Archive for category: Electrical

Ok Fellow pump enthusiasts time for a little pump maintenance.

When I get the call that my pump won’t pump or clear the E-Stop it is generally followed with an expletive comment about electrical nightmare.I wish to help you out. How long have you been running the unit? Most likely Years. Like all the mechanical aspects of your pump the electrical system needs Maintenance as well. Now don’t be afraid it’s not that bad.
Keeping the system clean and tight will help a lot to AVOID electrical issues.
Start in the Cabin. Is the Alternator putting out? If the truck power supply is low how can you expect the pump to function correctly, Alternators WEAR OUT and they can stop completely or just loose performance and not put out enough. Just because the Truck started is not a good enough test, Test the output voltage at the alternator. It should be at least 13.6 VDC On US and Canada units, International units might be operating on a 24 VCD system the principles of Maintenance still apply to you the same way.

Checking for clean and tight battery connections and GROUND connections is a good start, Growing Green Fuzzies at the battery terminals are a common issue in pump operation issues from E-Stop to Remote performance. So check it out, How old are the batteries, bad batteries or worn out ones cause the unit to operate low on voltage due to lack of AMP’s available so a Battery load test is a good thing to do.

Battery disconnect switches Positive and Negative are a common point of voltage drop issues It is probably buried under a load of wet mud and dirt , or the terminals are loose.
Clean and check them.
“How do these connections get loose I haven’t touched them”? As current flows threw connections heat is created this causes expansion and contraction that can make the connection loose over time and this causes more heat and it just get’s worse. An easy fix is to clean and tighten the connections. MOST ELECTRICAL ISSUES CAN BE TRACED BACK TO NEGLECT. I am not talking about ripping out the entire system and rewiring it, but checking the main power connections can save you a lot of hair pulling

 

Take a little time to check it out, don’t take the opinion that its working I don’t want to mess with it, just start slow and easy checking the battery connections and ensuring the Alternator is up to speed are basic truck Maintenance, it can save thousands of $$$ when you are on a pour and the “Expletive” is messed up. If you are not sure ask the local Parts store How to test the Battery’s and Alternator, the local truck shop is also available to help. These simple things will help, you will most likely find your unit pumping and booming better.