Howden Roots 2500 Series WHISPAIR MAX, Installation, Operation And Maintenance Manual

ISRB

 2005 GEA 20260

Page 6 of 24

and drive end bearing cover and inspect gear 

teeth and bearings for rust. 

Because of the completely enclosed unit design, 

location of the installation is generally not a critical 

matter. A clean, dry and protected indoor location is 

preferred. However, an outdoor location will normally 

give satisfactory service. Important requirements are 

that the correct grade of lubricating oil be provided for 

expected operating temperatures, and that the unit 

be located so that routine checking and servicing can 

be performed conveniently. Proper care in locating 

driver and accessory equipment must also be 

considered. 
Supervision of the installation by a Howden Roots 

Service Engineer is not usually required for these 

units. Workmen with experience in installing light to 

medium weight machinery should be able to produce 

satisfactory results. Handling of the equipment needs 

to be accomplished with care, and in compliance with 

safe practices. Unit mounting must be solid, without 

strain or twist, and air piping must be clean, 

accurately aligned and properly connected. 
Bare-shaft Units: Two methods are used to handle a 

unit without base. One is to use lifting lugs bolted into 

the top of the unit headplates. Test them first for 

tightness and fractures by tapping with a hammer. In 

lifting, keep the direction of cable pull on these bolts 

as nearly vertical as possible. If lifting lugs are not 

available, lifting slings may be passed under the 

cylinder adjacent to the headplates. Either method 

prevents strain on the extended drive shaft. 
Packaged Units: When the unit is furnished mounted 

on a baseplate, with or without a driver, use of lifting 

slings passing under the base flanges is required. 

Arrange these slings so that no strains are placed on 

the unit casing or mounting feet, or on any mounted 

accessory equipment. DO NOT use the lifting lugs in 

the top of the unit headplates. 
Before starting the installation, remove plugs, covers 

or seals from unit inlet and discharge connections 

and inspect the interior completely for foreign 

material. If cleaning is required, finish by washing the 

cylinder, headplates and impeller thoroughly with a 

petroleum solvent. Turn the drive shaft by hand to 

make sure that the impellers turn freely at all points. 

Anti-rust compound on the connection flanges and 

drive shaft extension may also be removed at this 

time with the same solvent. Cover the flanges until 

ready to connect piping. 

Mounting 

Care will pay dividends when arranging the unit 

mounting. This is especially true when the unit is a 

“bare-shaft” unit furnished without a baseplate. The 

convenient procedure may be to mount such a unit 

directly on a floor or small concrete pad, but this 

generally produces the least satisfactory results. It 

definitely causes the most problems in leveling and 

alignment and may result in a “Soft Foot” condition. 

Correct soft foot before operation to avoid 

unnecessary loading on the casing and bearings. 

Direct use of building structural framing members is 

not recommended. 
For blowers without a base, it is recommended that a 

well anchored and carefully leveled steel or cast iron 

mounting plate be provided. The plate should be at 

least 1 inch (25 mm) thick, with its top surface 

machined fl at, and large enough to provide leveling 

areas at one side and one end after the unit is 

mounted. It should have properly sized studs or 

tapped holes located to match the unit foot drilling. 

Proper use of a high quality machinist’s level is 

necessary for adequate installation. 
With the mounting plate in place and leveled, set the 

unit on it without bolting and check for rocking. If it is 

not solid, determine the total thickness of shims 

required under one foot to stop rocking. Place half of 

this under each of the diagonally-opposite short feet, 

and tighten the mounting studs or screws. Rotate the 

drive shaft to make sure the impellers turn freely. If 

the unit is to be direct coupled to a driving motor, 

consider the height of the motor shaft and the 

necessity for it to be aligned very accurately with the 

unit shaft. Best unit arrangement is directly bolted to 

the mounting plate while the driver is on shims of at 

least 1/8 inch (3mm) thickness. This allows 

adjustment of motor position in final shaft alignment 

by varying the shim thickness. 

Aligning 

When unit and driver are factory mounted on a 

common baseplate, the assembly will have been 

properly aligned and is to be treated as a unit for 

leveling purposes. Satisfactory installation can be 

obtained by setting the baseplate on a concrete slab 

that is rigid and free of vibration, and levelling the top 

of the base carefully in two directions so that it is free 

ISRB 2005 GEA 20260.indd   6

17/09/2015   12:53