POST

There is an old saying that when you mix water and electricity, water will always win. Judging from the amount of submersible work that the Horner Springfield division has been receiving, I would say that the old saying is very true. We have seen a substantial increase in the number of underwater submersible pumps and agitators that have a motor, gearbox and fan. Part of the reason for the increase in this line of repair work is the long lead time for replacement units. Underwater submersible equipment that our division has repaired ranges in size from 1HP to 350 HP. This year, we signed an agreement with Sulzer Pump Company to be an authorized warranty repair center. No sooner than the ink was dry on the agreement, we received about a dozen sub pumps from Sulzer since the nearest warranty center was in Nashville, TN. Sulzer is a worldwide company and they have a pro-rated warranty, that is different than any warranty in the motor industry.
With most motor manufacturers, the motor is either within the warranty period or it is out of the warranty period, so it is 100% warranty, or is zero warranty. Sulzer pumps come with a 5 year pro-rated warranty, so if the pump/ motor fails after 1 year of service, and the failure is a result of defective material or workmanship, the customer would receive 80% warranty. The key to repairing underwater equipment is keeping the water on the outside of the frame and not allowing it to enter the windings or gearbox frames. Proper sealing, air pressure testing and always installing new power cables, are a must to ensure that water intrusion is eliminated.