5 commissioning, startup, operation and shutdown, 1 pre-commissioning procedure, 2 pump lubricants – Flowserve S-series PolyChem User Manual
Page 24

USER INSTRUCTIONS POLYCHEM S-SERIES ENGLISH 71569207 11-08
Page 24 of 52
flowserve.com
If leakage of product from the pump or its associated 
sealing system can cause a hazard it is recommended 
that an appropriate leakage detection system is installed. 
 
To prevent excessive surface temperatures at 
bearings it is recommended that temperature or 
vibration monitoring are carried out. 
 
5 COMMISSIONING, STARTUP, 
OPERATION AND SHUTDOWN 
These operations must be carried
out by fully qualified personnel. 
 
5.1 Pre-commissioning procedure
 
5.1.1 Pre start-up checks 
Prior to starting the pump it is essential that the following 
checks be made. These checks are all described in 
detail in the Maintenance section of this manual. 
• Pump and motor properly secured to the baseplate
• All fasteners tightened to the correct torque
• Coupling guard in place and not rubbing
• Rotation check, see section 5.4.
This is absolutely essential
• Impeller
clearance
setting
• Shaft seal properly installed
• Seal support system operational
• Bearing
lubrication
• Bearing housing cooling system operational
• Pump instrumentation is operational
• Pump is primed
• Rotation of shaft by hand 
 
As a final step in preparation for operation, it is 
important to rotate the shaft by hand to be certain that 
all rotating parts move freely, and that there are no 
foreign objects in the pump casing. 
 
5.2 Pump lubricants
 
5.2.1 Oil bath 
The standard bearing housing bearings are oil bath 
lubricated and are not lubricated by Flowserve. 
Before operating the pump, fill the bearing housing to 
the center of the oil sight glass with the proper type 
oil. (See Figure 5-1 for approximate amount of oil 
required - do not overfill.) 
 
An optional oil slinger is available. The oil slinger is 
not necessary; however, if used, it provides an 
advantage by allowing a larger tolerance in 
acceptable oil level. Without an oil slinger, the oil 
level in the bearing housing must be maintained at 
±3 mm (±
1
/
8
in.) from the center of the sight glass.
The sight glass has a 6 mm (¼ in.) hole in the center 
of its reflector. The bearing housing oil level must be 
within the circumference of the center hole to ensure 
adequate lubrication of the bearings. 
 
See Figure 5-2 for a general description of the lubricants 
to be used and Figure 5-7 for recommended lubricants. 
DO NOT USE DETERGENT OILS. The oil must be 
free of water, sediment, resin, soaps, acid and fillers of 
any kind. It should contain rust and oxidation inhibitors. 
The proper oil viscosity is determined by the bearing 
housing operating temperature as given in Figure 5-3. 
 
To add oil to the housing, clean and then remove the 
vent plug [6521] at the top of the bearing housing, pour 
in oil until it is visually half way up in the sight glass 
[3855]. Fill the constant level oiler bottle, if used, and 
return it to its position. The correct oil level is obtained 
with the constant level oiler in its lowest position, which 
results in the oil level being at the top of the oil inlet pipe 
nipple, or half way up in the sight glass window. Oil 
must be visible in the bottle at all times. 
 
Note that on ANSI 3A™ power ends there is no 
constant level oiler. As stated above, proper oil level is 
the center of the “bull’s eye” sight glass [3856]. 
 
In many pumping applications lubricating oil becomes 
contaminated before it loses its lubricating qualities or 
breaks down. For this reason it is recommended that 
the first oil change take place after approximately 160 
hours of operation, at which time, the used oil should be 
examined carefully for contaminants. During the initial 
operating period monitor the bearing housing operating 
temperature. Record the external bearing housing 
temperature. See Figure 5-4 for maximum acceptable 
temperatures. The normal oil change interval is based 
on temperature and is shown in Figure 5-5. 
Figure 5-1: Amount of oil required
Pump
Mark 3A and ANSI 3A
Group A
458 ml (15.5 fl. oz.)
Group 1
251 ml (8.5 fl. oz.)
Group B
946 ml (32 fl. oz.)
Group 2
946 ml (32 fl. oz.)
Group C
793 ml (26.8 fl. oz.)
Figure 5-2: Recommended lubricants
Mineral 
oil 
Quality mineral oil with rust and oxidation 
inhibitors. Mobil DTE heavy/medium (or 
equivalent) 
Synthetic
Royal Purple or Conoco SYNCON (or equivalent). 
Some synthetic lubricants require Viton O-rings. 
Grease
MOBIL POLYREX EM (or compatible)
