Free checklist
Base-mounted HVAC pump quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly base-mounted pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Seal and leakage
Mechanical seal or packing checked for leakage
Mechanical seal essentially dry, or packing gland dripping only at the light rate it's meant to, no product tracking down the shaft onto the base.
Base and drip pan dry
Pump base and any drip pan free of standing water, no rust trails under the seal, floor drain clear.
Casing gasket, flanges and vent and drain plugs dry
Volute gasket, suction and discharge flanges, casing vent and drain plugs dry, no mineral crust or rust bloom marking an old leak.
Bearings and drive
Bearings running quiet and cool
No growl, whine or knock from the bearing housings, temperature by hand or gun within a normal band, no grease purged onto the guard.
Coupling guard and shaft observed running
Coupling guard secure, shaft running true with no visible wobble, no rubbing or heat discoloration at the coupling.
Vibration read at each bearing against the baseline
Meter reading taken at the motor and pump bearing housings with the guard on, compared with the commissioning baseline and the last round, any rise flagged.
Bearing lube record checked against the manufacturer's schedule
Last grease date, type and quantity read from the log or lube tag, grease added only when the schedule calls for it, sealed bearings noted as such.
No photo
Pressure and strainer
Suction and discharge pressures read and compared
Both gauges live and read, differential across the pump matching the expected head, no unexplained drop pointing at cavitation or a plugged suction.
Suction strainer checked for loading
Strainer differential or blowdown checked, basket not loaded with debris, no rising suction restriction starving the pump.
Motor and piping
Motor fan cover and cooling air path clear
Fan cover free of lint and debris, cooling air path open, frame paint not discolored by heat, conduit and flex into the terminal box secure.
Piping supported with no strain on the pump flanges
Suction and discharge piping carried by its own supports, flexible connectors not bulging, cracked or over-extended, no pipe weight riding on the casing.
Idle standby pump checked for reverse rotation
Where a standby pump sits in parallel, its shaft is still with the lead pump running, showing its check valve holds against backflow.
No photoDrive speed logged on a VFD-driven pump
Where a drive is fitted, speed and output current read at the keypad and logged against the last round, no unexplained full-speed running.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A mechanical seal weeping a steady drip called 'normal' until it floods the base and rusts the motor feet.
- Suction and discharge gauges read but never compared, so a clogging strainer starving the pump goes unnoticed until the flow drops off.
- Bearing noise logged as 'a little loud' visit after visit with no grease added and no temperature ever felt or measured.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this base-mounted hvac pump quarterly checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering seal and leakage, bearings and drive, pressure and strainer, motor and piping. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The mechanical tech on the quarterly mechanical-room round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, walked with the rest of the mechanical-room equipment so the pump numbers are read against the gauges on the same visit.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a base-mounted hvac pump quarterly inspection?
- A mechanical seal weeping a steady drip called 'normal' until it floods the base and rusts the motor feet. Suction and discharge gauges read but never compared, so a clogging strainer starving the pump goes unnoticed until the flow drops off. Bearing noise logged as 'a little loud' visit after visit with no grease added and no temperature ever felt or measured.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.