placeholder img
by carter-admin 22 Jul 2019

What happens when your brand new air-operated diaphragm pump which you just installed yesterday starts to act up? Your first thought is that it shouldn’t be the case for a unit just out of the factory. It can’t be any issue from daily use or wear and tear. Air-operated diaphragm pumps sometimes do have this issue which might be quite puzzling for most people, but in fact, are actually not that uncommon in real-life applications. Let us take a look at three case studies in which something of the above scenario may occur.

Air Pipe Clogged With Dirt

For the sake of argument, let us assume that your entire facility or plant is brand spanking new. That means all the piping, the airlines, your compressor and dryer, and even the filter or regulator on the airlines are fresh out of the factory. Into this system, you introduce not one, but two shiny new air-operated diaphragm pumps. But after the first few days, one of the pumps starts to fail, and completely gives up by the end of the week. What can you do?

Go for one of the components you routinely check: the air valve section. It might be a surprise to you that it’s already clogged. But how come it can be clogged? It is highly possible that the airlines were not blown out after installation. This is usually the last step in the installation process, and contractors may miss it out, allowing for dust and small debris to accumulate in a new plant. You can purchase an Air End Kit to solve this problem.

Condensation In Air Lines

Sometimes a scenario occurs where the pump works fine until about noon every day, but after that, it is half as efficient as it was in the morning, and also makes an odd hissing sound. You figure it shouldn’t be the case, as you have a dryer as well as a compressor. But this can be easily fixed as well. Check the muffler – you may discover that it has water inside it or even ice! This is expected of pump lines which run outside the building, for example, to connect a dryer and condenser which are housed in two separate buildings. This exposes airlines to external temperatures which do fluctuate every day, thus collecting condensation within the lines. This is easily remedied with a filer/regulator with an Automatic Drain on each airline that goes into your air-operated diaphragm pump. If possible, also keep your dryer and condenser in the same building.

These are two of the most common issues faced by operators, which may seem very serious but actually require a very simple fix. If, however, you feel that the issue you are facing is not so easily solved, it is time to turn to a professional. Carter Pump has over 75 years of experience in wastewater treatment and management, and can certainly help you to troubleshoot the issues with your pump, old or new.