recommended torque values.
- When possible, turn the pump shaft by hand to make sure that parts do not bind.
- Ensure the suction valve is fully open.
After the pump has run a reasonable time, measure the temperature of bearing and stuffing box housings. The temperature of the stuffing box should approximate that of the pumped liquid. If it is to hot (overheats), the packing is too tight and should be checked.
Air in System
Entrained air reduces pump total head and flow rate. To avoid air in the system, take these precautions:
- Return lines into tanks should terminate a minimum of two pipe diameters below the low liquid level.
Lubrication System
Before running the drivers, either separately or connected to the pump, check lubrication requirements in the instructions of the driver. Check that the following points have been fulfilled:
- Grease-lubricated bearings have been properly greased with the driver manufacturer's recommended grade.
Driver Settings
Follow the instructions of the manufacturer.
Performance Testing
Once the unit is energized, check operating speed, flow rate, suction and discharge pressure, and power input. While it may not be possible to exactly repeat the factory performance, initial field test data becomes a valuable baseline for future checking to determine possible wear and need to perform maintenance.
Auxiliary piping and gasket joints should be checked for leaks and proper makeup.