Pump Station Maintenance

Pump station maintenance is a constant, ongoing process. Much like safety, it’s a moving target that needs constant attention to achieve. Maintenance allows your station to run at peak performance and prevents costly repairs and replacements, but it can be a headache. Weather, staffing shortages, and safety issues can all be a concern when it comes to performing maintenance. These issues can delay maintenance or simply make it uncomfortable. The Excel team has made an effort to lift these concerns off you with our NoVault pump station design. We’ll demonstrate how the NoVault can make your maintenance checks easier, safer, and more comfortable. 

Safer Pump Station Maintenance

The NoVault design eliminates the need for a separate valve vault by bringing the pipe header and bypass port above grade. This eliminates the need for anyone to enter a confined space in two situations: performing maintenance on the valves and performing any maintenance on the station that requires setting up a bypass. In a conventional design, confined space entry is typically required and most of you would have experienced this before.

NoVault’s are equipped with ArcSentry™ control panels. These control panels have all high voltage components contained in the left side of the panel, and all low voltage components on the right. The two are completely separated, enabling maintenance to be performed on the low voltage side alone. A mechanical electrical interlock powered by the pump station power locks the left door. Therefore, high voltage components are only accessible if power to the pump station is off. This prevents arc flash hazards and risk of lethal shock. Take a look at the ArcSentry walk through video below:

NoVaults come standard with a wet well safety grate. This is of course essential to prevent the worst-case scenario of a fall into the well. The aluminum hatch doors open on the side opposite the NoVault shelter and the safety grates open on either end of the hole, creating a boxed off area that surrounds the hole, minimizing fall hazards.   

Easier Pump Station Maintenance

The NoVault comes standard with plug-n-play cords. The pump can be simply unplugged or the cord can be unplugged and replaced. Your field service technician can lift the pump out if required for maintenance. There is no need to have an electrician on site. With Barnes submersible pumps, a series we commonly use in the NoVaults, pump and motor voltages can be switched out by simply changing out the power cord.

The NoVault design has an electric lifting hoist option that can be specified. This hoist is built into the NoVault shelter and swings out directly over the wet well. Pumps can be lifted out of the well and placed in a pickup truck bed by extending the hoist arm, eliminating the need to bring a truck hoist or crane.

Additionally, when diagnosing an issue, the NoVault’s compact footprint makes it easier to see alarm and failure lights. The control panel is built into the structure and not placed on a separate electrical riser. Unlike conventional pump station designs, the alarm is a part of the overall enclosure and is quickly visible.

Comfortable Pump Station Maintenance

Working on a conventional pump station can be uncomfortable. A lot of this can come down to the angles and locations that you must work from. The NoVault design brings the controls and piping up to eye-level. The electrical panel is on one side of the shelter, and the pipe header with all valves and bypass port is on the other. Crouching, crawling, and working in generally uncomfortable positions are no longer a part of maintenance.

As any maintenance crew can attest to, weather can be a nuisance. The NoVault gull-wing doors with built-in LED lighting provides some overhead shelter from the elements and enhances visibility in nighttime conditions. 

 

We hope this helps give you a better understanding of how the NoVault provides a better experience for performing ongoing maintenance. Don't want to worry about maintenance at all? Check out our Maintenance Plus program. To find out more about the ArcSentry Control Panel, we have a full blog and video walk through. To learn more about the NoVault, check out our NoVault vs. Conventional Pump Station Design blog. We also offer six ways to eliminate confined space with your pump station. If you have any questions on your pump station safety, contact us today!