Commissioning, Startup, Operation, and Shutdown
1. From outside supply
2. Shutoff valve
3. Vent plug
4. Discharge gate valve
5. Foot valve
Figure 20: Prime with an outside supply
Prime the pump with a separate hand or manually controlled
priming pump
This method ensures that the pump will remain primed if the foot valve is tight. If the foot valve
fails when the pump is standing idle, then the pump will lose its prime. During long idle periods,
the pump can also lose its prime through leakage from the stuffing boxes.
1. Close the discharge gate valve and open the valve in the line to the priming pump.
Do not remove the vent plug.
2. Release air from the pump and suction piping until water flows from the priming pump.
3. With priming pump running, close the valve in the priming line, start the pump, and open
the discharge gate valve.
An alternate method is to reverse the connections on the priming pump and extend the
priming pump suction to the source of the liquid supply. The pump can be primed by
pumping liquid into the casing until liquid comes out of the open air vent with the plug
removed.
Model 3610, API Type BB1 API 610 11th Edition Installation, Operation, and Maintenance Manual
49