How to Design a Pump Enclosure: Need to Haves

If you haven’t worked with pump enclosures before, it can feel a little daunting to know everything you need to make the best decision for your needs. At Safe-T-Cover, we think you’ve made the best choice by choosing a modular aluminum enclosure that’s durable, secure and, most importantly, keeps your equipment above ground for easy access and service.

But it’s never as easy as just picking a material. There are other considerations to weigh. 

A few years ago, we developed a checklist website visitors could reference for making the best and most-informed choice for a pump enclosure. We’ve adapted it into a two-post series, first focusing on the need to have, and the second on the nice to have.

Pump Enclosure Need to Haves

Know your pump equipment

First, it’s essential to know your equipment: What is it exactly that you’re enclosing? Our team is not only experts in pump enclosure design and development, but we’re familiar with pumps, backflow preventers and other critical waterworks and utility equipment. 

Knowing the brand of your equipment, dimensions and the area around the equipment can help you make an informed decision on your unique enclosure needs.

If you need assistance in figuring out an aluminum pump enclosure solution, we can help you develop an ideal action plan for your needs, either from our standard stock or custom dimensions. Just let us know what you’re working with and we can take it from there!

Know your situation

Having accurate dimensions and adequate accessibility is a critical first step; considering where your equipment is located is a next step. Does your pump equipment require proper ventilation, either with fans or louvers? Do you need hinged or removable panels for maintenance access? Will there be pipe penetrations that need to be cut (more on that in our nice to haves article!)

More importantly, with weather events swinging wildly throughout the country, do you need protection from harsh wintry conditions? 15-20 years ago, we might have considered these optional, but if Texas’ ‘Big Freeze’ or the Midwest’s heat domes and polar vortexes are any indication, it’s no longer nice to have features that ensure proper pump function and operation regardless of extreme weather. 

Proper insulation – and Safe-T-Cover enclosures come with industry-leading insulation on every panel – ventilation and slab- or wall-mounted heaters are an investment in both your equipment and your peace of mind.

Know your pump equipment servicing needs

It’s one thing to have the right size enclosure; it’s another to have the right modular doors and panels for ease of access in case of routine maintenance or emergency servicing.

Nobody wants to order an enclosure, only to not be able to adequately access the pump equipment. In that case, you might as well still be in a vault or maintenance room! 

But at Safe-T-Cover, thinking outside the vault with a modular, aluminum solution for covering, protecting and securing your pumps, motors and valves also considers the human element: people still need to be able to freely and easily access the equipment! With removable panels, hinged or detachable doors and the ability to build enclosures small enough to be disassembled or large enough to walk around in, together, we can create a solution for your pump needs that provides both protection from the elements and vandals and still provides your maintenance workers ease of access for upkeep and service.

When it comes to need to have functionality for your pump needs, there’s no reason to look much further beyond a Safe-T-Cover aluminum enclosure. Contact us for a consultation and see the difference for yourself.