Troubleshooting Mechanical Seals | Wide Wear Track | Part 2

Chesterton

Wide Wear Track

ROTARY SEAL FACE – WIDE TRACK

STATIONARY SEAL FACE – NARROW

SYMPTOMS:

Wear track wider than narrow seal face

CAUSES:

Miscentering of stationary type seal
Radial shaft runout (bearing problem)
Shaft deflection/wobble during operation

FAILURE MODES:

Misinstallation Equipment conditions
Equipment design

SOLUTIONS:

Check bearings for radial runout exceeding limit of seal type
Review installation techniques/instructions
Calculate L/D ratio for equipment – Upgrade if necessary

Chesterton

This is a 9 part series. Click to view each article: 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6 : 7 : 8 : 9

Causes of Overheating in Cartridge Mechanical Seals

Too much heat can cause multiple problems with cartridge mechanical seals. Some heat problems are not seal design or seal installation related.

How Can I Extend the Performance Range of Standard Cartridge Mechanical Seals?

In today's global environment, the "one size fits all" approach is used for so many products that we expect it to apply to just about everything. In the mechanical seal industry, one problem with that philosophy is the definition of the word all. Mechanical seals must live in literally every environment under the sun-from extreme hot to extreme cold, wet to dry, solid to gas, acidic to caustic and so on. Until relatively recently, a vast variety of cartridge mechanical seals were needed to accommodate these pump applications.

The Process of Troubleshooting Mechanical Seals - Part 1

The 9 articles in this series will outline common issues with mechanical seals, how to notice them, and troubleshooting tips. The series addresses: wide wear track, centered/miscentered, even/uneven wear track, scoring, chipping, coking, heat cracking or checking, and blistering.

Troubleshooting Mechanical Seals | Wide Wear Track | Part 2