Every day, we get calls from our clients about their Waukesha PD pumps. One of the most common questions we get is, “how am I supposed to know what kind of pump I have and what’s in it?”.
Well, there are a few tricks we’ll share with you that can help you save time, energy, and effort identifying your pump, choosing spares, or talking with your distributor about a replacement.
Pump Cover
The first thing we need to figure out is what series of Universal Pump do we have. In most cases, the quickest, easiest way to do that is to take a look at the cover. If the cover has two distinct hubs protruding, it is a Universal 1 Series PD pump. If the cover has a single, raised hub, you know you have a Universal 2 Series PD pump. And if the cover is totally flat? Then, in all likelihood, you have a Waukesha Universal 3 pump.
Waukesha Universal 2 Pump Cover 
Waukesha Universal 1 Pump Cover 
Waukesha Universal 3 Flat Pump Cover
Name Plate
So looking at the pump cover from afar, we can tell what series of pump we have. As we get a little closer to the pump, let’s try to take a look at the nameplate. The nameplate is going to tell us quite a bit about the pump. First, it’ll tell us the model number and the serial number of the pump. Unfortunately, unless you have ready access to a computer or the SPXConnect app, that isn’t going to tell you much. The model number can be helpful to a distributor to re-configure the pump, but that’s not a guarantee.
What we’re really after, is the serial number of the pump. That is going to give us all the gritty details, so let’s take a look at that next.
Serial Number
The serial number of a Waukesha PD pump can be found in three places- on the pump cover, on the pump body, and on the pump nameplate (which is affixed to the gearcase). The serial number is typically six or seven digits. Sometimes, it’ll be preceded by the number “1” and then five “0”’s, for example, SN#1000001234567, or end in a -98. What we really need to figure out what is in your pump is the six or seven digit core number.
With the correct serial number, we can learn everything we need with the pump. We can see what the rotor clearances, cover type, seal configuration, and elastomers. We can learn when it shipped and who it originally shipped to. We can also see any notes or changes that may have been made along the way.
Other Tricks- Port Size, Seals, Cover Nuts, and Elastomers
Can’t find the serial number and the pump nameplate is gone? No worries, there are a couple of other things you can take a look at to get a pretty good idea of what’s going on with your pump.
Let’s go back to the pump cover. Not sure what I mean by “rotor hub”? Another thing you can look for is the type of nut on the pump cover. Typically, Universal 1 pumps will have wing nuts, while the Universal 2 and Universal 3 pumps will have acorn nuts. And remember- the Universal 3 cover will be totally flat.
Can’t figure out what model you have? One way to make an intelligent guess is to take a look at the port size. Most of the Waukesha Positive Displacement pumps we see in the states have Triclamp ports. If the port size is 1”, you most likely have a Model 006. If the pump has 1.5” ports and looks to weigh about 60-65 lbs., you most likely have a model 15 or 18 pump. If your pump has 1.5” ports and looks to weigh about 130 lbs., it’s a model 30. From there, we start to see much larger pumps. The model 60 will typically have 2.5” ports and weigh about 285 lbs. The model 130 will typically have 3” ports and weigh about 305 lbs.. 4” ports? You most likely have a model 220.
Another thing we’ll always want to know to get a ballpark idea of what to configure, other than type (Universal 1, Universal 2, or Universal 3), is the seal type. The easiest way to do this without ripping the pump apart is to look in the space between the stainless pump body and the blue gear. This is where you can get eyes on the pump seal. If you see a stainless steel or zirconia (a white ceramic) sleeve, you know you have U1 with an o-ring seal. If you see a flush and look closely at the back of the pump body and see a tabbed stainless-steel carrier, you can be pretty sure it’s a double o ring seal. If we see a rotating seal seat (usually white ceramic), we’ll know we have a mechanical seal. And if there’s a flush, you can be reasonably confident it’s a double mechanical seal. Don’t see a seal at all? That’s another give away- you probably have a Universal 3 Pump.
The final thing that we can look at to get some more information about our pump is the elastomers. Specifically, the elastomer colors. If the elastomers are a brown/red, you have Viton. This is probably the most common elastomer type. If the o-rings are black, you have some more work to do as they could be either EPDM or Buna. Take a closer look at the o-ring. If you see a yellow dot, you know you have buna. Green dot? That means you have EPDM.
So there are some quick tips and tricks to help you identify what Waukesha Positive Displacement you have. Ideally, you’ll know the pump serial number and can zip it off to us at Triplex. But if for whatever reason you don’t, refer back to these tips and you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what you’re using. But if there’s ever a doubt, contact a Triplex Sales Engineer today!
