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Welcome to Inspector Pumphead's classroom, where the good man will explain a part of the pump world that you may not know about. Today, we look at smart technology advances in the pumping industry. Smart Pumping The smart appliance technological revolution is here and it will change everything about the way you monitor and control your pump.  From the sump pump in your basement that prevents flooding to the industrial submersible pumps at water treatment plants that treat and recycle sewage, pumps play a vital role in the continuing facility of everyday life. Naturally, the maintenance and upkeep of pumps is of vital importance to continued operation. The consequences of poor pump performance can range from a flooded basements and backed up sewage to catastrophic water treatment failure for entire municipalities. Imagine a canal failing and flooding an entire city; that would be extremely bad. Pump Monitoring The basic tools used to regulate a pump have historically been designed as threshold management. A float switch to keep the water volume level within a certain range, a pressure switch to keep the pressure within a preset range of PSI, a control panel that regulates the electrical input to the pump, etc. At the domestic level, the technology progressed to the point where owners and operators could receive active communication notifications, first to a landline and more recently as a text message alert to a cell phone. At the industrial level, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems have become increasingly popular since the 1960s and 70s. A SCADA system is a heavy duty, comprehensive system that often involves a number of subsidiary components such as remote terminal units, programmable controllers, a telemetry system, a data acquisition server and so on. Pump owners and operators now have increasingly sophisticated tools at their disposal. Many bi-directional systems not only sense problems but can: Identify the nature of the problem Display the specifics of the problem in an easy to understand interface Allow the user to make decisions, up to and including shutting the entire system down Critically, the monitoring technology identifies potential problem points before they erupt into more serious problems. It enables and encourages preventative care rather than patchwork, after-the-fact quick fixes. An article at Pumps and Systems touches on this point: “However as technology has evolved and more importantly become increasingly user friendly, facility operations and management have demonstrated the desire to take advantage of the latest technology available—such as Internet communication for monitoring and control, WiFi communications, smartphone interface to their pump controller for alarms and remote control and configuration. They seek a flexible, off-the-shelf device to reduce their automation cost, startup time, implementation time and operator training.” The Z Control To that end, some pump manufacturers are releasing bi-directional monitoring systems that can comfortably function as a smartphone app. The manufacturers that have long specialized in hardware are quickly becoming well-versed in software. For instance, Zoeller recently released an app called “Z Control” that will give users total remote control of the pump through cloud computing. Pump Products reached out to Jeff Floss, chief designer of the Z Control app. He described it as an alternative to a full-fledged SCADA system: cheaper, nimbler and requiring much less proprietary equipment. “If a customer wants to have this functionality without spending anywhere up to $50,000 on a SCADA system, they can use the Z control,” he says. “A SCADA system may be more robust, but it is not exactly what everyone needs.” The Z Control offers inexpensive remote monitoring, instant alerts and remote control features. Messages can be received via text, email or push notifications directly to a home screen. Commands can be sent directly to the pump. Once logged into a Zoeller account, the user can adjust application parameters, run a self-test command, shut off an alarm if it goes off, etc. Floss predicts that other pump manufacturers, and indeed, manufacturers in any industry, heading in a similar direction. “Most of our electronics will become connected… that’s probably the goal of every pump manufacturer in this day and age,” Floss says. It's a brave new pumping world out there and it can get scary. Be sure to keep attending the Inspector's classes to stay aware of all these changes. Pump Products application engineers are standing by to provide technical assistance, price quotes or to answer any questions you may have regarding pumps. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800.

At Pump Products we know that good design is a quality pump buyers value as much car buyers. But in pump manufacturing sleek appearance takes a back seat to reliability and solid construction because pumps are meant to operate behind the scenes, and the less we think about them, the better they are doing what they're designed to do. Widespread clogging of sewage disposal systems as a result of an increase in the disposal of plastics is causing many to rethink the pumps they choose. And foreword-thinking pump manufacturers are taking note and designing sewage pumps capable of shredding difficult solids that jam traditional solids-handling pumps. This has been happening in the commercial and industrial markets for quite some time, with specialty manufacturers like BJM developing high performance shredder pumps capable of shredding cell phones and sneakers with the ease of a blender whipping a smoothie. (more…)

Pump Products and Pump Express General Manager Ed demonstrates our in-house pump testing system. Pump Products sister business Pump Express is the authorized maintenance and repair center for most of the leading pump manufacturers in the industry. We offer complete pump machine shop services. From a simple repair to complete rebuilding, we have the resources to meet your needs. This means you can be confident that you will receive comprehensive service from factory trained technicians when you bring in your pumps and equipment for repair. Our Authorized Pumps Service Center can perform normal and expected wear service and help you resolve warrantee issues. From your heating circulator and chilled water split case pump to your pressure boosting and irrigation pump, we can handle them all. We also specialize in pedestal and submersible pumps of all types and sizes. Since we have one of the largest parts inventories in the country, you can be assured of a quick turn around time, so that your systems are up and running in the shortest time possible. Pump Products is a stocking distributor and national service center for the world's leading manufacturers of industrial pumps and pump parts. Through our determined and factory trained professionals, we are able to provide our customers with the most innovative and cost effective products on the market today. Whether you need system advice, pump parts or a new pump, our dedicated pump experts will be able to help you with even the most complicated pump system issues. With over 500,000 sq ft of fully stocked warehouse space, we are able to ensure quick delivery times. Phone: 1-800-298-4100 Web: pumpproducts.com

Pump Products sister business Pump Express is the authorized maintenance and repair center for most of the leading pump manufacturers in the pump industry. We offer complete pump machine shop services. From a simple repair to complete rebuilding, we have the resources to meet your needs. This means you can be confident that you will receive comprehensive service from factory trained technicians when you bring in your pumps and equipment for repair. Our Authorized Pumps Service Center can perform normal and expected wear service and help you resolve warrantee issues. From your heating circulator and chilled water split case pump to your pressure boosting and irrigation pump, we can handle them all. We also specialize in pedestal and submersible pumps of all types and sizes. Since we have one of the largest parts inventories in the country, you can be assured of a quick turn around time, so that your systems are up and running in the shortest time possible. Pump Products is a stocking distributor and national service center for the world's leading manufacturers of industrial pumps and pump parts. Through our determined and factory trained professionals, we are able to provide our customers with the most innovative and cost effective products on the market today. Whether you need system advice, pump parts or a new pump, our dedicated pump experts will be able to help you with even the most complicated pump system issues. With over 500,000 sq ft of fully stocked warehouse space, we are able to ensure quick delivery times. Phone: 1-800-298-4100 Web: pumpproducts.com