New Product: Grundfos CR Series
New Product Highlight: Haight U & Double Pumps
Shop Talk
Did you know.
Product Highlight: USF-Plymouth Products
Employee Profile
Maintenance Tips
PFC Quiz

No other supplier on the market today has a more competitive range of multi-stage centrifugal pumps than Grundfos. With the February 2002 release of the CR 1s, 1, 3, and 5, the CR range is more than supplemented with new sizes and a narrower interval between sizes. The new, superior technology and innovative design doubles pump reliability and makes the Grundfos range extraordinarily economical.

Grundfos solicited input from pump users and buyers to help its engineers develop a clear picture of what they most wanted to see changed in multistage centrifugal pumps. The close partnership that evolved led to tangible user benefits on several fronts.

The shaft seal is now more reliable and easier to work with than ever before. The many seal components have been incorporated into a unique cartridge unit. This means the components are always assembled correctly and the spring is pre-loaded to ensure the optimal tension between the respective seal surfaces. The seal design allows for complete seal replacement without disassembling the pump. Seal replacement is accomplished in a fraction of the time previously required minimizing downtime and maintenance costs. Silicon Carbide materials have been used in the shaft seal and bearings so the CR can endure brief periods of dry-running. To eliminate the threat of damage from dry-running completely, Grundfos has developed the optional LiqTec^TM sensor that stops the pump the moment it detects there is no liquid present.

Pump efficiency has also been increased. The major cost in operating a pumping system is the power consumed by the system over its lifetime. By increasing the pumping efficiency Grundfos has lowered the total costs of buying and operating a CR series pump. Combined with superior reliability and sophisticated motor technology, the true cost of installing Grundfos CR pumps is less than lower priced competitors' pumps.

Grundfos offers the CR series in a wide range of material options, sizes and custom-built configurations. Contact PFC Equipment to see if the Grundfos CR series is right for your application.

1. By doubling the speed of a pump, you double the flow rate. Ask our knowledgeable staff if this can help your application.
2. By doubling the speed of a centrifugal pump, you increase the head developed by a factor of 4.
3. If the speed of a centrifugal pump is doubled, then the brake horsepower required is increased by a factor of eight.
4. That by doubling the filter area you can triple the life of a filter. PFC Equipment can find the right filtration products for your application.
5. Like brakes on a car, mechanical seals are wear items and need to be replaced. Contact PFC about preventative maintenance programs.
6. Centrifugal pumps develop Total Dynamic Head (TDH) not pressure (PSI). To convert TDH to PSI divide by 2.31 and multiply by the specific gravity of the fluid pumped.
7. The BMW M3 coupe can go from 0-60 MPH in 4.2 seconds.
8. PFC Equipment employees have over 200 years of combined experience solving fluid handling applications. Allow us to find the right solution to your application.
9. To save energy, consider installing a Variable Frequency Drive. VFDs allow you to match pump speed and output to changing conditions.
10.Lucy & Desi were the first couple to be shown in the same bed on prime time TV.

PFC Equipment created the Customer/Vendor Relations Manager position in order to better serve our customers and strengthen the relationships with our vendors. Shannon Zappa was hired in September 2001 to assist PFC Equipment in developing new programs to meet these objectives.

Shannon graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelors Degree in Communication. She has taken her Marketing background as a Boilermaker, the Purdue mascot not the drink, and is working with our sales staff to strengthen PFC Equipment's relationships with our customers. Shannon has been integral in developing and expanding our Capabilities Brochure and web site with more information and new products. Our E-newsletter, a collaborative effort between PFC Equipment and its many vendors, is designed to keep our customers informed about developments in fluid handling equipment, maintenance options and new products.

In her 10 months with us, Shannon has also initiated a Vendor Rating System. This report card allows PFC Equipment to fully evaluate our suppliers and find ways to improve on already strong relationships. By looking at the ways in which our vendors fulfill our needs, which are an extension of our customers' needs, we can reach our goal of complete customer satisfaction. Whether it is integration with an MRP system, JIT deliveries, customization or financing, PFC Equipment intends to develop innovative resources and procedures to find solutions to our customers' requirements.

If you have not had an opportunity to work with Shannon, we encourage you to allow her the chance to communicate your company's requirements to the rest of the PFC Equipment staff.

Haight Pump has announced the introduction of the new U Series Pumps and Double Pumps. These two innovative product designs extend applications that can be served by Haight Pump. The Double pumps extend the available flow range from 40 gpm to 80 gpm for a total of 16 pump head sizes. Haight now offers one of the broadest selections of pumps available for close-coupled mounting in the industry. Specific customer benefits include:

• Costs are significantly reduced because of the elimination of gear reducers
• Reduction in maintenance costs and time because shaft alignment problems have been eliminated
• Dual, fully supported gear sets within a single housing, means lower gear tip speeds, resulting in less wear and noise
• Very compact footprint

The U Series pump design establishes a new benchmark for user-friendly flexibility. Haight has engineered reliability and flexibility into the design, so our customers can readily adapt to changing operating conditions in the field without special tools or machining. Based upon Haight time tested "gear within a gear" principle, these pumps come standard with:

• Ductile iron housings, for superior strength and performance
• Fully supported, hardened and ground shafts for years of reliable service
• Dual feed paths to handle viscous fluids at standard motor speeds
• Universal seal design that accepts a broad array of shaft seal types without special modification

The newly designed pumps allow for enhanced operating parameters. Temperatures can range from -80F to 650F with speeds to 3600rpm and pressures up to 650 psi. The standard integral bolt-on relief valve is available in a return-to-suction or return-to-tank configuration. Versatile mounting styles include close-coupled brackets in both footed and un-footed designs, direct coupled for models 1U-8U and out-board bearing designs. The multiple mounting styles allow for adaptability when plumbing, as well as configuration of the pump to individual specifications. Elastomers, rotors and bearings are all available in a variety of materials, which makes these pumps compatible with various chemicals and solvents.

Along with these new innovations, Haight Pump will soon release a Barrier Seal option which allows for simple, effective monitoring and containment of dangerous pumped fluids, a Mag Drive that has leak proof technology for zero tolerance fluids and environments to 10hp and pump Jackets will enable the pumping of fluids in environments where temperature control is essential. With these new improvements and commitment to excellence, Haight Pump continues improve and expand to better service our customers.

To compliment its wide selection of water filtration products, USFilter/Plymouth Products, Inc. will be adding a new filter housing and has recently introduced MTBE reduction to the list of claims offered on its widely used CC-10 cartridge.

The new housing has been designed from the ground up for greater strength and versatility and offers several new features. The housing is crafted using Buttress threads for a stronger, longer-lasting design. The new patent-pending, leak-proof O-ring seal eliminates the potential for bypass in critical applications. The housing is designed to accept cartridges with either knife-edge or o-ring sealing configurations. In addition, an optional mounting bracket cap is available for convenient placement, and an improved pressure relief button offers greater responsiveness.

The 3/4" inch housing unit now accepts both standard size and larger cartridges - up to 3 1/16-inch diameter - for use with high-capacity systems. The sump is available in both reinforced polypropylene for excellent chemical resistance and a clear Styrene-Acrylonitrile (SAN). The clear design makes it easier for users to inspect the filter for servicing. The housings are available in 10- and 20-inch lengths and are ideal for residential, commercial and industrial applications.

For years the CC-10 has served as an economical filtration solution for reducing chlorine, bad taste and other Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC) from potable water. Its construction allows water to enter at one end and pass through the entire length of the carbon bed before exiting the other end of the cartridge, while an internal pad minimizes channeling or bypass. USFilter recently added MTBE claims to the CC-10 cartridge.

Classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a possible human carcinogen, MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is used as an octane-enhancing lead substitute and, more recently, as an oxygenating agent in gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from automobiles. In some areas, leakage from gasoline storage tanks has allowed MTBE to be detected in drinking water supplies. By installing the CC-10 in a drinking-water filtration system, MTBE and its adverse health affects can be greatly reduced.

"The MTBE claim adds considerable value to the CC-10 cartridge, particularly because we have not increased the price," says Tara Koele, senior project engineer/laboratory supervisor. Contact PFC Equipment about the full family of USFilter products and their suitability for your applications.

Does this sound familiar?

Caller: I'd like to order a mechanical seal, impeller, wear ring, casing, gasket and motor bearings for my pump.

PFC Equipment: Can you give me the model number of the pump so I can select the correct parts?

Caller: You have the part numbers. I ordered them six months ago.

PFC Equipment: What's going on with this pump? Are you pumping abrasives, hi-temp chemicals, dry-running or dead-heading the pump?

Caller: No, just clean water out of a tank that gravity feeds the pump.

PFC Equipment: What do the parts look like after you take them out of the pump?

Caller: The mechanical seal is shattered, the impeller appears like Swiss cheese and the wear ring looks eroded.

PFC Equipment: Does your pump sound like it is pumping marbles or make a grinding noise?

Caller: EXACTLY! How did you know?

This is a classic situation that illustrates the effects of cavitation. Once identified, cavitation can be prevented. Simply put, cavitation is the result of liquid being pumped away from the pump at a faster rate than liquid can enter the suction port. This is a direct result of insufficient Net Positive Suction Head available (NPSHa), also referred to as "Not Pumping So Hot."

Why does the impeller look like Swiss cheese?

When the pressure at the suction or inlet of a pump is less than the vapor pressure of the fluid being pumped, part of the liquid is changed from liquid to vapor. As this liquid/vapor combination moves through the pump to the higher-pressure areas, the vapor bubbles violently collapse. Thousands of these explosive impacts every minute will eventually destroy the structural integrity of the impeller material. Upon visual inspection of the impeller, there will be pitting, eroding and even holes thus, pump performance is dramatically impacted. This continuous and rapid collapsing of the vapor bubbles at the outer edge of the impeller will also transmit tremendous load fluctuations on the impeller and bearings. The vibration will eventually destroy the mechanical seal faces and bearing, usually in that order. The vapor bubbles collapsing sounds like marbles being pumped through the pump.

We have identified cavitation and the damage it causes. The necessary steps to prevent cavitation will be explained in out next issue.

PFC Equipment is recognized as an Authorized Service and Warranty Repair facility. Extensive training and continual re-certification allow our shop personnel to evaluate, document and determine the best course of action for products still covered under the manufacturer's original warranty. This in-house complement to our shop gives our customers the added benefit of quick turn around and excellent service. This is one more way PFC Equipment is working to find solutions for our customers' needs.

One of the manufacturers for which PFC Equipment is an Authorized Warranty and Repair Facility is Grundfos. This manufacturer, based in Olathe, KS has manufacturing and shipping warehouses located throughout the country has an extensive training program. Our own Mark Brule, a PFC Equipment Product Engineer, has completed this all-encompassing education and coupled with his hands-on experience is able to diagnose and repair the most challenging of situations. His expertise allows for trouble-shooting via phone, fax and email as well as on-site and in-house evaluation and repair.

Please contact Mark or Dan Jenkins in our shop for assistance in warranty, repairs or system analysis.

Submit your answers to http://www.pfcequip.com/quiz.html or email sales@pfcequip.com or fax to 763-425-1132.

All correct submissions will be placed in a drawing for this issue's giveaway.