FA Series
FA Series EN733 Horizontal Centrifugal Pump
BS EN733 / DIN24255 end-suction pump, 2 to 1100 m³/h and head to 152 m, for building services fire and irrigation
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Solution
Sealing and Bearing Solutions
Mechanical seals, gland packing, labyrinth and lip ring sealing, and where each belongs across the Flowsteer range.
The Situation
Why This Matters
The seal is the part that decides how often a pump is opened. Everything else on a water pump tends to outlast it.
Flowsteer uses four sealing approaches across the range, and they are not interchangeable choices — each belongs to a particular installation. A mechanical seal suits clean water and unattended plant. Gland packing suits remote installations where a fitter would rather repack than replace. Labyrinth and lip ring seals belong on submerged duties where nothing can be flushed or inspected.
Bearings follow the same logic: grease lubrication on the KCP and VNP series, sited above the liquid on the vertical pump so that the one serviceable item on a sump pump can actually be reached.
Machined closed impellers and flanged casings laid out for assembly
Step by Step
How It Works in Practice
- Classify the installation firstAttended or unattended, accessible or submerged, clean water or solids-bearing. That classification narrows the sealing choice before any product is considered.
- Mechanical seal for clean and unattendedNo adjustment, no drip, and no attention between services. Standard on the ANSI CN, ISO CI, KCP and FA series.
- Gland packing for remote and serviceableRepackable in place with basic tools, but it must drip to stay cool and it needs periodic adjustment. Optional on the FA series.
- Labyrinth or lip ring for submergedUsed on the VNP vertical pump, where a mechanical seal below the liquid line could not be flushed, inspected or adjusted.
- Site the bearings where they can be greasedOn the VNP the bearings sit above the liquid level, which is what makes a sump pump maintainable at all.
- Plan the seal change, not just the sealBack pull-out construction is what turns a seal specification into a short maintenance window.
What You Gain
What Changes When You Do This Properly
- Four sealing approaches in one rangeThe installation decides the seal rather than the catalogue deciding for you.
- Seal or packing on the FAA single mechanical seal as standard with gland packing available for field-serviced installations.
- Submerged-duty sealing on the VNPLabyrinth and lip ring seals for the one duty where a mechanical seal makes no sense.
- Grease-lubricated bearings above the liquidOn the vertical pump the bearings stay serviceable without lifting the pump.
Applies To
Pumps This Solution Covers
VNP Series
VNP Vertical Sump Pump
Vertical single-stage sump pump in polypropylene for wet-pit installation with solids to 20 percent
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CI Series
ISO CI Series Water Centrifugal Pump
ISO 2858 and ISO 5199 back-pull-out end-suction pump, fully interchangeable with other ISO brands
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KCP Series
KCP Series Lined Water Centrifugal Pump
Horizontal single-stage pump in PP, PE and UHMW-PE for water that attacks metal wetted parts
View specificationsRead Next
Guides on This Subject
Comparison Guide
Mechanical Seal vs Gland Packing
One needs no attention and cannot be adjusted. The other needs attention and can be. The installation decides which is right.
Read moreDesign Guide
Back Pull-Out Design
The single construction feature that decides whether a seal change takes two hours or two days.
Read more
Maintenance Guide
Operation and Maintenance Tips
A short list of the things that actually decide how long a water pump lasts, drawn from how these pumps are built rather than from general advice.
Read moreQuestions
Sealing and Bearing Solutions FAQ
Is a mechanical seal always better than gland packing?
No. A mechanical seal is better on clean water and unattended plant. Gland packing is better where the water is poor, where a fitter is on site, and where repacking in place beats waiting for a replacement seal.
Why does gland packing have to drip?
The leakage carries away the heat generated by the packing rubbing on the shaft sleeve. Tightening a gland until it stops dripping is the most common way to destroy a shaft sleeve.
What sealing is used on submerged pumps?
Labyrinth or lip ring sealing on the VNP series. A labyrinth seal has no rubbing faces to wear; a lip ring seal gives a positive barrier and is renewed when the pump is lifted.
How often should grease-lubricated bearings be greased?
Follow the interval given with the pump. On a sump pump the bearings sit above the liquid specifically so this can be done without lifting the unit — it is the one routine task that keeps a vertical pump running.
Put Sealing and Bearing Solutions to Work on Your Plant
Tell us the pumps you have and the duties they run, and we will say where this applies and what it would change.