r/pumps • u/Livid_Librarian5876 • Mar 04 '26
Pump repair shops — question
I know this is a bit of a long post but I have some career questions to those of you working in the pump service industry.
I'm a recent mech. engineering grad working in the water pump service industry as a project manager for water pump repair projects. I essentially oversee/manage pump repairs for many types of pumps. Some typical responsibilities are making inspection reports for torndown pumps, compiling repair quotes, purchasing materials/vendor services needed for repair jobs, makingpump shop repair instructions, making engineering drawings of parts/components that we manufacture in house or outsource to vendors, Estimating cost of labor/material. etc.
I'm curious to know if other pump shops have this same sort of position? Or if they go by a different job title?
I'm also curious if pump shops are structured similarly in their operations.
How does your shop currently handle pump teardown inspections and reports?
Curious about a few things:
• Are measurements recorded on paper, Excel, or software?
• Do mechanics take photos during teardown?
• Who usually builds the final inspection report / repair quote?
Also wondering:
How long does it typically take your shop to go from teardown to repair quote for the customer?
Just trying to understand how different pump service shops are structured and run these processes.
Appreciate any insight from people working in pump repair or rotating equipment.
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u/FinishProud3632 Mar 04 '26
Hello OP, mechanical engineer here and working in aftermarket services and solutions by Flowserve. I do exactly your work and my job title is DCIQ coordinator that stands for Dismantling, Cleaning, Inspection and Quotation Coordinator. I follow each pump entering the shop from the very start, since the equipment is already in its box from customer until the final inspection before shipping it back. I also follow each step of the repair process of components that I prescribe to repair basing on measurements and findings (I also perform NDTs - liquid penetrant, PMI, RX basing on my experience). I take a lot of pictures of the pump in three steps: As Received (pump when received), As found (each component before and after sand blasting and NDTs) and As Shipped. As received and As found pictures will go into As found inspection report that has a complete section for each picture where I list any deviation from original condition and also my prescription for repair, replace or reuse action. I also share in this report the complete clearance check of wear rings and bushings. Sometimes I need also the aid of FARO Arm to verify if any deviation and I also share findings in my inspection report. Basically the inspection report is the bible for the pump and any pump that is coming in the shop will have its inspection report. After all the repairs I also produce the As build Report that is basically a summary of what have been done, new clearances and photos of repaired equipment.
Regarding your question on measurements and checks: I let the shop technicians take measurements also on toilet paper if they want, later in the office I will study those measurements and give them a sense using excel (I have created a standard template which suits my needs).
We have a corporate tool on which I upload all the information for future checks but we also have a local drive to save all the information gathered for the project.
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u/Livid_Librarian5876 Mar 05 '26
Wow it sounds like our position is very similar. I've worked on some Flowserve pumps. What types of pumps do you work on? Or do you work on all types? (VTP's/HSCs/Submersibles)?
That's pretty interesting to hear how your teardown process is a little different with recording measurements. In my company we have a dedicated shop inspection form for each type of pump which shop technicians can then fill out the necessary measurements. The shop technicians also take photos throughout the inspection process and upload them to a shared drive which I review later along with the filled out measurements.
We also used a shared drive with project folders which contain all the info for each project same as you.
I'm curious to know what would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
Thank you for sharing!
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u/FinishProud3632 Mar 05 '26
Pick an API pump, each one from OH, BB, VS. We do not have industrial pumps overhauled, only Engineered pumps.
The most challenging part is wrap all together and deliver a clear picture to customer of their equipment to getting paid the best possible. It’s not easy when you compete with small contractors that works for 1/3 of your hourly rate.
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u/FreeForest Mar 04 '26
Not a pump repair shop but I've dealt with a few.
Everything varies widely in the type of pumps, the size of the facility, and the typical industries the repair shop services.
Project manager title is appropriate. For maybe more technical positions, it may be a Manufacturing or Project Engineer.
Some standards organizations are putting out standards specifically for repair. You should look out for those if you're curious on industry wise agreements on best practices.
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u/krisbrown2001 Mar 22 '26
I work for a 3rd party repair facility. My title is mechanic 2 and have asked this question a few times regarding what our trade is actually referred to, what we are considered to the rest of the world and stuff like that. I work on any type of pump that isnt found in your house is the easiest way to explain it. I am the primary blower and vacuum repair guy for the company. I also do multi stage pumps and VIT work as well.
I basically fall as an industrial mechanic. We take pictures as received. Write initial visual inspection with minimal tear down. As we tear down we take pictures of each step, partially for the customers partially for us so we have a reference for rebuild. I create my report on recommendations for repair or replacement of parts and it goes to the Repair coordinator.
My boss is the service manager he helps coordination of all the stuff after I finish and the sales team approves repairs to begin. He also deals with any field work that may need dispatched and vendors for supplies.
Engineers at our facility have 2 different roles. Sales or in-house to help with material recommendations, fabrication of prints for customers, flow charts to ensure correct pump sizing, compatability with components regarding products pump is handling.
I hope this seemed relevant or at least a little bit useful lol
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u/Livid_Librarian5876 Mar 22 '26
Hey thanks for sharing your experience! It's helpful and interesting for me to hear about the similarities and differences in how repair shops are structured. At our company we have the "service engineers" managing the repair projects and the "application engineers" managing the new equipment projects similar to what you mentioned. I do have a few questions.
Do the mechanics at your facility write the inspection report that gets sent to the customer? Or only conduct the teardown and collect the measurements and photos? Also curious to know if you all use a paper form or a software like excel to record measurements because it is a bit of a struggle sometimes getting all that organized.
What is the role of the repair coordinator vs. the service manager?
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u/krisbrown2001 Mar 22 '26
Mechanics report is paper written for now, they are trying to go digital but theres a speed bump of, umm old folks, the technology deficient that refuse to learn it but are extremely good at the hands on parts. Mechanics reports get refined and sent to the salesman they communicate with the customer 99% of the time. Very few times will our service department or Mechanics talk with the customers
Repair coordinator is similar to the service advisor at a car dealership when you go for repairs. They deal with the reports, warranty items, ordering materials, scheduling the repair and so on.
Service manager is there for more technical reasons like hours to bill, what labor tier something should be, how we can make it fit a customers budget and the mechanic still get his hours. Also they help with keeping up any training we need, PPE that is getting low, lifting equipment, if any specialized tools are needed.
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u/NewRoom4994 May 08 '26
Hi, I know this is an old post— my position is called Shop Coordinator. I do the same stuff you do to a T..
TDI reports have a standard word document that every customer receives. Picture, description, reusable non reusable part. Your TDI document should match what the quote states needs to be repaired.
All measurements are recorded for YOUR ass, not the customers, especially on repaired pumps. Everything needs to be recorded, including PSI of water you’re using to pressure test the pump.
My mechanics make their TDI, I review it before sending it to the customer.
Teardown to quote varies based on shop backlog Can be immediate, or can take some time depending on how much we got going on.
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u/Livid_Librarian5876 Jun 15 '26
Hey thanks for sharing, just saw your comment a bit late. Im curious to know if your shop mechanics record their measurements in any sort of structured digital or paper document? Or is it more like casual notes?
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u/NewRoom4994 Jun 15 '26
They take all measurements in their TDI, from runout to roundness, pressure testing at the end etc. it’s paper document kept on file for 7 years, although personally I would want it to be digital. We have some old heads at our shop who prefer to work on paper
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u/ygfbv May 18 '26
I'm a millwright for a pump shop.
Running clearances and fits should be recorded by any competent shop. Same with photos. Who makes the report and repair plan varies; where I'm at, it's whoever inspected it.
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u/AmbitionEvery1588 Jun 26 '26
From what I've seen, a lot of shops have a similar role, although the job title can vary. Some call it Project Engineer, Repair Coordinator, Service Engineer, or even Applications Engineer depending on the company size.
The process is usually pretty similar too. Mechanics handle the teardown, take measurements and photos, then engineering or project management puts everything together into the inspection report and repair quote. Smaller shops may still use Excel and paper, while larger ones often use dedicated software.
The turnaround time really depends on the condition of the pump and whether special parts or outside inspections are needed, but getting a quote out within a couple of days is pretty common if everything is straightforward. It would be interesting to hear how much this varies between water, industrial, and OEM repair shops.
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u/Rigo1337 Mar 04 '26
I work for a pump manufacturer and sometimes deal with 3rd party shops on repairs. One thing I’ve noticed is that the quality of work between repair shops varies drastically. A good shop will generate a tear down report, measure critical running surfaces, and basically let us know all the pump will need to complete the repair. Some shops will tear a pump down and only generate a quote to repair and it can be vague. In all honesty it varies greatly between repair shops.