The Ninja's Guide to Hypro Centrifugal Pump Upgrade Options
Knowing the different options and design features between centrifugal sprayer pumps allows for the selection of a pump that will return the most value to your operation.
Given the wide variety of uses and installation environments for these pumps several options have developed over the years for different market segments. Choosing a pump is no longer as simple as figuring out hydraulic flow and solution flow needed for an application. Other factors such as service life, user knowledge, is downtime critical, products pumped, and installation environment must also be considered amongst many other factors. In response to this Pentair Hypro has evolved their pump line up to meet varying needs of the market and provide excellent performance and value to each segment.
Pump Seal Design and Material
The traditional mechanical pump seal relies on having a flat smooth face to maintain a consistent seal while allowing the pump shaft to rotate. A spring is used to maintain constant pressure on the seal faces while elastomers complete the seal.
Carbon Ceramic
An economical choice for less demanding applications. It does not handle abrasive solutions or run dry conditions well. Ideally this seal would be used for applications where non-abrasive solutions are being used under conditions where the pump will be cleaned out each day and there is little risk of regularly running the pump dry.
Advantages
-$75-140cdn less expensive than the next best seal option
-Does a great job in less demanding applications
Disadvantages
-Does not handle abrasive solutions well
-greatly reduced life when exposed to run dry or slip stick pump conditions
-greater potential for lost revenue to downtime
-potentially higher cost of parts and service labour if used under the wrong conditions
Ideal applications
-Moving water
-Spraying non-abrasive chemicals with an experienced operator
-used with a low pressure automatic shutoff switch
What Hypro Pumps use a Carbon Ceramic Seal?
-All cast iron and poly housing pumps come standard with a carbon ceramic seal
-All pumps that have the letter B in the part# are equipped with an upgraded Silicone Carbide seal
-All Stainless Steel Housing pumps come standard with an upgraded Silicone Carbide seal
Silicone Carbide (Life Guard) Pump Seal
This is the industry standard pump seal for many applications as it is a great balance of durability mixed with affordability. It functions in the same manner as a traditional mechanical seal but uses upgraded materials to provide longer life. The hardness of silicone carbide approaches that of a diamond. This allows the Life Guard seal to hold up well against abrasive solutions. Also carbon graphite flakes embedded into the seal faces provide better lubrication and better survivability against dry run and slip stick or cavitation events.
Life Guard Silicone Carbide Advantages
-Handles abrasive solutions well
-Can handle run dry conditions much better than the carbon ceramic seal
-Drop in replacement for standard carbon ceramic seal
-Only roughly 10% more than standard seal
Life Guard Silicone Carbide Disadvantages
-roughly 10% higher cost than standard seal
-still vulnerable to run dry and slip stick failures
-Lower overall cost of ownership but still potential downtime and repair costs
Ideal applications
-All spraying
-Fluid transfer
-All types of spraying equipment and pumping applications
-Manufactures wanting to provide great value while controlling costs
What Hypro Pumps use a Life Guard Silicone Carbide Seal?
-All cast iron and poly housing pumps can be upgraded or built to spec with a Life Guard Seal
-All pumps that have the letter B in the part# are equipped with a Life Guard Silicone Carbide seal
-All Stainless Steel Housing pumps come standard with an Life Guard Silicone Carbide seal
While relatively new this type of pump seal has been available for a few years. Although it serves the same function as a mechanical seal it is a vastly different design. The design houses the seal in a chamber along with barrier fluid. Under run dry conditions this fluid keeps the seal cool and prevents failure. Also Forcefield technology creates a seal and pressure differential between the solution pump cavity and seal cavity it eliminates bonding and slip/stick failures. This greatly increases operational life, decreases downtime risk, and reduces repair and maintenance costs.
Force Field Wet Seal Advantages
-Handles all solutions well
-Eliminates Run Dry Seal Failure
-Eliminates bonding and Slip/stick failures
-Easily maintained
-Potentially reduces maintenance costs over solution pump life
-Greatly reduced chance of lost revenue due to failure and downtime
-Standard GTX Impeller for greatest durability
-Upgraded hydraulic motors for greater durability
-One year seal warranty
Force Field Wet Seal Disadvantages
-roughly $400 to $600cdn greater upfront cost
-occasional need to check fluid level and add if necessary
-cannot be intalled into non Force Field Pump Models
Ideal applications
-All spraying
-Moving all fluids
-All types of spraying equipment and pumping applications
-Manufactures wanting to provide a top of the line trouble free product
-High Capacity sprayers where downtime is very costly
What Hypro Pumps use Force Field Wet Seal Technology?
-All 9310 series pumps which crossover to 9306 and 9303 series pumps from Hypro
-9307CWS pumps
Pump Housing Material
Housing material should be matched to the products being put through the pump and the environment is will be installed in. Three common materials used are cast iron, stainless steel, and polypropylene
Cast Iron
The most common housing material is durable and holds up well to a wide variety of solutions.
Advantages
-Good cost to life ratio
-Holds up well to a wide range of fluids
-Fairly resistant to impacts from foreign materials
-Easy to mount
Disadvantages
-More likely to wear and corrode from the inside out
-Does not hold up to liquid fertilizer and abrasive solutions as well as Stainless Steel
-Relatively heavy
-Proper winterization is more important
Applications
-suitable for most spraying and fluid handling applications
Polypropylene
Advantages
-suitable for a wide variety of fluids
-lighter weight
-Good value for the price
-Larger pump sizes for fluid transfer without the high cost
-No corrosion
Disadvantages
-does not hold up as well to impacts from foreign objects
-less resistant to abrasive fluids
Applications
-excellent choice for configurations where less weight is a benefit
-Large 3” inlet and outlet tendering pumps at an economical price
-general spraying
Stainless steel combines the corrosion resistance of polypropylene and the impact resistance and long life of cast iron into a superior pump housing material.
Advantages
-suitable for a wide variety of fluids
-Impact and Corrosion Resistant
-Capable of High pressures
-Available with Force field Wet Seal for demanding applications
-Very Long Service Life
-excellent value over the life of the product
Disadvantages
-High initial cost
Applications
-Highly suitable for corrosive and abrasive fluids
-Highly suitable for liquid fertilizer
-High Capacity sprayers where downtime is very costly
| FLUID PUMPING APPLICATIONS | ||||||||||
| APPLICATION | PUMP MATERIALS COMPATIBILITY | |||||||||
| Impeller Material | Pump Housing | Seal Type | ||||||||
| Nylon | Polypropylene | GTX | Stainless | Polypropylene | Cast Iron | Ceramic | Life Guard Silicone Carbide | ForceField Wet Seal | ||
| Weed Control Chemicals | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |
| Insect Control | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |
| Brush Control | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |
| Pest Control & Fumigants | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |
| Liquid Fertilizers | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |||
| Powdered Fertilizers | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | ||
| Fluid Transfer | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |
| Acids | YES | YES | YES | Yes | Yes | |||||
- Nozzle Ninja