What's Up with My RO Pump Oil?

[SeanD]

This is where people tell me, Sean that's no big deal. My oil always look like that.

18861

[JoeJ]

That is what my Busch R-5 pump oil looks like when the pump is running. I think that if the oil looks like that when the pump is off, there is water is it.

Joe

[Haynes Forest Products]

I agree with Joe Looks like emulsified oil but my Airtech looks that way but come morning its all clear and ready to go. What kind of RO has a pump like that?

[jmayerl]

I had a deer run 125 years ago that a piston in the pump went out because the pump ran dry for a few moments.....that a pump that has water in it and needs replacement.

[SeanD]

****. That's what I was afraid of. Is this something I can break down and fix or is the whole thing shot. It's also a Deer Run 125. What could have caused this? I didn't have any problems last season.

[JoeJ]

I don't think that you have to do anything except to change the oil filter, oil and wipe out the inside as best as possible. I has all sorts of problems with the mechanical moisture trap for my Busch pump the first year I ran it and had to change the oil a couple of times after sap got past the trap. One day, (just before I got an electric moisture trap), the land owner where my 2,200 offsite taps are, called me at 6:00 am to tel me I should get over to the sap shed real soon because there was a full 1 1/2" stream of sap coming out of the exhaust. Changed the oil, filters, cleaned it up, and still, 4 later seasons, runs great, absolutely no ill effects.

Joe

[jmayerl]

JoeJ

you are talking about the completely wrong pump. This is a piston pump for an RO.

You likely have had cavitation in the pump at times. Happens on the 125 because there is no low pressure feed pump. I sent my pump in to Ray and he repaired it, can’t remember the cost but I think it was a few hundred.

[SeanD]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll give Ray a call and see what he thinks. The season before last, my line froze while the RO was running, (Yeah, it was that cold to freeze a 1" line.) and the pump was cavitating. I shut down and used the RO the rest of that season and the next without problems (as far as I know). Maybe that started something that got worse over time.

Ugh, it's always something. I guess the upside is it is October and not March.

Thanks again,
Sean

[ALSMAPLE]

I've used a deer run ro for 7 years and think it probably just need to change the oil.If not that whole pump if I remember correctly is less than $200

[JoeJ]

jmayerl,

Thanks for pointing that out. Guess I need to pay more attention to the whole thread title

Joe

[SeanD]

Got in touch with Ray today and he said I should drain and replace the oil in that high pressure pump. He said the water mixing is a result of the cold lines and warm pump creating condensation that builds up over time. Apparently, I'm supposed to drain the oil in that pump every year, but I missed that. He said that he's never had one of his pumps fail when users drain the oil yearly, but had I left it for years, it would eventually have seized.