What Causes Mechanical Seals to Fail?

Mechanical seals are critical components in various industrial applications, ensuring the effective and safe operation of machinery. However, like any component, they can fail due to a variety of reasons. Understanding these causes is key to preventing downtime and maintaining system integrity. Here are the common causes of mechanical seal failures:

1. Improper Installation: Incorrect installation can lead to uneven loading, misalignment, and eventual seal failure. It’s essential that seals are installed following the precise guidelines set out in Installation, Operation, and Maintenance (IOM) Manuals.

2. Incorrect Material Selection: The choice of material for seal faces, wetted metal components, and O-rings or secondary seals is crucial. Incorrect materials can be vulnerable to the media they are exposed to, leading to corrosion or wear.

3. Operational Issues: Fluctuations in pressure, temperature, or speed beyond the seal’s design specifications can compromise its integrity. Operating conditions must align with the seal’s capabilities.

4. Chemical Attack: Exposure to aggressive chemicals can degrade seal materials. The compatibility of seal materials with the process fluid is vital for seal longevity.

5. Abrasive Particles: The presence of abrasive particles in the process fluid can erode incorrectly selected seal faces or other wetted components, leading to premature failure.

6. Thermal Extremes: Exposure to temperatures outside the operational range of the seal material can cause thermal deformation or cracking.

7. Vibration and Misalignment:Excessive vibration and misalignment of the pump shaft can impose undue stress on mechanical seals, hastening wear and failure.

8. Dry Running: Operation without adequate lubrication across the seal faces can cause excessive heat and wear, leading to seal failure.

   
   

At ISL, we represent Flexaseal and we design our seals to address these challenges, offering robust solutions tailored to diverse operational environments. Our expertise ensures that each seal not only fits your specific application but also combats the common causes of failure, enhancing reliability and efficiency.

We don’t want you to keep replacing seals needlessly so we will partner with you to do failure analysis on your bad actors to see if we can design a better seal for your application.

You can contact us at 913-334-5823 or info@indsealing.com to start tackling your mechanical seal problems today!