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Mechanical shaft seal
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Perry_3
Member Posts: 498
Actually, Taco offers wet rotor pumps as well - as do a few other companies. You might wish to check out what is available.
But lets talk about mechanical seals.
By and large you can break all mechanical seals into two catagories: Simple and cheap, and complex and expensive.
The simple and cheap ones are typically installed in most pumps - and generally consist of some form of a runner against some form of a seal plate with simple springs, or magnet, to hold the runner against the seal plate.
Very effective too... except that excess vibration, dirt, or other things such as not the perfect match of materials to the chemicals in the system tend to produce a relatively short life from months to a handfull of years.
The complex and expensive seals are designed to withstand vibration, dirt, and other gunk. They will isoate the seal plate from the frame and the runner from the shaft through a series of sleeves with springs and other 0-ring seals. You really have to do something awful to them to get them to fail in anything less than many many years of service -- and in normal service without a lot of vibration, dirt, and other gunk they can last decades without a problem.
If you want a pump with a complex and expensive "rugged" mechanical seal you will be outside of the normal companies that supply pumps to the home and small commercial heating systems. Oh... the seal along probably cost more than a normal heating service pump that you get from your wholesaler.
There are a few seals that try to be an inbetween seal - and they can have a lot of success. But why would a company increase the cost of a heating service pump by a hundred or so... How many people would really buy it.
In the end, does the Mfr put a seal in a motor that cost perhaps $20; do they put in a seal that cost $400 (+), or something in the middle.
Depends on the application - and normal hot water heating does not warrant the $400+ seal.
Perry
But lets talk about mechanical seals.
By and large you can break all mechanical seals into two catagories: Simple and cheap, and complex and expensive.
The simple and cheap ones are typically installed in most pumps - and generally consist of some form of a runner against some form of a seal plate with simple springs, or magnet, to hold the runner against the seal plate.
Very effective too... except that excess vibration, dirt, or other things such as not the perfect match of materials to the chemicals in the system tend to produce a relatively short life from months to a handfull of years.
The complex and expensive seals are designed to withstand vibration, dirt, and other gunk. They will isoate the seal plate from the frame and the runner from the shaft through a series of sleeves with springs and other 0-ring seals. You really have to do something awful to them to get them to fail in anything less than many many years of service -- and in normal service without a lot of vibration, dirt, and other gunk they can last decades without a problem.
If you want a pump with a complex and expensive "rugged" mechanical seal you will be outside of the normal companies that supply pumps to the home and small commercial heating systems. Oh... the seal along probably cost more than a normal heating service pump that you get from your wholesaler.
There are a few seals that try to be an inbetween seal - and they can have a lot of success. But why would a company increase the cost of a heating service pump by a hundred or so... How many people would really buy it.
In the end, does the Mfr put a seal in a motor that cost perhaps $20; do they put in a seal that cost $400 (+), or something in the middle.
Depends on the application - and normal hot water heating does not warrant the $400+ seal.
Perry
0
Comments
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Mechanical shaft seals
On B&G, Paco, and Taco pumps seam to always have problems in hot water systems(180 deg). Based on personal experiance and advice from my father in-law who has a lot more time in the field, I have been using Grundfoss Versaflo ups pumps because the wet rotor design has far less problems with seal failure. This has been a selling point with my coustomers and has so far proved to be true. No seal falures to date. however I have a coustomer with a Taco pump and she is very interested in a pump that won't have problems with the shaft seal. The problem is the strongest versaflo cant mach the pump curve. Grundfoss does offer a L series pump with a mechanical shaft seal that can match the pump curve. Can I expect better performance with grundfoss mechanical seals or am I just using a diferant brand with the same seal?0 -
I have
had excellent results on hydronic applications with Taco 1600 series pumps.0 -
Taco
> Actually, Taco offers wet rotor pumps as well -
> as do a few other companies. You might wish to
> check out what is available.
>
> But lets talk
> about mechanical seals.
>
> By and large you can
> break all mechanical seals into two catagories:
> Simple and cheap, and complex and
> expensive.
>
> The simple and cheap ones are
> typically installed in most pumps - and generally
> consist of some form of a runner against some
> form of a seal plate with simple springs, or
> magnet, to hold the runner against the seal
> plate.
>
> Very effective too... except that
> excess vibration, dirt, or other things such as
> not the perfect match of materials to the
> chemicals in the system tend to produce a
> relatively short life from months to a handfull
> of years.
>
> The complex and expensive seals are
> designed to withstand vibration, dirt, and other
> gunk. They will isoate the seal plate from the
> frame and the runner from the shaft through a
> series of sleeves with springs and other 0-ring
> seals. You really have to do something awful to
> them to get them to fail in anything less than
> many many years of service -- and in normal
> service without a lot of vibration, dirt, and
> other gunk they can last decades without a
> problem.
>
> If you want a pump with a complex and
> expensive "rugged" mechanical seal you will be
> outside of the normal companies that supply pumps
> to the home and small commercial heating systems.
> Oh... the seal along probably cost more than a
> normal heating service pump that you get from
> your wholesaler.
>
> There are a few seals that
> try to be an inbetween seal - and they can have a
> lot of success. But why would a company increase
> the cost of a heating service pump by a hundred
> or so... How many people would really buy
> it.
>
> In the end, does the Mfr put a seal in a
> motor that cost perhaps $20; do they put in a
> seal that cost $400 (+), or something in the
> middle.
>
> Depends on the application - and
> normal hot water heating does not warrant the
> $400+ seal.
>
> Perry
0 -
Taco
I looked at taco's site and ran the numbers with there pump sizing program. It brings up the KV series pump. They don't get into seal design to much. The pump I am replacing is three phase, five HP. The plans that I saw show the GPM @ 160 and the head @ 60 feet. I guess I will call Taco and ask about the seals they offer.0
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