Pump Repair
Two types of pumps very common in construction are vacuum pumps and heat pumps. One obviously more for the before and one for the after part of building. Both are crucial and when they go out—it is bad news.Vacuum Pumps
Did you know that vacuum cleaners suck up dust by lowering the pressure just above the carpet so the material just rushes inside? A little bit of trivia on the basis of vacuums. A vacuum pump is a machine designed to lower the pressure and keep it that way in a specific volume.
Vacuum pump repair is fairly simple. Basically you will need a workspace, lots of fine grade emery paper, goop for a sealant such as white lead, a cleaning solvent, some new oil and somewhere to dispose of the used oil. Also be aware if the pump you are working with has been used with toxic substances. Then it will have to go into detox. You should also try and get your hands on the manufacturers pump repair kit which can be pricey but is worth it.
A few special tools are required such as a pump repair stand which is basically four two-by-fours nailed together so that you can lay the pump down with the shaft facing thru the stand, a ball peen hammer and a puller to remove the drive pulley.
First and foremost, make sure that when you are dismantling the pump, you keep track of the order things came off and where they went. Otherwise you will end up with a lot of pieces to go nowhere. Dismantle, clean the parts with the solvent, then remove anything baked on by rubbing then with the emery cloth, clean again with the solvent and then prepare to re-assemble. Reassemble with new gaskets, seals, oils, etc.
Heat Pump
A heat pump is used to stabilize temperature in a building. For some reason, heat pumps tend to have problems when you need them the most like on a cold winter's night when it is 40 below. So here are some things to check for before calling the repairman out of his warm bed.
Most heating system failures are thermostat malfunctions like a tripped circuit breaker, a blown fuse or a pilot light that has gone out.
- First make sure your thermostat is set to heat – it seems simple but a lot of times this is the problem.
- Make sure the circuit breaker is on and that fuse has not been blown. If the circuit break has been blown, reset or replace the fuse - if it blows again, there is probably a short in the electrical system.
- Make sure the power switch is turned on and the motor may need to be reset due to an overload.
- Check the heat pump's ignition (look at the owners manual for information on that)
Other common problems with heat pumps occur when:
- The heat pump turns on and off too often - try cleaning or replacing the filter
- There are major temperature swings in a room - this means the heat pump is not cycling often enough
- Squealing sounds - generally that means the belt that connects the motor to the fan has slipped. You can replace the belt but if a grinding sound occurs shut it down. The grinding means the motor bearings are probably shot—call the repair man.
- The heat pump makes rattling noises - be sure the cover panels are screwed on tight as this is often the cause of the noises.