Surface · Rod Pump
Prime Mover
The electric motor or internal combustion engine that powers the pumping unit.
What it does
Delivers high speed, low torque power to the gear reducer, usually through belts and sheaves.
Basics
| Types | Electric motor or gas or diesel engine |
| Output | High speed, low torque |
| Drives | Gear reducer through belts and sheaves |
Common failures
- Belt slip or wear
- Motor overload from an unbalanced unit or fluid pound
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Amps swing hard between upstroke and downstroke
- Likely cause
- Unit out of balance
- What to check
- Check counterbalance before resizing the motor
- Symptom
- Belts squeal or burn
- Likely cause
- Wrong tension or misaligned sheaves
- What to check
- Belt tension and sheave alignment