Archive for March, 2009
Increasing Pump Efficiency
Posted by: Tracy Gath in Fluid enhancement, Pump Rebuilding, Sandblasting and Coating on March 24th, 2009
We are fortunate in the United States that we can rely on having clean and safe municipal water pumped directly to our homes and businesses.
Much of the infrastructure for this water delivery system, however, is getting old. Unlined iron pumps and pump casings become corroded over time, often developing extensive tuberculation (knob-like mound byproducts of corrosion) on the interior casings of the pumps. While cement linings have been applied to the inside of iron pipes for the past 50 years to prevent corrosion, older systems suffer from decreased efficiency due to hydraulic drag.
The Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are running a 5-year study on the effects of refurbishing their pumps. The surprising results are that by sandblasting and applying ceramic-filled epoxy coatings to the pump casings, the overall performance of the pumps was more or less restored to original manufacturer’s pump curve specifications.
This is an excellent way for municipalities to deal with their aging water systems. Instead of incurring the cost of replacing entire systems, they could simply have their pumps sandblasted and coated.
Maple Grove Enterprises has worked on a number of similar projects. Our customers noticed a drastic improvement in the efficiency of their pumps that resulted in reduced energy costs and substantial savings.
Pump Housing with ceramic-filled epoxy coating
NY Farm Show 2009
Posted by: Tracy Gath in Containment, Farming, Floor Coatings, Metal Fabrication, Millwrighting, Secondary Containment on March 2nd, 2009
Maple Grove Enterprises just returned from the NY Farm Show held in Syracuse last weekend. Our thanks to Scott Grigor and the rest of the Farm Show crew. They did a fantastic job of organizing and promoting the show, and they kept all the exhibitors happy with the endless hot coffee and fresh doughnuts!
We met farmers from all over New York State, as well as others from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. In today’s tough economic climate, they remain as resilient as ever. In fact, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture, the number of farms in the U.S. has actually increased in the last five years.
While Maple Grove Enterprises offers a wide array of services, the visitors to our booth were most interested in farm bins, custom conveyors, floor repair and coating, and millwright services. Also, because farms will have to be in compliance by August 2009 with the USEPA Pesticide Container and Containment Rule requiring secondary containment around pesticide tanks, information about our secondary containment services was in demand.
Our unique custom booth, designed by owner Ted Hobin, Jr., and Aaron “Reggie” Mayer and fabricated in our shop, was also quite a hit!
Maple Grove Enterprises display at the NY Farm Show
