Challenging the Theory ‘If it isn t Broke, Why Maintain it’?
Extending operating life and optimising pump performance are among the important benefits behind the introduction of a ‘Health Check Package’, a new initiative from P&M Pumps.
P&M Pumps
The company is offering pre-scheduled site visits incorporating the health check package for existing Vaughan chopper pump users in the UK.
Pump operators will acknowledge the importance of conducting routine maintenance in accordance with their in-house policies as well as the recommendations included in the operators manuals supplied by P&M Pumps when the pump(s) were installed. However, the reality in some situations is that pumps are operating 24/7 for extended periods, for several years or maybe even longer, without ANY checking or maintenance. The attached pictures illustrate a ‘before and after’ example. The first picture shows a pump which was extracted and checked having being operated for approximately 5 years with operators commenting that it’s performance was ‘becoming unacceptable’. The second picture shows a similar pump, having been correctly maintained over the same period.
Whilst Vaughan chopper pumps are acknowledged as being extremely durable and well engineered, they include components which need checking and adjusting to ensure optimum performance. However, in some applications and environments if pumps are left unchecked for extended periods this could lead to faults, or in extreme cases catastrophic failure. The result is serious downtime and disruption for operators.
The P&M Pumps Health Check Package is designed to help operators achieve on-going optimum pumping performance with the emphasis on a pro-active, preventative policy, as opposed to a reactive approach, for example ‘if it isn’t broke, why maintain it?’. This approach will also contribute toward the increasing requirement for protecting the capital value of expensive plant and equipment, such as pumps, in addition to their performance as an operational asset.
P&M Pumps offer two types of Health Package which include; site visits by one or two engineers at 6 monthly intervals, or at the customers’ discretion, checking and adjusting of key pump components, re-installing pump for start-up along with a full visit report of individual pumps including all recommendations and proposals.
