What are the most common seal issues and what should be done to fix them?

The most common seal issues which cause increased nitrogen or barrier fluid consumption or leakage of the vessel contents into the atmosphere are:

• Worn or chemically attacked rotating faces
• Cut, nicked or chemically attacked O-rings
• Over-pressurized or under-pressurized seal housing
• Higher than normal runout of the agitator shaft
• Lack of maintenance of the gearbox which can cause higher than normal runout

The action steps that should be taken to fix these problems include:

• If the seal is new: Remove the seal cartridge and check the parts mentioned above.
• If the seal has been used for a period of time: Remove and replace the seal cartridge and replace it with a new one. Clean the seal and send it back to the manufacturer it was purchased from for evaluation or possible rebuilding. Do not send back un-cleaned seals.
• For OptiSeals: Remove the seal and rebuild it with a factory authorized Rebuild Kit or replace it with a new seal, clean the old seal and send it back to DDPS for evaluation or rebuilding.