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How ToServiceWater Trucks

Water Truck Pump Maintenance Made Easy

Quality Water Trucks - Ledwell Water Tank Truck

Water Truck Pump Maintenance Made Easy

Keeping a keen eye (and ear) on your equipment and your water pump’s performance is crucial to keep it running smoothly. Our Ledwell Truck Experts have put together a clear guide to help you maintain your water pump maintenance effectively.

If something doesn’t look quite right or you just want to double-check a step, don’t sweat it. Give us a call or shoot us an email and we’ll walk you through it. We stand behind our products every step of the way.

Water Pump Truck Maintenance Observation Checklist

1. Vibration

  • While all machines produce some vibration, excessive vibration can shorten your pump’s lifespan.
  • If you notice excessive vibration, stop operation immediately, identify the cause, and fix it.

2. Noise

  • Listen closely for unusual sounds, especially when the unit is under load.
  • Identify the cause of the noise and take corrective action promptly.

3. Operating Temperature

  • Expect the pump bracket to be warm during operation (up to 150°F is normal).
  • If the temperature is excessively high, stop the operation, find the cause, and correct it.
  • Keep an eye on bearing temperatures, especially after packing; excessively hot bearings may need replacement.
  • The pump should run at the temperature of the water it’s pumping.

4. Stuffing Box

  • Check that the stuffing box and gland are not overheating during operation.
  • If heating is detected, adjust gland nuts evenly until water leaks in droplet form – 40 to 60 drops per minute.
  • Periodically verify cool operation and adjust gland nuts, as necessary, for proper lubrication.

Packing A Water Pump

Starting A New Pump

  • Before starting the pump for the first time, loosen and retighten gland nuts finger-tight.
  • Allow the packing to leak liberally initially, then gradually tighten gland nuts until leakage is 40 to 60 drops per minute.

Repacking

  • Follow illustrations for proper repacking procedures.
  • Ensure adequate drainage in cold/wet weather to prevent freezing damage.
  • Provide shelter for the unit if possible and ensure proper ventilation.
  • Consider using a space heater to prevent condensation and corrosion in severe weather conditions.

Water Pump Packing Replacement Procedure

Removal

  • Unfasten the hardware holding the Packing Gland in place and slide it back on the shaft.
  • Remove packing rings using commercially available Packing Hooks.
  • Remove any remaining rings, including metallic ones, in the same manner.

Repacking

  • Clean the shaft sleeve and Packing Gland before installing new rings.
  • Install new packing rings over the shaft sleeve, rotating each ring joint 90 degrees during installation.
  • Gently and evenly tighten gland nuts to seat the rings without over-tightening.
  • Start the pump and allow the packing to leak initially.
  • Gradually tighten gland nuts until leakage is 40 to 60 drops per minute.
Ledwell Made Guarantee on all manufactured products

Ledwell Made Guarantee

We back every product with the Ledwell Made Guarantee.

When you become a Ledwell customer, one of the many services you can expect is express shipping. You don’t have to wait for parts. We manufacture more than 85% of our parts in-house and ship 99% within 24 hours of your request.

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