High-pressure pumps are in most equipment that makes today's living possible, from the fuel pump in your car to the pump in your AC. Pumps rarely fail when installed and used properly, but like any other mechanical gadget, wear and tear will lead to failure at some point. So what are some common high-pressure pumps problems, and how are they fixed?
1. Air Lock
Air infiltration in a pumping system can block the movement of the liquid being pumped. This problem is common in older pumps that don't come with an air separator. It occurs from an improper installation that causes misalignment.
Luckily, modern high-pressure pumps come with air bleeding valves. Opening this valve lets air out; you will likely hear the air make a hiss. It is advisable to get a pump repair technician to correct the misalignment to prevent a recurrence of this problem.
2. Worn Out Bearings
Bearing assemblies in high-pressure pumps become problematic from various problems, including inadequate lubrication, overheating, stress, contamination, and corrosion. Not all high-pressure pumps have bearing assemblies, but you can expect bearing problems in electric pumps because of their motor bearings.
For pumps with bearing assemblies, the technician can replace assembly as a unit. You will commonly find these units in many hardware stores. However, motor bearings are more problematic because repair involves replacing the entire unit.
3. Wrong Speed Setting
The wrong settings of high-pressure pumps make the pump make excessive noise and vibrations. A good example is the flow setting on AC pumps. When the flow switch is on the wrong setting, you will hear more humming and vibration.
Test different flow settings while checking that the pump is still working as expected to fix this problem. You should also check the grounding of the pump because incorrect grounding redirects the noise to the structure.
4. Clogged Pump
Contamination of the liquid in the pump causes clogging of the system and sometimes a sudden shutdown. For example, water rust, dirt particles, and the build-up of leaf debris slow down the flow and make the pump energy inefficient.
The pump technician will clean the system with a liquid blowdown. For example, to clean a water pump, you run clean water through it until the sediments are cleared. Then, change the filtration unit at the intake. Fortunately, these are cheap and fast maintenance tasks.
Do you suspect a faulty pump is causing your equipment to malfunction? Call a pump repair service to diagnose and fix the problem.