Pump Troubleshooting Guide — online
Pick the pump kind and the symptom, answer simple yes/no questions and add any readings — get the likely causes ranked, with what to check, what to do and the source.
Yellow cells are inputs; orange cells are choices; blue cells choose the unit. Select or hover over an input to see its help in the box below the toolbar. The sheet is the same as the Excel tool (USD 19) — the Guide, method and references are in the Excel file.
What this pump troubleshooting guide calculator does
Stop guessing. Work down a ranked list of causes, easiest checks first. Pick the pump kind and the symptom, answer simple yes/no questions and add any readings — get the likely causes ranked, with what to check, what to do and the source.
- 12 symptoms, 4 pump kinds. Centrifugal, vertical and submersible, reciprocating and rotary pumps.
- 38 causes. Each with what to check, what to do and its literature source — on a visible Cause Library sheet.
- Your answers count. 16 yes / no / not-known questions move causes up or down; the list shows which answers support or argue against each.
- Measurements sharpen it. Flow vs BEP, NPSH ratio, speed, head vs curve, motor current, bearing temperature and packing leakage.
- Plain findings. Low-flow, cavitation, overload and hot-bearing warnings with the thresholds stated.
- Work order ready. Print-ready report with your answers, readings and the ranked causes.
What you enter
- Pump kind
- Main symptom
- Is this a new installation, or just after maintenance or repair?
- Is the rotation correct (checked against the arrow on the casing)?
- Are the suction strainer, foot valve and suction line clean (checked)?
- Did the trouble start after a process or system change?
- Is the measured pump speed correct (matches the nameplate)?
- Does the liquid carry abrasive solids?
- Do two or more pumps run in parallel?
- Actual flow
- Best efficiency point (BEP) flow
- Rated speed (nameplate)
- Measured speed
- Head from the vendor curve at the actual flow
What you get
- Actual flow, % of BEP flow
- Speed deviation from the nameplate
- Measured head vs the vendor curve
- Motor current, % of full-load current
- Bearing housing temperature
- Packing leakage
How it was checked
Ranking re-implemented in Python from the same knowledge base: identical top-8 lists in eight scenarios; every cause traced to its source.
Related
- Calculation guide — the equations behind this tool, with a worked example.
- Pump Troubleshooting Guide Excel tool — USD 19, keep the workbook and its Guide.
- All 40 online tools
Questions
Is the pump troubleshooting guide calculator free?
You can enter and check all your data free. The full results, findings and printable sheet are unlocked with a 3-run pack (USD 9), a monthly subscription to all 40 online tools (USD 15) or a yearly one (USD 99).
Are the results the same as the Excel tool?
Yes. The online tool runs the formulas of the Pump Troubleshooting Guide Excel workbook, checked cell by cell against the Excel file.
Which units can I use?
SI, US customary and British units — choose the unit next to each input.