A turbine pump is an expensive investment, and you naturally want to get as much life out of it as possible. However, motors will break down over time. Even the highest-quality unit will eventually need to be replaced. Smart owners know how to recognize when a turbine pump needs to be repaired, so they don’t continue to spend money trying to salvage a pump that’s already on its last legs.
In general, it’s best to contact an experienced turbine pump servicing company to consult on your specific situation. However, here are some cases where a pump clearly needs to be replaced, rather than being repaired.
Five Situations Where a Turbine Pump Needs to Be Replaced
1 – Increasing demand on the pump
For a growing operation, it’s typical for a pump to be used increasingly often – and for longer periods – over time. In general, this will accelerate the decline in a pump’s effectiveness, particularly if it’s being asked to exceed its original specifications. In such a situation, if the pump is breaking down frequently, the best option will be to upgrade to a new, more powerful model which is capable of keeping up with demand.
2 – Too much downtime
A broken pump doesn’t merely cost money to repair, it also costs money through lost productivity and other downtime. Often, these costs will exceed the repair costs. When downtime is too frequent, it’s simply not worth continuing to repair the pump. You need a new one that you can rely on.
3 – Repairs become too expensive
A pump can break down to the point that repairing it would cost as much, if not more, than buying a new unit. We understand that in the case of custom-built pumps, the temptation is to try to stretch its life as far as possible. However, when the damage is too bad, you’ll be better off ordering a new custom unit that can take over the job role.
4 – Space considerations
Older pumps tend to be larger than newer units, and that can become an issue if you’re looking to optimize the use of floor space. In some cases, it may be that the overall value in getting a new pump with a smaller footprint will outweigh the added replacement costs.
5 – Moving towards automation
If your operation is looking towards “Industry 4.0” upgrades, such as remote wireless monitoring or AI oversight, your existing pumps may not be able to handle those upgrades. Or else retrofitting them would be too unreliable. In either case, getting a new pump to go along with your automation upgrades would be a good idea, as well as future-proofing your operation for years to come.
FloRight Pump & Controls Keeps Your Systems Flowing
For over thirty years, FloRight has been a national leader in pump installation, sales, and service. Our expert engineers can help operations of any size overcome their pumping challenges, with custom-chosen solutions that best fit their needs. If your vertical turbine pumps are struggling to keep up, contact us to discuss your repair or replacement options!
