What is a pump Seal? If your asking that question you have come to the right place. A pump seal is a method of sealing a pump shaft that must rotate or reciprocate with the "wet end" of a pump. In the case of centrifugal pumps, there are multiple mechanical face seal styles used in industry. A few of them are shown below. Among the styles are Single Spring Seals, Metal Bellows Seals, Multi-Spring Seals, and Cartridge style seals.

Cartridge Seals are by far the easiest to install, and the least likely to fail. Installation clips insure the seal faces are not overly pressed together (resulting in pre-mature wear) or under compressed (resulting in leakage). Bolt them on and remove the setting clips, and your good to go.

The cost of a cartridge seal is quickly justified when you consider it comes with it’s own sleeve, gland and one or 2 pairs of seal faces, all contained in one unit. When the industry average of 50% of seal installations not being optimal (resulting in early failure) and labor costs, replacement costs, lost product expenses and lost production costs, cartridge seals easily cost less in the long run.

Single Spring Seals

Cartridge Seals

Metric Seals

Metal Bellows Seals

Mechanical seals feature:

*Invisible leakage
*Less friction/power loss
*No to little wear on the shafts or sleeves
*Flexibility - to accommodate shaft deflections and "End Play"
*No period maintenance
*Long Life

The basic of mechanical seal type follows:

Single spring pump seals:

All pump seals are constructed of three basic sets of parts:

1) A set of primary seal faces: one that rotates and one that remains stationary.

2) A set of secondary seals known as shaft packings and insert mountings, such as o-rings, rubber boots, PTFE or Grafoil wedges, or V-Rings.

3) Pump Seals have hardware including gland rings, collars, compression rings, pins, springs, retaining rings and bellows.

Pump Seals can be classified by Arrangement

Pump Seals can be classified by Design