Outdoor pump covers come in many shapes and sizes, especially when it comes to booster pumps. They can also be made from different materials. But there’s really only one feature you must have to keep you from living with the consequences of your design.
Before we get to the outdoor pump cover feature that excites most people we talk to, let’s talk safety. Above-ground, outdoor pump covers are the best and safest option you can choose. If your pump is installed below grade in a vault, you’re exposing yourself and your pump to unnecessary risks, such as accessibility issues, flooding and confined spaces that put both your employees and equipment at risk.
Safety always comes first, but there are other pump cover features that also stand out. Because your pump is outside, it must be protected. Bad weather, theft and vandalism are all very real threats to your pump if it’s exposed.
Which of the below pump cover features excites you the most?
One outdoor pump cover feature you’ll like is the availability of sizes. Safe-T-Cover has many standard models in various sizes. Or, if you have the need for a fully custom cover, our expert team can create a design for a built to spec pump cover with a lead time and price that may surprise you.
In either case, factoring in the cost of constructing a pump house – labor, material, permitting and so on – or, say, the lack of resilience in a fiberglass cover that grows brittle exposed to the elements, a Safe-T-Cover enclosure is a cost-effective, value-minded long-term investment in your pump and property.
If you’re pushing fluids through your pump, regardless of where it’s housed in North America, you’ll need an option for on-site heat. Nowhere is safe from a random Arctic blast in January. An ASSE 1060 Class 1 standard-meeting enclosure helps keep water (or other fluids) moving and prevents pump equipment freezing and has the capacity for effective drainage when needed. Both, when paired with regular inspection and maintenance, minimize wear while increasing your pump’s efficiency and lifespan, and your peace of mind.
But this is not the outdoor pump cover feature that excites people the most.
Let’s start with the roof. If you’re planning to use a pre-fabricated fiberglass pump house, you can run into trouble. Let’s explore why.
If something inside your enclosure were to need repair or replacement, the only way to get at it is to remove the entire structure. If your pump cover has a fixed roof, or is made of molded fiberglass, its constrained size and form will not be suited for large-scale maintenance. In some cases, you may even need a crane to get the job done.
Newer outdoor pump covers feature modular design, with roofs that can be lifted or detached together. Safe-T-Cover pump enclosures feature panels other than the roof or top that can be completely removed. This makes it easier to not only get to your pump, but if for some reason that roof or a panel incurs damage and needs to be replaced, only the affected panel needs to be reordered, rather than an entire new enclosure.
The best outdoor pump covers protect and provide space for your technicians to work. The best way to create the space they need is with doors or panels for easy access.
Safe-T-Cover’s standard and custom designs are shipped flat and in pieces. But a modular approach does not mean substandard material: the marine-grade panels with sealed-on insulation are put together on site, braced with California redwood, and the entire installation can be completed quickly and easily. And as fast as the panels are put together, they can also be disassembled. This important element provides for maximum accessibility and safety.
To make it easier to maintain and test your equipment, a removable panel is placed in front of your control panels. If the panel is not removable, it will be hinged. Easy access is critical, especially if you’re installing emergency pumps for fire sprinkler systems, which require frequent testing.
Regardless of the features that you’re looking for in outdoor pump covers or enclosures, Safe-T-Cover should be your first and only choice for safety, quality material, durability, performance, ease of installation, access and value. Use our sizing guide or contact our custom design team to discuss your pump cover needs today!