2 NASH Pumps installed in 1928 are still in service at the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board. A few years ago Nash embarked on a mission to find the ‘oldest running NASH pump’. They received entries from around the globe with pumps that were 40, 50 and even 70 years old.
At the end they declared the winner - and they had not one, but two oldest running NASH Pumps at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans.
Horizontal drainage pumps
The Sewerage and Water Board, the water/drainage arm of the city of New Orleans, has a number of drainage stations throughout the city. At each of these stations, they have NASH vacuum pumps serving as priming pumps for their huge horizontal drainage pumps.
Many of these pumps (including the two installed in 1928) are driven by 25 cycle motors. The 25 cycle power is produced by the S&WB themselves because the normal 60 cycle power produced by the local power company cannot be relied upon during hurricanes.
The two oldest running pumps were installed in Station #6 when it was constructed in 1928
The two oldest running pumps were installed in Station #6 when it was constructed in 1928. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2010 the station (and the NASH pumps) were submerged. Once the water level dropped below the station floor level, the NASH Pumps were started up to prime the drainage pumps, which then ran several weeks draining the city.
Oldest running pumps
They recently reached out to Tom Diehl, Mechanical Engineer at the Sewerage and Water Board, to see how the pumps were holding up - and no surprise, they continue to run reliably when needed and start up regularly with no problems.
After being submerged in water, and operating under some of the most demanding conditions, what keeps these two pumps running after 88 years? Regular maintenance. Tom and his team inspect and run the pumps regularly as a part of their preventative maintenance, and expect to keep both pumps in service for the foreseeable future.