When a US hospital began experiencing repeated failures with its vertical turbine booster pumps, a company specialising in everything from new well design and construction to pump installation and maintenance was brought in to identify and resolve the issue.

The hospital had been allocating significant time and resources to ongoing pump repairs, said the well and pump company’s sales and project manager in 2015. “Because of how the system was set up, the pumps would run at full speed with little to no flow, often at dead head,” he explained.

A dead head condition occurs when a pump operates against a closed or blocked discharge system, preventing water from flowing. This can lead to overheating, increased internal pressure, and damage to seals, bearings and other components … all of which can shorten pump life and lead to costly downtime.

To correct the problem, the company developed a solution based on standardised components and variable frequency drives. Four skids were installed: these consisted of modular, pre-assembled pump units mounted on baseplates. Each skid included a vertical turbine pump from a leading OEM manufacturer and was fitted with Vesconite bearings. In addition, ten existing pumps were retrofitted with the same wear-resistant bearing material to enhance reliability and reduce maintenance requirements.

“We have gotten good results with Vesconite,” confirmed the sales and project manager.

Vesconite is a low-friction, abrasion-resistant, internally-lubricated bearing material that can operate without additional lubrication for up to one minute after start-up. This makes it especially suitable for pumping systems that may experience dry starts or variable operating conditions.

Vertical turbine booster pumps are widely used in applications where water must be lifted from deep underground sources or where additional pressure is required to meet system demands. Their design makes them ideal for municipal, agricultural, and healthcare systems, where water delivery must be both reliable and consistent. Incorporating durable, self-lubricating bearing materials such as Vesconite helps reduce wear and extend service life, particularly in installations where fluctuating flow rates and system pressures may occur.