Municipality prevents motor failure in water/wastewater application

Since 2008, a Municipal Utility District (MUD) in Texas has worked with Less Watts, Inc. (LWI), a company that specializes in motor reliability and power quality testing for the water and wastewater industry. LWI supports Metropolitan Utility Districts by providing motor acceptance testing, commissioning, and condition monitoring services. When one of the booster stations managed by the Harris County MUD was upgrading its pumps and motors, Stephen Hogue from LWI was asked to perform acceptance testing.

The Application

Located in Houston, Texas, this MUD’s main booster station is responsible for pumping domestic water to surrounding residences and commercial properties. The water is pumped from the booster station into static tanks that are then pressurized to push drinking water throughout the Municipal Water District. The MUD had scheduled an upgrade to their Well-1 booster station in 2017 and ordered four booster pumps with 75-horsepower motors.

Acceptance Testing Reveals Problems with a Brand New Motor

Each pump system (pump, motor, and drive) had been mounted on individual skids. Hogue brought his hand-held All-Test Pro 33 IND to the pump suppliers’ warehouse to check the condition of the new motors before they could be officially accepted by the MUD.
The AT33 IND, which is used for de-energized motor circuit analysis, is specifically designed for troubleshooting motors and commissioning new and rebuilt motors before installation. The AT33 IND enables the operator to identify motor conditions that include winding contamination, stator and rotor unbalance, changes in rotor and stator condition, resistance in windings, contamination, and insulation to ground issues.

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