Goulds Pumps 3408 - IOM - Manual (Page 33)

3408 IOM 03/99
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If your pump is supplied with seal cages (optional)
make sure they are properly located in the stuffing
boxes under the sealing water inlets. The function of
the seal cage is to establish a liquid seal around the
shaft, prevent leakage of air through the stuffing box
and lubricate the packing. If it is not properly located it
serves no purpose.
MECHANICAL SEALS
General instructions for operation of the various
mechanical sealing arrangements are included below.
It is not feasible to include detailed instructions for all
mechanical seals in this booklet because of the
almost unlimited number of possible combinations
and arrangements. Instead, seal manufacturer’s
instructions will be included as a separate supplement
to this book, where required.
a. Mechanical seals are precision products and
should be treated with care. Use special care
when handling seals. Clean oil and clean parts
are essential to prevent scratching the finely
lapped sealing faces. Even light scratches on
these faces could result in leaky seals.
b. Normally, mechanical seals require no adjustment
or maintenance except routine replacement of
worn or broken parts.
c. A mechanical seal which has been used should
not be put back into service until the sealing faces
have been replaced or relapped. (Relapping is
generally economical only in seals two inches in
size and above.)
Four important rules which should always be followed
for optimum seal life are:
1. Keep the seal faces as clean as possible.
2. Keep the seal as cool as possible.
3. Assure that the seal always has proper
lubrication.
4. If seal is lubricated with filtered fluid, clean filter
frequently.
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