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TROUBLE PREVENTION:
PREFACE: The longevity of a Nemo Pump is mainly dependent on the type of use it is put to. Properly installed and used
in applications for which it was designed, a Nemo Pump can provide years of trouble free service. Improperly installed and/or
used, it's service life can be reduced to a matter of weeks or months. The intention of this Use Guide is to help determine
how, why, and if a Nemo pump is a practical choice for your application. There are four main causes of failure of a Nemo pump
unit, any of which can result in the flooding of the Nemo Case. The pump would thence become inoperative, usually beyond cost
effective repair:
1. FAULTY INSTALLATION: One example of faulty installation would be improper sealing of the wire lead splices to the dropwire.
This could allow water to enter the wire, migrate down the stranded wire of the leads, and flood the case. This result as
well as other installation faults can be avoided by diligently following the simple installation instructions provided with
each pump.
2. OVERHEATING of FLOJET MOTOR: The Flojet motors used in Nemo Pumps are designed for intermittent duty service, which
means they will overheat during extended run times or if overloaded. A safe run time however is not an exact period that is
applicable to all site situations; very cold water from a drilled well will extend the run time, whereas warmer water from
a cistern/reservoir/stream type source will shorten the run time. The Nemo in our well in PEI Canada, for example, has been
delivering water to house and guest cottages for the past 10 years, but it is running submerged in the very cold water of
a drilled well and hardly ever runs for more than an hour or so at a time without having a cooling break of 15 minutes or
more between run times. This type of solar charged battery installation (with a holding tank and a pressure tank) is a most
appropriate and cost effective use of a Nemo Pump, and the run times are simply and automatically controlled by not exceeding
normal household use limits. Similar or other means of controlling run times should be provided in direct solar applications
or in applications where the intake water is relatively warmer than well water. This can be as simple as the manual monitoring
of an on/off switch, but an automatic timer switch and/or a float switch in an appropriately sized holding tank would also
attain the desired effect and be considerably more convenient. Another cause of overheating would be overloading. Since the
Flojet pumps are not equipped with internal bypass valves, overloading can occur if the total system pressure exceeds the
rated capacity of the pump (100 PSI/230 FT), or if the discharge pipe to the pump becomes frozen or otherwise closed between
the pump and the pressure, float, or other electrical shutoff switch.
3. FLOJET DIAPHRAGM FAILURE: If a diaphragm fails it will flood the case and the pump will stop running. However, the
life of Flojet motor brushes is rated at 2000 hours and a Flojet diaphragm will almost always last at least as long as the
wear-down life of the motor brushes. An exception is where there is a substantial buildup of pressure inside the Nemo Case
caused by excessive overheating of the Flojet motor. Such pressure can compromise the diaphragm and thus flood the case.
4. FAULTY NEMO CASE SEALS: The Nemo case seals (the main case seal between the inside of the case and the rim of the Flojet
pump head, the rubber plugs on the wire leads, and the Flojet head screws) have all been designed and extensively tested to
be extremely watertight. These seals are also substantially reinforced with the highest grade underwater marine adhesive sealant
obtainable. Under normal operating conditions and within considerably extended margins beyond such conditions the Nemo case
seals will very rarely fail. The exception is where there is a major buildup of pressure inside the Nemo Case caused by extreme
overheating of the Flojet motor. Such pressure may compromise a seal and thus flood the case.
CONCLUSION: The information above directly relates to your decisions regarding the suitability, purchase and use of a
Nemo Pump for your specific application. Since we have no control over how you install and use a Nemo Pump, and also no control
over the manufacture of Flojet units, this information also directly relates to the Nemo Warranty. The warranty does not cover
failures caused by faulty installation and use of a Nemo or faulty Flojet motor/head units. The warranty does cover failures
caused by defects in the materials and/or workmanship of the entire Nemo Case. Since any failure caused by a defective case
would occur within hours or days after the installation and use of a Nemo Pump, the Nemo warranty is therefor limited to the
60 day period following the purchase date.
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