Technical Articles
Pump engineering and service articles from RMS.
Guidance on new-system design, booster packages, lift stations, controls, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Article Library
Engineering and service guidance for pump systems.
Explore new-system design decisions alongside pump maintenance, controls, and field troubleshooting.
Vacuum Pumps: Operation, Selection, and Maintenance
Understand rotary-vane and liquid-ring vacuum pumps, compare pressure and pumping speed, and recognize when performance needs attention.
Sump Pump And Sewage Ejector Maintenance
Maintenance guidance for sump pumps, sewage ejector pumps, floats, check valves, basins, alarms, and commercial drainage pump systems.
Common Pump Terms
A practical guide to flow, head, pressure, efficiency, and other terms used when specifying or troubleshooting pump systems.
Pump Bearing Lubrication Mistakes In Commercial Systems
Common bearing lubrication mistakes, why overgreasing can be as harmful as underlubrication, and what building teams should watch for before bearings fail.
Reading Pump Curves For Commercial Pump Decisions
A practical explanation of pump curves, system curves, flow, head, efficiency, and why curve review matters before replacing or resizing a pump.
Suction Strainer Clog Warning Signs In Pump Systems
How clogged suction strainers reduce flow, increase noise, and cause cavitation, overheating, and repeat service problems in commercial pump systems.
New Pump System Engineering: Design Basis
Build a defensible pump-system design basis from duty range, system head, suction conditions, controls, and acceptance criteria before selecting equipment.
Cooling Tower Pump Maintenance For Commercial Buildings
Cooling tower pump maintenance tips for condenser water systems, including flow, strainers, valves, vibration, controls, and seasonal startup checks.
Pump Motor Overheating Causes In Commercial Systems
Why pump motors run hot, what overheating usually points to, and how controls, voltage, loading, and ventilation affect motor life in commercial pump rooms.
Municipal Lift Station Engineering: Pumps, Wet Well, and Controls
Plan a new lift station around inflow, force-main head, wet-well cycling, solids handling, pump redundancy, controls, and measurable startup checks.
Pump Control Panel Troubleshooting For Commercial Systems
How to recognize pump control panel problems, from tripped overloads and failed starters to float, transducer, alarm, and VFD issues.
Submersible Pump Service Warning Signs
Warning signs that submersible pumps need service, including low flow, tripped overloads, cable damage, seal failure, clogging, and control faults.
Lift Station High Water Alarm Response For Property Teams
What a high water alarm means, the first checks property staff can make, and when to call for lift station pump service before sewage backups spread.
Commercial Pump Vibration: Alignment, Bearings, And Base Issues
Practical signs of pump vibration problems and how alignment, bearings, couplings, pipe strain, and base condition affect commercial pump reliability.
Pressure Tank Short Cycling In Booster Pump Systems
How pressure tank problems cause booster pumps to short cycle, lose pressure stability, and wear out controls, motors, seals, and check valves.
Hydronic Circulator Pump Problems In Building Heating Systems
Common hydronic circulator pump problems, including air, low flow, failed bearings, control issues, isolation valves, and heating loop imbalance.
Lead Lag Pump Sequencing Problems In Duplex Systems
How lead-lag sequencing issues affect duplex pump systems, alternation, run-time balance, backup capacity, alarms, and control reliability.
Variable Frequency Drives
How VFDs adjust pump speed to demand, and what to consider when troubleshooting pressure, staging, and control behavior.
Pump Room Isolation Valve Position Errors
How partially closed or mispositioned isolation valves create pressure, flow, noise, and overheating problems that can look like pump failure.
Pump Impeller Balancing
How static and dynamic impeller balancing reduce vibration and protect pump bearings, seals, and rotating components.
Pump Rotation Checks After Electrical Work
Why pump rotation should always be verified after motor or control work, what reverse rotation can damage, and which clues building teams usually notice first.
Pump Dead Heading
What happens when a pump runs against a closed discharge, why it can overheat, and which operating checks help prevent damage.
Engineering a Booster Pump System for Variable Demand
Evaluate booster demand, available suction pressure, pump staging, VFD control, pressure tanks, and acceptance testing as one engineered package.
Pump Cavitation Warning Signs
Learn how pump cavitation starts, what it sounds like, why it damages impellers and seals, and when commercial pump systems need service.
Preventative Maintenance
Routine pump inspections and condition tracking help identify wear, vibration, leakage, and control issues before equipment fails.
Discharge Line Restriction Warning Signs In Pump Systems
How blocked or restricted discharge piping affects pressure, run time, noise, and reliability in commercial pump systems, and what staff should report on a service call.
Priming A Pump
Why pumps lose prime, how air enters a system, and the checks that help restore reliable suction and flow.
Domestic Water Booster Systems
How domestic-water booster systems maintain building pressure, and what to consider in pump selection, controls, and maintenance.
Mechanical Seal Flush Plans And Why They Matter
Why seal flush conditions affect mechanical seal life, heat, dry running, solids handling, and repeat pump seal failures in commercial systems.
Booster Pump Pressure Problems in Commercial Buildings
Common causes of booster pump pressure problems in apartments, offices, and commercial buildings, plus checks that help prevent outages.
Fire Pump Annual Testing: What Building Teams Should Watch
A practical overview of fire pump annual testing, pre-test checks, documentation, and warning signs that should be addressed before a system is under demand.
Pump Parts
A guide to pump casings, impellers, shafts, seals, bearings, and the components that affect system performance.
Fire Suppression Systems
Key considerations for fire-protection pump systems, including equipment condition, testing, and reliable operation under demand.
Suction Piping Air Leaks On Above-Grade Pump Systems
Why small suction-side air leaks create priming loss, noise, and poor performance on above-grade pumps, and which field symptoms usually show up first.
Water Hammer
Why sudden flow changes create water hammer, how pressure surges affect pump systems, and what to inspect when it occurs.
Lift Station Pump Maintenance For Reliable Sewage Service
Practical maintenance checks for lift station pumps, wet wells, floats, controls, check valves, and alarms serving commercial and municipal sites.
Check Valve Failure Signs In Pump Systems
Learn how failed check valves cause reverse flow, water hammer, short cycling, pressure loss, and repeat pump problems in commercial systems.
Vertical Inline Pump Maintenance For Commercial Buildings
What building teams should watch on vertical inline pumps, including seals, bearings, vibration, pipe strain, and control issues that shorten equipment life.