Pest control technician came in just before the holidays and said the roller pump on his pest control spray rig had just started leaking. We removed and opened the pump and were surprised at what we found. The pump was a total loss. The shaft had been worn down like it had but turned on a lathe.
See photo of damaged roller pump shaft (left side) and new roller pump shaft (right side) for comparison purposes.
Roller pumps have 2 weep holes that drip to let you know when the seals are beginning to fail, which means the pump requires service. The tech had ignored the leak for weeks or months. First the seals failed, which caused a bearing to fail which caused the shaft to grind itself down from a perfect cylinder to a cone. The Pest Control Operator needed to buy a new pump; not a great Christmas present.
Had the pest control techs reported the problem when it first appeared, a much cheaper pump service would have sufficed. Make sure your spray techs know how to operate their equipment properly and understand the warning signs that indicate pump service is required. A little up training could have prevented this expensive problem.
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