Worried About a Pump Breakdown? Regular Maintenance Is the Key to Prevention

Pump failure in New York City properties seems to always happen at the least opportune moment, resulting in hassles, occupant complaints, and undue expense. If you want to prevent pump breakdown, maintenance is vital. Here are 10 things property owners and managers can do to keep building pumps running smoothly.

Keys to Preventing Pump Failure

Understand pump function and basic operation

If you don’t know what the various pumps in your property do, it will be harder to identify problems, whether to fix them yourself or explain them to experts like the team at Antler Pumps. Larger buildings in New York City may have dozens of pumps operating simultaneously for many reasons, including:

  • Cold water distribution
  • Hot water distribution from the boiler or hot water heater
  • Boosting low water pressure
  • Boiler feed
  • Steam return from radiators
  • Fire suppression
  • Cooling towers
  • Sewage and waste removal
  • Storm water removal

If you are a property manager, make sure you familiarize yourself with all the pumps in your building. Also, understand how pumps work, particularly centrifugal pumps, which are the most common ones you’ll see used for water circulation and other day-to-day functions.

Never ignore leaks

A leak in or near a pump is a sign something is wrong and needs fixing. Ignore the urge to put a bucket underneath it and carry on. You need to identify the source of the leak, which may be a compromised pump housing, a broken valve, a worn seal, a loose part, corrosion, or excess pressure. Depending on what you discover, you may be able to fix the problem yourself or schedule repair by a professional.

Check electrical components often

Pumps are powered by electrical motors, so you need to ensure their components are in good working order. Whenever inspecting pumps, have a look at the power supply too. Check for frayed or loose wires, worn plugs, and the like. A pump that repeatedly triggers a circuit breaker to trip likely has an electrical issue, such as requiring too much amperage for the circuit or a short circuit within the motor. Our Omnia Mechanical Group partners at Bolt Electric can fix the first problem for you, while we can address motor malfunction either on-site or in our shop.

Inspect mounting

A noisy pump may be due to excess vibration related to loose mounting. Check screws, straps, and other mounting elements regularly to see that they have not become loose.

Keep seals and gaskets in good condition

Pump seals, gaskets, and O-rings are designed to prevent leaks. They keep the interior of the pump safe from outside exposure, safeguard against burns, and stop water or other liquids from seeping out of the pump. Seals can become hardened and cracked over time, which prevents them from working (think of the gasket around your refrigerator door and how it must remain elastic and supple). These must be replaced immediately to maintain pump integrity.

Treat and/or filter water

The buildup of mineral scale and sediment on parts of your pumps will cause them to fail faster. If you see lime on your plumbing components or water tanks, you can be sure it’s in your pumps as well. There are two solutions for this, aside from cleaning with an acidic solution:

  1. Treat boiler water to achieve the proper pH and remove dirt.
  2. Use filters, ideally as far upstream as possible, e.g., a whole-building filter where the municipal water supply enters the building.

Stay current with NYC inspections

Some pumps in New York City, like those used in fire suppression systems, are subject to visual and manual inspections. Know your responsibility there, and make sure you perform inspections on time as well as fix any issues that arise during evaluation.

Know the signs of pump problems

Along with understanding the essentials of how your pumps work, it’s vital to know the signs of a pump that’s starting to malfunction or failing:

  • Decreased volume being transported
  • Excessive leaking
  • Loud or unusual noise
  • Breaker triggered when pump turns on
  • Pump not coming on when it should, running only intermittently, or not shutting off
  • Other systems compensating, for example, boiler feeder running more frequently because the steam return pump isn’t operating correctly
  • Not passing city inspection

Consider installing pump controllers

Using pump controllers wherever possible will help identify and alert you to pump issues early on before they become catastrophic. In some cases pump controllers can make small adjustments in speed, pressure, volume, etc., to prevent a problem entirely. We highly recommend using pump controllers to prevent expensive repairs, reduce system downtime, and extend the life of your pumps. The larger the property, the more pump controllers are vital, and nowadays they can be easily integrated with other automated systems.

Schedule routine professional maintenance

It’s great to perform regular inspections and tweaks on your building’s pumps. However, nothing replaces professional maintenance once or twice a year to catch things you might miss. This will also help you stay on top of functionality to pass city inspections and can reduce operating costs too.

Are your pumps overdue for an expert once-over? Don’t delay any further. Call Antler Pumps today at 212-534-2500 to schedule a service call and get back on track. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing your pumps won’t break down anytime soon.


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