15
Couple Pump and Motor
1. Lock out power to motor to prevent acci-
dental rotation and physical injury.
2. Install and lubricate coupling per manufac-
turer’s instructions.
3. Install coupling guard (see Appendix 3 Cou-
pling Guard Installation instructions).
Prime Pump
No centrifugal pump will operate satisfactorily
until it has been properly primed. Do not at-
tempt to prime pump when operating and DO
NOT under any circumstances operate the
pump without being completely primed. Some
of the most common methods of priming are
flooded suction, foot valve in suction line, ejec-
tor (steam, water, or air operated), and vacuum
pump.
With flooded suction:
1. Slowly open the gate valve in the suction
line.
2. Remove the air vent in the top of the pump
casing to release entrained air.
3. Close the air vent once liquid starts to flow
out of it.
With foot valve in suction line:
1. Open air vent on pump casing.
2. The pump and suction line must be filled with
the liquid being pumped. It is recommended
to fill the discharge pipe several feet above
the pump discharge.
3. After filling pipe and pump close air vent.
4. The pump will remain primed unless the foot
valve leaks or if the liquid is contaminated
and does not allow foot valve to close tight.
With an ejector:
1. Mount ejector at the highest point in the im-
peller housing to ensure removal of all the air
in the casing and suction pipe.
2. Operate ejector with gate valve in discharge
line closed.
3. Operate until ejector discharges a full steady
flow of liquid.
4. On pumps using packing it may be neces-
sary to tighten packing gland to prevent
pulling of air through shaft clearances. Af-
ter pump is primed properly loosen gland
to achieve a slight trickle of liquid through
stuffing box.
With a vacuum pump:
1. Mount vacuum pump at the highest point in
the impeller housing to ensure removal of all
the air in the casing and suction pipe.
2. Gate valve in discharge line must be
closed.
3. After pump is primed, valves between
vacuum pump and Gusher pump must be
closed.
4. On pumps using packing it may be neces-
sary to tighten packing gland to prevent
pulling of air through shaft clearances. Af-
ter pump is primed properly loosen gland
to achieve a slight trickle of liquid through
stuffing box.
Never operate a pump without the coupling
guard properly installed. Personal injury
can occur if pump is run without coupling
guard.
! WARNING !