Dont throw away that Europump!
Like many of us here, I’ve been using one of Vigo’s little Italian
europumps for a good few years. It is such a useful pump for all
manner of small filling jobs. Its only vice is the well known
propensity of cutting out to rest and cool down, after about 20
minutes of continuous use. I have been able to forgive this little
foible, because it is usually possible to fit in some other part of
the job, while the pump cools down.
I have noticed another problem, in that after a long period of non use
the pump can refuse to start at all. This is because the pump rotor
has stuck to the steel end plate of the plastic pump housing. It seems
to happen, no matter how well the pump was flushed out with water
before being laid up. The cure is simply to remove the three screws
holding the end plate. Take the plate off and clean it, give the rotor
a little twiddle by hand and then reassemble the plate.
I’ve had to do this this a number of times, so I was not surprised
when I got the pump out today and found that it would not start.
However on this occasion I found that the pump rotor was well and
truly stuck. The motor had seized completely. I was about to ring Vigo
for a new pump, when I thought that I might as well look inside the
pump to see if it could be fixed. This proved to be easily done, since
the two halves of the case are held together by self tapping screws. I
then found something, rarely seen these days. The little motor was
made to be serviced! Five minutes later I had the whole thing to
pieces. The armature and bearing plates were easily removed from the
motor body, just by undoing two nuts and bolts. The armature shaft was
solidly seized to the bearings, but I was able to remedy this with a
spray or two of WD40. Another 5 minutes and the Europump was back
together and working once again. It is a joy to service, not a rivet
or ‘tamperproof’ screw anywhere within its little body!
The problem had been caused by the ingress of juice via the gland on
the pump drive shaft. It really could do with a new gland, from
somewhere. In the meantime I will try and prevent a reoccurrence by
making sure never to use it with its pump end uppermost (ie above the
motor).
These little pumps defy the throw away age!
Rose.
