Columns
  Jim Elsey    August 2019 
 Why Is Your Pump Operating Off the Curve?
"Wishin’ and Hopin’”—both Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield had hit versions of this pop song in the early ’60s. The lyrical message is that you will not get want you want if you just sit around wishing and hoping; instead you need to take action to achieve the desired outcome.
  Jim Elsey    July 2019 
 Answers to Common Pumping Mysteries 
In last month’s column (June 2019), I shared my concept of what constituted a “pump twilight zone,” and I offered five mystery examples.
The preliminary reader reaction was good, so this month I am adding four more examples.
1. The case of the hidden factor
  Lev Nelik   July 2019 
 Determining Static Component of System Curves
In this issue of Pumping Prescriptions, I will answer a common question I receive from readers related to system curves for boiler feed systems.
  Jim Elsey    June 2019 
 Solutions for Unexplained Pump Failure 
People of a certain age, and those that enjoy TV reruns, may remember the show called “The Twilight Zone.” In each episode, there was always a surprise plot twist and a subsequent moral or lesson at the end.
  Jim Elsey    May 2019 
 Why Cavitation Occurs & Ways to Treat it
The old joke about falling from a tall building is that “it isn’t the fall that kills you, it is the sudden stop at the bottom.” When it comes to cavitation, it is not the formation of the vapor bubbles that kills the pump, it is the subsequent collapse.
  Dr. Nelik   May 2019 
 Proper Gauge Positioning
This reader’s response to Dr. Nelik is from Global Pump Engineering Manager Ben Lindstrom
  Jim Elsey    April 2019 
 19 Tips and Common Alignment Mistakes
Last month, I discussed why a pump should be aligned nine times and declared that four of those alignment adjustments should be made before the pump is started up.
  Jim Elsey    March 2019 
 Does Your Pump Have an Alignment Problem? Part 1
I have been involved with horses for most of my life.
  Lev Nelik   March 2019 
 Gauge Correction & Velocity Head Correction Can Matter
I received good feedback from the readers on my January 2019 P&S article “Calculating vs. Estimating Pipe Velocity.” Below are some of the letters and my responses.
  Jim Elsey   February 2019 
 The Basics of Suction Specific Speed
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail”… paraphrased from Dr. Abraham Maslow (“Psychology of Science,” 1966). This famous axiom is also referred to as the law of the instrument.
  Jim Elsey   January 2019 
 Best Practices for Strainer Location
System designers frequently place strainers on the suction side of a pump.
  Jeff Sines   January 2019 
 Understanding the Performance of a Damper in an HVAC System
Editor’s Note: Jeff Sines is a member of Ray Hardee’s team at Engineered Software Inc. This month, he is a guest columnist in Hardee’s place.
  Lev Nelik   January 2019 
 Calculating vs. Estimating Pipe Velocity
During our last Pump School session, one attendee asked how much error there would be if the velocity head and gauge elevation correction were not accounted for.
  Jeff Sines   December 2018 
 What Is a Reverse Return System?
Editor’s Note: Jeff Sines is a member of Ray Hardee’s team at Engineered Software, Inc.
  Jim Elsey   December 2018 
 How to Solve NPSHa Problems
My last five articles covered the calculation of net positive suction head available (NPSHa).