Everyone in the industrialized world uses mechanical
seals. Various pieces of rotary or rotating equipment,
pumps, in particular, depend on mechanical seals to control leakage. Familiar rotary equipment devices include
automobile water pumps, washing machines, dishwashers, compressors, swimming pool pumps, and farm service pumps. Mechanical seals are used anywhere that
liquid and gases are transferred by rotating equipment.
Pumps are one of the most widely sold pieces of equipment in the industry, second only to electric motors. Pumps
are found in all industries, large buildings and households, farming operations, mining, construction and city
services. Although some of the small, inexpensive
pumps are disposable (i.e. automotive water pumps),
most pumps require packing or mechanical seals to control leakage between the rotating elements and stationary
housings. These packings and seals must be serviced to
insure controlled leakage is maintained
The maintenance of pumping systems is what we will focus on
in the following sections. We will learn that some products
are allowed to drip without concern, while others must not
leak more than a few parts per million (PPM) and need
to be monitored closely with electronic detection devices.
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