Introduction
Pump Care of your Shurflo 8000 series pump should not be left to chance. Shurflo 8000 series pumps have proved to be a reliable workhorse in the pure water window cleaning industry. But how are they to be installed and looked after? Here are a few tips. Please note that this blog provides a general guide and may not apply fully to your installation.
Location
Shurflo pumps are self-priming. This meaning that they are able to suck water from the tank with a vented lid. So that means that the pump can be mounted above the water level of the tank. In most cases, we recommend that the pump is mounted level with, or below the maximum water level. Pumps are normally mounted vertically with the pump head (the black bit) being at the bottom. It is also acceptable to mount pumps horizontally, typically when they are installed in a pump box.
Installation
Male ported pumps have ½”NPT male threads. Many window cleaners use 1/2” BSP fittings with PTFE tape to make a seal on the thread. However, we recommend that Shurflo fittings are used. These are designed to seal on the port’s internal cone and not on the thread.
Female ported pumps have a 3/8” NPT thread. However, these can be converted into ½” NPT male ports using a suitable connector.
Protection
Pumps need protection. Here are a list of some things that should be considered in an installation.
- Pumps hate to freeze! Water freezing within the pump head can cause significant damage.
- Debris can be hard for pumps to swallow! Always use a inlet strainer. A small speck of resin under the pumps valve seat will stop the pump working. Tip: Disconnect the pump when refilling the DI vessel. This will prevent any resin in the vessels manifold syphoning back through the hose and into the pump.
- Keep it short and sweet. From the tank to the pump use as large as possible bore hose. Additionally, keep hose runs as short as possible. Plus, use as few fittings as possible.
- Pumps like it easy! When you prevent a pump from pumping such as using a water shut-off valve, two things happen. Firstly, the current the pump demands spikes. Secondly, the pressure within the pump increases until the pressure switch is activated. Also, it should be noted that pump pressure switches are fitted as a last resort pump saving device. See Protecting Pressure Switches.
- Electricity and water don’t mix! Crazy as it sounds, water can get into the electrical motor of a pump. Although Shurflo pumps are relatively water proof, water can enter the pump motor at the bell end of the pump. This is the end where the red and black wires come out of the pump body. The solution is simple, use a pump cap.
Protecting Pressure Switches
Pressure switches are not designed to be repeatedly activated and are not coved by any warranty. Therefore, we strongly recommend using a good pump controller, such as a Spring V16 controller. This works by monitoring the current drawn by the pump. When the current spikes the power to the pump is switched off. This protects the pump and the pressure switch. Finally, the controller will frequently check the pump to see if the dead end has been cleared.
More Help
Hopefully, you now have a pump that’s ready to go. But what do you do if there is a problem? This will be covered in another blog ‘Pump Fault Finding’ or give us a call and we will try to help.
Written by Window Cleaning Stuff
