New solution to prevent frozen slurry pumps

SlurryPro FPT drain plug ensures enhanced reliability for slurry pumps operating in cold weather conditions

IN the colder months, any water left in a slurry pump overnight can cause serious problems. As the temperature drops below zero this water will freeze, stopping the pump from operating in the morning and potentially damaging the pump or pipework.

Traditional methods of preventing this include: installing a heated jacket – effective, but expensive to purchase and run; waiting for the pump to thaw in the morning – losing valuable production time; or opening the casing to remove the water, a back-breaking and time-consuming chore.

SlurryPro originated from a firm belief that a slurry pump user’s experience could and should be better. With this in mind, the Yorkshire-based manufacturer has launched a solution to this problem – the FPT drain plug.

Built for the arduous conditions found in the mining and quarrying industry, the FPT eliminates pump downtime due to cold weather conditions. Available for all sizes in the SlurryPro horizontal pump range, the FPT solution can be supplied fitted in new pumps and can also be retrofitted to an existing slurry pump.

Once fitted, a couple of minutes to release the plug is all that is needed on a cold evening to ensure the pump is free of water and ready to start operations straight away the following morning.

FPT stands for Freeze Prevention Technology, which reflects the detail SlurryPro have gone into to make this innovation work in the most rugged environments. The liners and flange have been modified, and careful consideration has been given to the design to ensure the performance and wear life of the pump are entirely unaffected by the inclusion of the FPT. 

‘When we heard of sites losing two hours production in the morning due to freeze-ups, costing them £5,000 in lost production, we knew we needed to provide a solution,’ said Nathan Rowles, sales director at Atlantic Pumps, the company that produce SlurryPro. ‘We are pleased this innovation is now available to make our customers’ lives easier.’