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Join Date: Sep 2025
Posts: 5

H2O Pump Troubleshooting

11/22/2025 3:05 AM

Hi I am Taif ( Mechanical graduate engineer)

I am performing a troubleshooting for an overhung type pump (water booster pumps), 3 pumps in parallel two running and one standby lets name them (A, B ,C)

Data Sheet Data:

pump A is old and attached to low energy motor (voltage = 415v, current = 293A at 100% load, motor power= 180KW ) , rated capacity = 187.5 m3/h, Differential head= 170.5 m, speed=2980 rpm

pump B & C are new with high energy pump for each (V= 6.6Kv, I= 18.6 A at 100% load, motor power= 180Kw), rated capacity =187.5 m3/h, Differential head= 170.5 m, speed= 2975 rpm

The water goes from surge tanks to those water boosters then to water injection pumps

pump A is facing an excessive vibration with mechanical seal leak and the lock nut of the impeller keeps breaking everytime it fails, we are suspecting a high back pressure, the problem is that I don't have the disharge head or pressure to validate this assumption but I found

Calculated or actual data:

for pump B the actual head is 213 m at flow rate of 175 m3/h, but from manual pump performance curve (at flow of 175 m3/h, H= 163.2m)

for pump A the actual head is 213 m(assumed to be like B because of common head in parallel) at flow rate of 128.3 m3/h, but from manual pump performance curve (at flow of 128.3 m3/h, H= 190m)

this shows an estimation that both pumps are operating at higher heads than their predicts points to a system restriction.

What do you think ? what else I should do to look into all perspectives ?

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Member

Join Date: Sep 2025
Posts: 5
#1

Re: H2O Pump Troubleshooting

11/23/2025 1:18 AM

Sorry I meant OH2 overhung type

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Join Date: Jul 2016
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#2

Re: H2O Pump Troubleshooting

11/23/2025 10:56 PM

Can you confirm check valves are at each pump discharge, and that the valve internals are intact?

Vibration in one pump essentially identical to the others would appear to be a problem in the one pump. Consider misalignment of driver motor, or thrust bearing failure. If there is flow backwards, this might cause the impeller to unscrew. Breaking of the impeller nut is most puzzling.

This sort of hydraulic arrangement is not unusual and rarely leads to problems.

The difference of the motors appears to be inconsequential, on the surface. It would be rare to get a perfect match of slip on two even identical motors.

Can you measure flow under the 3 possible operating modes?

Measure the motor amperes under the 3 operating modes?

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