Mounting centrifugal pumps in a vertical configuration certainly has its benefits. It can provide a much smaller footprint, and it makes sense for inline pumping applications. But before running a centrifugal pump vertically, it is important to review the environment that the seal will see. Fluids w

A pump has gone out on the lift station, and this time, theres no fixing it. Given the issues this pump has presented in the past, maybe its time to re-evaluate the type of wastewater pump to replace it. For below grade applications, the most common options are submersible, dry-pit, and dry-pit subm

Lantern ring, packing gland, stuffing box… could you identify these parts on a centrifugal pump and correctly define their purpose? Centrifugal pumps contain many parts with names foreign to anyone who is just getting started with fluid processing systems. I took a trip out to the Crane Engineering

A wastewater treatment operator called Crane Engineering with a problem. He was replacing bearings on the same centrifugal pump in his lift station again and again. When the operators account manager visited in person, it was obvious something was wrong. Even before he saw the pump, he could hear th

The holiday season is upon us. If youre still struggling to find the perfect gift for those on your maintenance team, we have some ideas for you! I talked to Crane Engineerings Service Pros to find out which tools and winter gear they like best, and what is on their wish list for this year. Heres wh

Youve just pulled a brand new, shiny impeller out of the packaging. It looks great and ready to install. But before you do, take the time to have it balanced. I know what youre thinking, its brand new! Shouldnt it be balanced already? Youd think, but its not. Last week, one of our Service Pros stop

Unplanned maintenance accounts for approximately 60% of maintenance department budgets. Its no wonder maintenance managers are searching for ways to increase pump reliability. Maintenance managers face two challenges when devising a reliability strategy: the time to sit down and write the plan, and

A few weeks ago we posted a case study about how one manufacturer used the i-Alert2 to ensure his plant would stay up and running while one of his two cooling tower pumps left the site for repairs. My team and I visited Bill Bushman at Schoeneck Container to see his operation, and hear about hi

Imagine you’ve just finished installing a new pump. You’ve aligned it perfectly and put it into commission. But not long after install, the pump starts to experience issues indicative to misalignment. Things like bearing failure, and seal failure. But you know it was aligned properly. What happened?

Preventative maintenance is pretty standard for pumps, but what about valves? It’s no secret that poorly maintained equipment doesn’t last as long as it should. If you skimp on maintenance, you’ll be faced with sudden failures and unexpected replacement costs. A preventative maintenance program will

When a manufacturer purchased a few manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin, they noticed pumps therein had failures. A lot of failures. That issue, coupled with a reduced number of maintenance staff, meant there was a lot of downtime. More downtime meant less product being produced. It would take a c

Those who are charged with maintaining pumps are familiar with this scenario. The pump manufacturer says their parts, though they cost more, are more efficient, higher quality, and have a lower total cost of ownership. Replicated part manufacturers say their parts perform just as well as the OEM par

My father-in-law is famous for his one-liners. Instead of put your back in to it, hell say give er the old yakabuski!. Instead of saying it doesnt need to be perfect he says were not building a church! But one of the things hes most famous for saying is price soon forgotten, quality long rememb

If you work at a large facility that can’t afford unexpected downtime, you probably have some spare pumps, valves or parts in stock. It never hurts to have spare equipment on the shelf in case of a plant emergency. When things go south, you’re able to swap in the new pump right away. But did yo

Know the feeling when you put something together and you’ve got extra parts? Did you just build it more efficiently? Or should you expect it to break soon? We’ve seen some maintenance people make pump repairs this way. They buy Goulds Pumps parts kits to make a repair, but only use some of the part

When selecting a new pump, the selection of the coupling is one of the most overlooked components. It is, after all, one of the least expensive pieces of the entire assembly. But this doesnt mean its one of the least important. Pump couplings connect the pump shaft and motor shaft together in order

Normally, the light always flashed green on the Goulds Pump at this Wisconsin food manufacturer. But today, it flashed red. What does this mean? Is it plugged? Running hot? On the verge of catastrophic failure?  The maintenance manager called his contact at Crane Engineering. “What is this ligh

Confined spaces are common in many industrial and municipal work spaces. These spaces vary by size and location, and each present their own set of challenges, albeit hazardous air or just tight conditions. However, day in and day out, workers are required to do their daily jobs in such areas. How ca

Pump cavitation is a common problem in pumping systems. It causes a number of issues for your pumping system, including excess noise, vibration, and energy usage, not to mention serious damage to the pump itself.  Pump cavitation is the formation of bubbles or cavities in the liquid,

Internal gear pumps are versatile pieces of rotating equipment. They’re great for highly viscous fluids and have only two moving parts. A maintenance technician’s dream! But, one day, your internal gear pump stops performing its day-to-day function and all heck breaks loose! But before you trash it,