It’s not uncommon for me to get the question, “What’s the number one cause of failure with a Franklin submersible?” When someone asks that, they are almost always thinking in product terms. They want to know, “What breaks the most?” But, the actual answer here is that the number one cause of failure in a submersible installation is mis-application of the product, not the product itself.

One of the reasons I can say this is because of the reports Franklin Electric’s Field Service Engineers write after each site visit. Just reviewing this week’s reports tells the story. Of the 13 reports I reviewed this week, only 2 involved failures we couldn’t immediately identify as application- or installation-related. Here’s a quick rundown of the other eleven:

• Multiple control boxes replaced due to overloads tripping – FINDING: pump was binding due to sand
• Short service life of large submersible motor – FINDING: restricted cooling flow due to a massive build-up of iron bacteria
• Multiple contorl box relay failures – FINDING: rapid cycling from a water-logged tank
• Repeated issues with an irrigation pump installed in a river - FINDING: fluctuating river levels were causing the pump to periodically run dry
• Premature motor failure – FINDING: failure was the result of very short run times and continuous starts and stops
• Premature SubDrive failure – FINDING: insect intrusion
• Premature PMA failure – FINDING: pellet chlorinator was over-chlorinating, causing corrosion
• Higher than expected electricity costs with SubDrive – FINDING: geothermal settings set incorrectly by geo-contractor
• Overloads nuisance tripping – FINDING: generator frequency set at 63 hertz
• SubDrive causing interference – FINDING: poor grounding
• Pump not meeting curve - FINDING: leads reversed on 3-phase motor

Although this is an admittedly unscientific sample, it’s a fair representation of what we see in the field. This doesn’t mean that all failures are due to mis-application by any means. And, Franklin Electric’s Technical Service team is pleased to assist and be a resource.

And trust me, our industry isn’t alone here. The good news is that at each of the site visits above, the dealer or one of his employees came away with more insight that he had before. So, with some friendly guidance from Franklin Electric, he got better at his profession.  All in all, not a bad outcome at the end of the day.

There I was, a new employee and product manager for Franklin Electric with a brand new product called CP Water, the company’s first generation variable-speed, constant pressure system. That evening, we were installing one of the first units at a well-known dealer’s personal residence. It was a pretty big event for me and the product. His impressions would carry a lot of sway down the road. And, between the dealer’s family, his crew, and his distributor, there were lots of people who showed up just to get their first glimpse of the product. But, although it was a high-profile installation, I was confident. This very unit had been thoroughly tested in the lab and had performed flawlessly. What could go wrong?

We pulled the pump and replaced it with the new 3-phase motor and pump, followed by installation of the controller. “Just like a 3-wire system”, I proudly stated, and then explained, “Even though the controller’s output and the motor are 3-phase, it’s a simple matter of connecting RED, YELLOW, and BLACK to the output terminals. The controller knows the right way to turn the motor, unlike conventional 3-phase systems where you have to check rotation and sometimes reverse the leads.” There were approving head nods all the way around.

With great anticipation, we started the unit and waited for all the awesome pressure and flow this unit was going to deliver. The wind quickly came out of my sails. At top speed, the system was only delivering about 1 gallon per minute! My worst nightmare, outside of the unit not starting at all. I tried a couple of things, but there wasn’t really anything to do but pull the pump, throw the whole thing back at engineering, and reinstall the old system.

Here’s where the story takes a better turn. As we pulled the new pump, and were just about to cut the splices the dealer’s crew had made a few minutes ago, someone noticed that the red lead on the drop cable was connected to the black lead of the 3-phase motor. And vice-versa. The drop cable had been in long enough that it was hard to distinguish between the red and black, especially in that late evening dusk.

You’ve figured it out by now. The motor and pump had been running backward due to the splicing mix-up. The controller was indeed smart enough to turn the motor the right way, but picky enough to assume that we made the right connections down hole. We reconnected the motor the right way, reinstalled the pump, and restarted. The system ran like a champ.

There are obvious lessons here about vigilance, attention to detail and how the lack of it can bite you, especially when the stakes are high. But, in any case, the day was saved, and to this day, this contractor continues his long history of selling Franklin Electric drives.

The number above was the average age of an attendee at a trade show in our industry last year. And, no surprise, that number’s been trending up for years.

Yesterday, I was at another meeting where everyone agreed that our failure to attract a younger crowd is a contributor to declining trade show attendance in our industry. I don’t think it’s quite that simple, but there was a universal response to the question of, “What do we do about that? How do we engage more young people in our industry and trade shows?”

The solution presented with conviction was social media, that is, Facebook and Twitter. For example, I heard, “Young people communicate differently than we did in our 20s. We have to come to grips with that and communicate using the tools they use”. That resonated with the audience, but what a gigantic understatement! And, when I pressed those same participants on exactly how they would use Facebook and Twitter to increase trade show attendance, the conversation came to a screeching halt.

The exchange struck me a lot like saying, “to do surgery, you need a scalpel.” Or, handing someone a voltmeter that’s never seen one, and saying, “here’s your solution to submersible troubleshooting”. Just naming a tool is not a fix.

We could talk pages about declining trade show attendance, and I certainly don’t have all (or even most) of the answers, especially if it involves social media. There’s no doubt that social media is an important tool. However, like many things, knowing what the tool is and knowing how to use it effectively are miles and generations apart.

Last week, I was part of an industry meeting where the topic was continuing education. As usual, there was general agreement that continuing education is a positive thing, it makes us more professional and so forth. What was interesting to me was when the conversation turned to the question of, “what about those guys who sleep in continuing education classes?” The consensus seemed to be, “Wake them up! They can’t sleep during a seminar and get credit for the class.” 

That may be true, but I look at it differently. To begin with, being awake is not a reliable indication of attention or engagement. But, beyond that, I think it’s our job, and especially my job if I’m the presenter, to make the material and the seminar compelling enough that no one wants to sleep. If the class is nodding off, maybe it’s not their fault. Maybe the class is simply boring to the point that taking a little nap is a better deal. 

As presenters, we need to strive to make continuing education classes not as something to be endured, but something interesting and worthwhile to you and your business. For example, the day after the meeting above, I attended a seminar presented by Jim Hartmann, Franklin Electric’s Regional Manager for Technical Service. For the entire seminar, every one of the 28 contractors in attendance was engaged and wide awake and learning something. Jim is not alone here, inside or outside of Franklin Electric. But, I’ve also sat in on too many classes that were mind-numbingly dull.

Having said the above, I’m not totally naive. There will always be some class members that no matter what, there’s not going to be much of a transfer of information. But, this is nothing new, no matter what the forum or the industry.

In any case, that doesn’t excuse us as presenters and as the holders of seminars and classes of any kind. We need to focus on making all of our classes better. If we do that, we’ll never have to worry about disturbing someone from a good nap.

I was at a meeting yesterday that included several water system contractors and I overheard one of them say to another, “You don’t have a website? Where on earth do you get your customers?”

We could talk for hours on the role of the web as a source of customers and information for them, but the broader question is, “where DO we get our customers in our industry?” Of course, they come from lots of different sources, from the traditional yellow pages, to repeat business, to word-of-mouth, and so forth.  

But here’s an advertising opportunity that I don’t think we are taking full advantage of. Where I live, the landscaping season is already here, and I don’t think a single one of those businesses doesn’t place a sign in the yard while doing the work. Beyond landscapers, every other home improvement specialists does it as well. 

What I don’t see, at least where I travel, are water systems contractors taking advantage of this. I travel in a lot of rural areas, and it’s not uncommon for me to see a rig set up either servicing a well or drilling a new one. Maybe it’s just me, but I hardly ever see a yard sign associated with the rig telling me who’s doing the work.

I’m not sure why. They don’t cost much, and I think they’re probably pretty effective. If I’m in the market for a service, and I see a yard sign in my neighborhood for that service, I can’t help but to evaluate what kind of job they’re doing (the best I can) and make a mental note of who’s doing it. In a way, I’m thinking, if it’s good enough for my neighbor, maybe it’s good enough for me. It’s a more subtle form of word-of-mouth advertising.

And, what we really have going for us in the industry is that if the rig is set up, one can’t drive by and not notice it. The next question, even if it’s fleeting, most poeple will have in their head is “I wonder what’s going on there?” If your sign is there, next to the road, they are going to make a connection between their water system and you.

The above is just an observation, Maybe you’re already using yard signs, but if you’re not, think about it. They have a lot going for them. All of those other service providers can’t be wrong.

Last week, I highlighted one of several life-size signs that I saw at a recent trade show that underscored who the contractor “really is”. Its heading was, “I’m a can-do guy.” But, another one that I thought was especially good read:

I’m a source of economic growth

As a small business owner, I help build my community in many ways. I employ people whose wages put money back into the community. I buy trucks, equipment, and professional services like legal and accounting. My taxes fund essential federal, state, and local services. I support local causes and charities. I am pleased and proud to lend a hand.

My business makes the community stronger.

There were still more just like the above that read: “I’m an educator; I’m an environmentalist; I’m a home improvement specialist; I’m an educator; I’m an insurance provider.”

I think they nailed it. As a water systems professional, you do far more than drill wells and install pumps. You are every one of those people above. Don’t forget who you are, what you do, and how you fit into the big picture. You’re a valuable professional in more ways than one. Carry yourself that way.