MODULE 2

OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE OF WATER
PUMP

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 OBJECTIVES
➢ To know basics on pumping and types of pumps for water supply
➢ To provide in depth understanding on pumps operation and
Maintenance.
➢ To understand Preventive Maintenance of Pumps
➢ To know the best practices and techniques in tracing and correcting
faults.
➢ To understand the most efficient remedies and troubleshooting
techniques in operation of pumps.

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 OUTLINES

Session 1: Water Pump Basics

Session 2:Working Principle of Water Pump
Session 3: Operation and Maintenance of water Pumps
Session 4:Starting and Stopping of Pumps and Operation of Pumps
Session 5: Preventive Maintenance of Pumps
Session 6: Troubleshooting

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 Session 1: Water Pump Basics
1.1 Introduction

For efficient water distribution, it is required that water should reach end
users with required flow rate with needed pressure in the piping system.
There are three main types of distribution system that can be adopted in
villages/towns:
I. Gravity Fed Distribution
▪ When the ground level of water source/storage is sufficiently raised than
the core village/town area, such system can be utilized for distribution.
▪ The water in the distribution pipeline flow due to gravity and no pumping is
required.
▪ system is highly reliable and economical.

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Introduction . . .

II. Pumping System

▪ In such system, water is supplied by continuous pumping.
▪ Treated water is directly pumped into the distribution main with constant
pressure without intermediate storing.
▪ Supply can be affected during power failure and breakdown of pumps.
▪ Such system works only in condition where there is continuous power
supply, reliable water source and where intermediate storage system
cannot be installed.

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Figure: solar powered waterH. pumping system
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 Introduction . . .

III. Dual/Combination
▪ In such system, both gravity as well pumping systems are used.
▪ Such systems are used where there are variations in topography in
town/village.

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 1.2 Basics on Water Pumping
➢ Pumping Machinery is used for transfer of water from one place to another and
pumping of water from water source.

➢ Pumping is required for:-

✓ Lifting water from the source (surface or ground) to purification works or the
service reservoir.

✓ Transfer of water from source to distribution system.

✓ Pumping water from sump to elevated/ground surface tanks.

➢ Pumping equipment and pumping station are very important components in water
Supply system.
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Basics on Water Pumping . . .

➢ Pumping machinery is subjected to wear, tear, erosion and corrosion due to

their nature of functioning and therefore is vulnerable for failures.
➢ Generally, more number of failures or interruptions in water supply is attributed
to pumping equipment than any other component.
➢ Therefore, correct operation and timely maintenance and upkeep of pumping
stations and pumping machinery are of vital importance to ensure
uninterrupted water supply.

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Basics on Water Pumping . . .

How can we avoid such failures?

❑Sudden failures can be avoided by :
✓ timely inspection
✓ follow up actions on observations of inspection
✓ planned periodical maintenance.
❑ Downtime can be reduced by maintaining inventory of fast moving spare parts.
❑ Efficiency of pumping machinery reduces due to normal wear and tear. Timely
action for restoration of efficiency can keep energy bill within reasonable
optimum limit.
❑ Proper record keeping is also very important.

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 1.3 Components in Pumping Station
The components in pumping station can be grouped as follows:
a)Pumping Equipment
b) Ancillary Equipment
c) Pumping station

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A. Pumping Equipment
These includes:
▪ Pumps and other mechanical equipment, i.e. valves, pipe work,
vacuum pumps.
▪ Motors, switchgears, cable, transformer and other electrical
accessories.

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B. Ancillary Equipment

• Lifting equipment,
• Water hammer control device,
• Flow meter,
• Diesel generating set,

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 C. Pumping station
• Sump/intake/well/borehole,
• Pump house,
• Screen,
• Gate/Valve

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1.4 Types of Pumps

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Centrifugal Pumps

Horizontal Centrifugal Pumps

Hand pump

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Submersible Pumps

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Types of Pumps . . .

Surface water pumps mainly consist of:

(i) Horizontal centrifugal pumps
(ii) Vertical centrifugal pumps
(iii) Vertical submersible motor pumps

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Types of Pumps . . .
❑ For deep wells the pumps are normally placed below dynamic water
level.
❑ Depending on the type of pump, deep well pumps are either driven
by a submerged electric motor fixed rigidly beneath the pump
(submersible pump) or by a power force at the surface, which is
transmitted through a drive shaft (driven shaft pumps).
❑ The most common ground water pumps are:
I. Shaft driven helical rotor pumps
II. Line shaft deep well pumps
III. Submersible motor pumps

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 Session 2:Working Principle of Water Pump

2.1 CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

❑ Centrifugal pumps are hydraulically operated machines
characterized by their ability to transmit energy to fluids (in
particular to liquids) through the work of a field of centrifugal
forces.
❑ Their main purpose is to transfer fluids through an increase in
pressure.
❑ Centrifugal pumps can have different structures, but their operating
principle and fluid dynamic characteristics are always the same.

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Figure: Main parts of Typical
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 2.2 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP

❑ For deep-well applications, centrifugal pumps are housed with the

electric engine in a single unit that is designed to be submerged.
❑ Usually, a multiple-stage pump is used.
❑ The multiple stage pump is placed above a motor and under a check
valve that leads to the rising main.
❑ Submersible pumps are self priming, if they do not run dry.

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SUBMERSIBLE PUMP . . .

❑ To prevent the pump from running dry, the water level in the well
must be monitored, and pumping must be stopped if the water level
drops to the intake of the pump.
❑ Power is delivered through a heavily insulated electricity cable
connected to a switch panel at the side of the well.
❑ The power may come from an AC mains connection, a generator, or
a solar power system.

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 2.3 Water Hand Pumps
❑ A water hand pump is a mechanical simplest which uses manual
human power to lift water from well.
❑ These are the most basic types of pump in use since time
immemorial and are in use to date.
❑ It is still very common to see it in rural areas.
❑ Hand pumps provide a cost efficient water pumping solution to
remote areas.
❑ There are many kind of water hand pumps in use and most of them
have a similarity in design and principles.
❑The essential components of hand pumps are Handle, the pump rod,
piston, piston valve, raising main, suction lift, and the water outlet.
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 Figure: Main parts of hand pumps

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 TASK 1
✓ The trainees will observe the basic operations of submersible and
centrifugal pumps operation in the laboratory.
✓ They will explain on the how those pumps are working as per their
understanding from the previous slides.
✓ they will identify the main parts of each type.

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Session 3: Operation and Maintenance of Water Pumps
3.1 Important Points for Pump Operation
The following Important points shall be observed while operating the pumps:

a) Dry running of the pumps should be avoided,

b) Centrifugal pumps have to be primed before starting,

c) Pumps should be operated only within the recommended range on the head-
discharge characteristics of the pump,

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▪ If pump is operated at point away
from duty point, the pump
efficiency normally reduces.
▪ Operation near the shut off should
be avoided, as the operation near
the shut off causes substantial
recirculation within the pump,
resulting in overheating of water
in the casing and consequently, in
overheating of the pump.

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d) Voltage during operation of pump-motor set should be within + 10% of
rated voltage. Similarly current should be below the rated current as
per name plate on the motor.

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e) Whether the delivery valve should be opened or closed at the time
of starting should be decided by examining shape of the power-
discharge characteristic of the pump.
f) The delivery valve should be operated gradually to avoid sudden
change in flow velocity which can cause water hammer pressures.

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g) When the pumps are to be
operated in parallel, the pumps
should be started and stopped
with a time lag between two
pumps to restrict change of flow
velocity to minimum and to restrict
the dip in voltage in incoming
feeder.
▪The time lag should be
adequate to allow to stabilize
the head on the pump, as
indicated by a pressure gauge.
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h) When the pumps are to be operated in series, they should be started
and stopped sequentially, but with minimum time lag.
▪ Any pump, next in sequence should be started immediately after the delivery
valve of the previous pump is even partly opened.
▪ Due care should be taken to keep the air vent of the pump next in sequence
open, before starting that pump.

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i. The stuffing box should let a drip of leakage to ensure that no air is
passing into the pump and that the packing is getting adequate
water for cooling and lubrication.
▪ When the stuffing box is grease sealed, adequate refill of the grease
should be maintained.
j) The running of the duty pumps and the standby should be scheduled so that no
pump remains idle for long period and all pumps are in ready-to run condition.
▪ Similarly unequal running should be ensured so that all pumps do not wear
equally and become due for overhaul simultaneously.

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k) If any undue vibration or noise is noticed, the pump should be
stopped immediately and cause for vibration or noise be checked
and rectified.
l) Bypass valves of all reflux valve, sluice valve and butterfly valve shall
be kept in closed position during normal operation of the pumps.
m) Frequent starting and stopping should be avoided as each start
causes overloading of motor, starter, contactor and contacts.
▪ Though overloading lasts for a few seconds, it reduces life of
the equipment.

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 3.2 Undesirable operations
The following undesirable operations should be avoided:
1. Operation at Higher Head
2. Operation at Lower Head
3. Operation on Higher Suction Lift
4. Throttled operation
5. Operation with Strainer/Foot Valve Clogged
6. Operation of the Pump with Low Submergence
7. Operation with Occurrence of Vortices

Discuss on the above operations and why we need to avoid them.

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1. Operation at Higher Head
❑ The pump should never be operated at head higher than maximum
recommended. Such operation results in:
▪ Excessive recirculation in the pump,
▪ Overheating of the water and the pump,
▪ The radial reaction on the pump shaft increases causing excessive
unbalanced forces on the shaft which may cause failure of the pump
shaft.
❑ As a useful guide, appropriate marking on pressure gauge be made.
Such operation is also inefficient as efficiency at higher head is
normally low.

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2. Operation at Lower Head
❑ If pump is operated at lower head than recommended minimum head:
▪ Radial reaction on the pump shaft increases causing excessive unbalanced forces
on shaft which may cause failure of the pump shaft.
❑ As useful guide, appropriate markings on both pressure gauge and
ammeter are made.
❑ Such operation is also inefficient as efficiency at lower head is normally
low.

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3. Operation on Higher Suction Lift
❑ If pump is operated on higher suction lift than permissible value:
✓Pressure at the eye of impeller and suction side falls below the
vapor pressure, it results in flashing of water into vapor.
✓These vapor bubbles during passage collapse resulting in:
▪ Cavitation's in the pump,
▪ Pitting on suction side of impeller and
▪ Casing and excessive vibrations,
▪ In addition to mechanical damage due to pitting, discharge of
the pump also reduces drastically.

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4. Throttled operation
❑At times if motor is continuously overloaded, the delivery valve is
throttled to increase head on the pump and reduce power drawn
from motor.
❑ Such operation results in inefficient running as energy is wasted in
throttling.
❑ In such cases, it is preferable to reduce diameter of impeller which
will reduce power drawn from motor.

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5. Operation with Strainer/Foot Valve Clogged
❑If the strainer or foot valve is clogged, the friction loss in strainer
increases to high magnitude which may result in pressure at the eye
of the impeller falling below water vapor pressure, causing
cavitation's and pitting similar to operation on higher suction lift.
❑ The strainers and foot valves should be periodically cleaned
particularly during rainy season.

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 6. Operation of the Pump with Low Submergence
❑Minimum submergence above the bell mouth or foot valve is
necessary so as to prevent air entry into the suction of the pump
which gives rise to vortex phenomenon causing:
✓ excessive vibration,
✓overloading of bearings, reduction in
✓discharge and efficiency.
❑ As a useful guide the lowest
permissible water level is marked on
water level indicator.
❑ Thus, the submergence depth shall be
1.5 X the diameter of the bell mouth.
❑ The operator should always check this
requirement by looking the water level
indicator.
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7. Operation with Occurrence of Vortices

If vibration continues even after taking all precautions, vortex may be

the cause. All parameters necessary for vortex-free operation should be
checked.

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 Session 4:Starting and Stopping of Pumps and
Operation of Pumps
4.1 Starting Pumps
Check before Staring of Pumps
Box 1: Things to be checked when staring the pump operation

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 4.2 Starting and Operation of Pumps
Procedures for starting and operation of different types of pumps are
described below:
A. Centrifugal pump start up procedure
Before pump start-up you must perform these tasks:-
1. Open the suction valve.
2. Open any recirculation or cooling lines.
3. Fully close or partially open the discharge valve, depending on system
conditions.
4. Start the driver.

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5. Slowly open the discharge valve until the pump reaches the desired flow.
6. Check the pressure gauge to ensure that the pump quickly reaches the correct
discharge pressure.
7. If the pump fail to reach the correct pressure, perform these steps:
a. Stop the driver.
b. Prime the pump again.
c. Restart the driver.
8. Monitor the pump while it is operating.
a. Check the pump for bearing temperature, vibration, and noise.
b. If the pumps exceed normal levels, then shut down the pump
immediately and correct the problem.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 6 until the pump runs properly.
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 4.3 Stopping of Pumps
Stopping the Pump under Normal Condition
Box 2: Things to be checked when stopping the pump operation

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 Stopping after Power Failure/Tipping

If power supply to the pumping station fails or trips, actions stated below
should be immediately taken to ensure that the pumps do not restart
automatically on resumption of power supply.

What will be the effect if the pump starts automatically when power
supply is resumed ???

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If the pumps start automatically on resumption of power supply,
1. There will be sudden increase in flow velocity in the pumping main causing
sudden rise in pressure due to water hammer which may prove disastrous
to the pumping main.
2. Due to sudden acceleration of flow in the pumping main from no-flow
situation, acceleration head will be very high and the pumps shall operate
near shut off region during acceleration period which may last for few
minutes for long pumping main and cause overheating of the pump.
Restarting of all pumps simultaneously shall also cause overloading of electrical
system.

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Hence, precautions are necessary to prevent auto-restarting on
resumption on power. The following procedure should be followed.

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 TASK 2
1. DEMONSTRATE THE BASIC STARTING AND OPERATIONS OF PUMP
USING THE STEPS.
2. DEMONSTRATE THE BASIC STOPPING PROCEDURES OF PUMP UNDER
NORMAL CONDITION.
3. DEMONSTRATE THE PRECAUTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO PREVENT
AUTO-RESTARTING ON RESUMPTION ON POWER.

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 Session 5: Preventive Maintenance of Pumps

What is preventive maintenance ?

Why do we need preventive maintenance for pumping equipment?

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Preventive Maintenance Of Pumps …
❑ Lack of preventive and timely maintenance or poor maintenance can
cause undue wear and tear of fast moving parts, and premature failure of
the equipment.
❑ The shortcomings in maintenance can also result in increase in hydraulic
and power losses and low efficiency.
❑ Inefficient running of the pump increases burden of power cost.

Importance of preventive maintenance, therefore, need not be

overstressed.

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❑ Appropriate maintenance schedule and procedure need to be prescribed
for all electrical and mechanical equipment based on:
✓manufacturers’ recommendations,

✓ characteristics of the equipment,

✓site and environment conditions i.e. temperature, humidity, dust condition, etc.
❑The preventive maintenance schedule shall detail the maintenance to be
carried out at regular intervals i.e. daily, monthly, quarterly, half yearly,
annually etc. or operation hours.
❑ The schedule shall also include inspections and tests to be performed at
appropriate interval or periodicity.

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❑ The following section will present the general guidelines for maintenance
schedules for pumps.
N.B: These guidelines should not be considered as total, full-fledged and
comprehensive as characteristics of equipment and site conditions differ
from place to place.

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5.1 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR PUMPS
Daily Observations and Maintenance

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Monthly Maintenance

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Quarterly Maintenance

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Annual Inspection and Maintenance

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Overhaul/Service of Pump

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History Sheet

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 Session 6: Troubleshooting
❑ Trouble shouting is a systematically way of tracing and correcting
faults in machinery or equipment.
❑ The successful trouble shooter must have these abilities:
▪ Be able to recognize symptoms of trouble when he sees, hears, smells, or
feels them or when the log readings differ marked from normal.
▪ Be able to determine quickly what adjustments or repairs are added.
▪ Be able to follow a systematic and logical method of inspection in order to
locate the cause of trouble quickly.

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Troubleshooting . . .

❑ Successful trouble shooting can be accomplished in a minimum of

time if a trouble shooter:
▪ Recognize the apparent operational trouble.
▪ Diagnose the trouble from the wiring diagram and trouble shooting.
▪ Verify the diagnosed trouble by checking with appropriate test instruments.
❑ When trouble shooting:
▪ Check the easiest problem first
▪ Use the trouble shooting guide to locate the problem.
▪ Know the trouble first before disassembly the component.
▪ Determine what caused it.
▪ See if a problem in one component has affected another component.
▪ Work safely.

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Troubleshooting . . .

❑ The following charts (checklist) takes in most common symptoms,

itemizes possible causes and suggests response.
❑ Because of the wide variation types, sizes, designs, and materials of
construction, the charts are restricted to those types of most
commonly encountered.
N.B: The manufacturer’s instruction books must be carefully studied
before any attempt is made to maintain particular equipment.

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 6.1 Centrifugal Pump Troubleshooting Charts

❑ The following remarks under troubleshooting of the surface pumps

are identified.
❑ The remark gives more attention on faults, causes and remedies for
those troubles during the operation of the pumps.

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6.2 Electrical Submersible Pumps
Troubleshooting Charts

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