Had a close call last week with a 20-year-old boiler feed pump

I used to just check the casing for cracks, but now I always pull the impeller and check the shaft keyway for wear. A guy in my old shop said he saw one shear and wreck the whole pump housing. How often do you all do a full tear-down on your feed pumps?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_johnson467d ago

My buddy learned that lesson the hard way. His feed pump sounded fine for months, just a tiny vibration. He kept putting off the full check. Then the key sheared, the impeller went off center, and it chewed up the casing and the shaft. Cost them a fortune in downtime and parts. Now he does a full tear down every other year, no matter what. Says it's cheaper than the alternative.

josephf107d ago

Every other year seems a bit much, honestly.