Mechanical Seal Support Center
Selection, installation, flush plan and troubleshooting guides for pump mechanical seals, from the shop that machines and laps them.
In the support center
- 239guides on pump mechanical seals
- 9topics, from basics to failure analysis
- 7seal families with their own range page
Browse by task
Start From What You Need to Do
41 guides
Seal Basics
How a mechanical seal and each seal type work, their parts and terms.
- Throat Bush vs Throttle Bush: Complete Technical Comparison
- Double Mechanical Seal: Types, Working Principle, and When You Need One
- Mechanical Seal Arrangement Types
- Stuffing Box Pressure in Centrifugal Pumps
54 guides
Selection & Replacement
Choose the seal type and arrangement, compare designs, identify and replace an old seal.
- Labyrinth Seal vs Mechanical Seal: Which Belongs on Your Pump Shaft
- Balanced vs Unbalanced Mechanical Seal: The 20 bar Rule and Balance Ratio Formula
- What Is the Difference Between Single and Double Mechanical Seals
- Bellows Mechanical Seals: How They Work, Types, and Selection
20 guides
Materials
Face materials, carbon and SiC grades, elastomers and chemical compatibility.
- EPR vs EPDM: What Seal Engineers Need to Know
- Mechanical Seal Materials: Properties, Limits, and Selection Guide
- Mechanical Seal Material Chemical Compatibility Chart
- FKM vs EPDM: How to Choose the Right Elastomer for Your Mechanical Seal
52 guides
Flush Plans & Support Systems
API piping plans, seal pots, barrier and buffer fluids, quench and cooling.
- What Is a Seal Pot and How Does It Work in Pump Sealing Systems
- Mechanical Seal Flush vs Quench: How They Work Together
- How to Calculate Required Seal Water Flow Rate for My Pump
- API Plan 32
15 guides
Installation
Install, remove and set a seal, check runout and shaft tolerance.
- How to Set Mechanical Seal Compression Step by Step
- What Is the Shaft Tolerance for Mechanical Seals
- How to Remove a Mechanical Seal Without Damaging the Shaft
- What Kind of Lubricant Is Used for Mechanical Seals
15 guides
Maintenance & Repair
Maintain, clean, lap and repair seals, service life and MTBF.
- How to Lap Mechanical Seal
- What Grit Lapping Paste to Use for Mechanical Seals
- How to Repair a Mechanical Seal Step by Step
- How to Troubleshoot Mechanical Seal Lapping Problems
22 guides
Troubleshooting
Leaks, overheating, dry running, cavitation and failure analysis.
- Signs of a Dry-Running Mechanical Seal in a Pump
- HVAC Chiller Pump Mechanical Seal Troubleshooting Guide
- Troubleshooting Guide for a Leaking Double Mechanical Seal
- How to Prevent Mechanical Seal Corrosion in Chemical Pumps
11 guides
Manufacturing & Testing
Face flatness, leak and pressure-decay testing, choosing a supplier.
- Top 10 Mechanical Seal Manufacturers in China: What Each One Can Prove
- Top 10 Mechanical Seal Manufacturers in the World: What Each One Builds for Pumps
- How to Test a Mechanical Seal Step by Step
- Flatness of a Mechanical Seal Face
9 guides
Calculations
Worked formulas: heat, leakage, chamber pressure, spring load, compression.
- How to Calculate Mechanical Seal Compression: Formula, Percentages, and Worked Example
- Seal Chamber Pressure Calculation and Formula
- Calculating Spring Load for a Mechanical Seal
- How to Calculate Mechanical Seal Heat Generation
Browse by seal type
Guides for Each Seal Family
Type 1 · 2 · 21 and more
Standard component seals
Single spring and multi-spring component seals for water and industrial pumps.
No elastomer secondary
Metal bellows seals
Edge-welded and formed bellows for heat, cold and chemicals.
Elastomer bellows
Rubber bellows seals
Rubber bellows seals for water, utility and light process duty.
Built to OEM dimensions
OEM-compatible seals
Equivalents for Grundfos, Burgmann, John Crane, Flygt and most other brands.
Mixers and reactors
Agitator & reactor seals
Top-entry agitator and glass-lined reactor seals.
Documents and references
Catalog, Piping Plans and Cross-Reference
Product catalog
Operating limits, material combinations and dimension tables for the standard range. Other sizes are built from a drawing or the old seal.
API 682 piping plans
Every flush, quench and barrier plan on one page, with when each one is used.
OEM cross-reference
Equivalent seals for John Crane, Flowserve, Burgmann, Chesterton, Flygt, Grundfos and most other brands.
Can’t Find Your Answer?
Send the seal drawing, the seal model or part number, or the old seal itself — an engineer will reply with the fix or a matching seal.