T.E.(Terry) Manning V.o.f.
Schoener 50
1771 ED Wieringerwerf
The Netherlands
Tel/fax 0031-227-604128
Homepage: http://www.flowman.nl
E-mail:pumps@flowman.nl
FLOWMAN
ADVANCED PUMP TECHNOLOGIES
Edition 03 : 01st January, 2002
Operating instructions and maintenance of the Flexmaster flexible impeller pumps
General warning
These instructions constitute an integral part of the product supplied and must be delivered to the end user who must read them and follow them closely. These instructions must be kept carefully by the end-user for future use. Neither the manufacturer nor his suppliers or agents shall be held liable for any loss or damage whether direct or indirect howsoever caused to persons or things as a result of failure to observe the following instructions.
Any action or operation not expressly stated in these instructions to be correct and/or applicable shall be deemed to be incorrect and/or improper.
Drawing of the Flexmaster flexible impeller pumps
A drawing of the pump is included in the instructions accompanying each pumping unit, which remain the property of the owner of the pump.
For drawings of pump parts and dimensional drawings please refer to DRAWING of the Flexmaster rotary vane pumps.
Operating instructions
General instructions
Before starting up the pump make sure that the position of the suction and delivery pipes is such that eventual leakage of liquid at any open inlet/outlet is such that no harm can be caused to any persons or things.
Where the pump is trolley mounted, the trolley must be on a level position so that it will not move either when stopped or in the presence of the light vibrations which occur during operation.
Where the pump is supplied without electric cable and/or switch and/or plug, the electrical connections must be carried out by professionally qualified electricians.
Except on start-up (described below) Flexmaster PUMPS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN DRY. The impellers rub against the pump body. They are cooled and lubricated by the liquid being pumped. If the pumps are allowed to run dry, the rubber of the impeller will overheat within a period of a few seconds and the impeller will be destroyed and in some cases the motor may overheat and burn out.
WARNING! The pump and the motor can reach temperatures of up to 70 degrees C. during operation.
Starting the pump
NEVER tamper with the electrical parts!
The pump is self-priming up to 5m without requiring the use of a foot valve.
Three phase motors ARE REVERSIBLE. Single phase motors are NOT USUALLY REVERSIBLE.
The impeller is able to run dry for the very short time needed for priming.
Before starting the motor, make sure the suction (inlet) pipe is well immersed in the liquid to be pumped.
Single phase motors may have difficulty starting due to their low torque characteristics. In this case, set the pump switch on REVERSE for a fraction of a second, and then on to "GO" again. The Flexmaster pumps have been designed to allow the shaft to make a free half turn to gather speed to start the pump. Repeat the operation if necessary.
Maintenance
The problems which most frequently arise
**Impeller breakage or wear and tear. The rubber impellers have an indicative lifetime of about 700 actual working hours although some may last longer and others not so long. They are subject to wear and tear which may be more or less pronounced according to the nature of use and/or of the nature of the liquid being pumped.
**Leakage from the mechanical seals. The mechanical seals are subject to wear and tear and require periodic replacement.
**Pump performance does not appear to correspond to that indicated in the capacity charts. Check that the impeller is in good condition and that the feed pipes at both the inlet and the outlet are those prescribed for the pump.
**The electric motor does not start. In this case, a qualified electrician should be called.
Maintenance operations
Before proceeding to open the pump to clean it and/or to remove and/or replace either the mechanical seal or the impeller:
TURN OFF THE POWER SUPPLY!
NEVER RESTART THE PUMP UNTIL THE PUMP IS COMPLETELY REASSEMBLED!
Make sure that neither the pump nor the couplings contain any residues of the liquid being pumped.
Unscrew the lock nuts (12) then the flange (01) and remove the pump body (02).
Take out the impeller (03) and its cap (05) using a screwdriver to lever between the motor and the cap (05) itself.
Remove the seeger ring (10) and the distancing ring(s) (09).
Extract the rotating part (08) of the mechanical seal.
Remove and replace the impeller (03) if necessary.
Access the fixed part (06) of the mechanical seal by removing the elastic ring (07) off the cap (05)
Use strong finger pressure or a blunt instrument to remove the fixed part (06) of the seal from its seat in the pump body.
Replace the fixed part (06), and if necessary the impeller and the rotating seal.
Reassemble in reverse order.
When reassembling the rotating part (08) of the seal, oil the impeller (03) hub so that the seal can slide easily into its seat.
Lubricate the motor shaft and make sure the "shaft key" (there is a small mound situated INSIDE the impeller hub), fits into its seat on the motor shaft.
Lubricate the impeller vanes (03) before fitting the impeller (03) inside the pump body (02). Do not worry about bending the impeller vanes (03) to force the impeller inside the pump body (02). They have been expressly designed to flex.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FLEXMASTER ROTARY VANE PUMPS PLEASE GO TO
PRICES AND SALES CONDITIONS
RETURN TO:
If you cannot find the information you require on these pages, please contact Terry Manning
by e-mail on : pumps@flowman.nl or
telephone or fax him at 0031-227-604128.
E-mail Terry Manning