A pump shop customer reached out to us regarding a failed seal. Their pump was down and it was their only back up. Knowing how important it was to get their production back up and running, we asked them to immediately send us their seal so we could take a look and diagnose the problem.
Seal Type: 1.375" John Crane 5610 Big Bore Seal Repair
Mode of Failure:
Upon disassembly and evaluation of the seal, we determined the seal ran dry in the pump. When the pump ran dry, there was no longer the critical film lubricating the faces. The seal faces cracked and the O-rings hardened from the excess heat generated from the the film loss. Fortunately, the main machined parts were repairable.
Repair Process:
Because this seal is a common ANSI cartridge, we had all the parts necessary in stock to repair, reassemble and test the seal within a day. We replaced the Silicon Carbide rotary face, Carbon stationary face, Viton O-rings, glass filled PTFE gasket & aluminum setting clips with cap screws/ setting screws. The seal was restored to like new condition.
The key for this customer was having this seal back in the pump within 72 hours of failure. The customer saved over $400 over a factory refurbishment and $700 vs a new seal.
Observations and Tips:
The most common method of seal failure is running the pump dry. A seal must have fluid to the faces to run effectively. Most often, this is an operations error in controlling product flow in the system, particularly by shutting off valves erroneously.
It is critical to make sure operators know that running a seal dry is certain death. Effective flushing is critical as well, either an independent flush (API Plan 32) or a recirculation (API Plan 11) from discharge. In extreme situations a double seal system can be incorporated.
Total Cost = $290 | Delivery = 2 Days
Our Seal Repair Division Offers:
Repair of all brands of mechanical seals
Diverse seal repair and machining capabilities
Decades of mechanical seal experience
Documented breakdown and analysis
In stock repair kits for most major OEM ANSI cartridges
Comprehensive sourcing of domestic and international parts
Pressure test of all cartridge and bellows seals
Field service as necessary
What an incredible deal! Usually repairs from the OEM run $500 plus - and new seals are well over twice that.