PRODUCT FOCUS: Precision pumping

The consistency of Flowtronex pump stations has provided assistant superintendent Chris Rick more time to focus on other issues, both at his current job and at previous places of employment.

Rick, who has worked in the golf industry for 18 years, still maintains the opinion he formed when he first came across a Flowtronex pump station in 1998 at a Seattle course he previously worked at. “It was a solid system and ever since then I’ve always felt that they were a good pump,” Rick says.

The course Rick is presently at, Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas, underwent renovations involving the installation of a brand new Flowtronex pump station in 1999. Rick was not on board for the initial installation, as he began working at the 18-hole private course 5 ½ years ago, but was involved in decision making when the Silent Storm system needed an update last year.

“We had Flowtronex give us a price to retrofit the pump station and it was a lot more reasonable than buying a new one,” Rick says, adding that cost was a definite factor. The decision to retrofit the pump station cost about $130,000 and involved a new flow meter, computer, pumps and motors.

While Rick says he wasn’t dead set against specific bells and whistles, there were certain features that appealed to him.

The computer-based pump log is an element that he has been particularly pleased with because it enables constant monitoring of the amount of water running through the pump posts. In addition, the log feeds a signal up to the office computer making it easier to supervise.

Ultimately, Rick was pleased with the process and the results the company produced. “Exactly what they told us they were going to do is what we got and it was a pretty flawless transition,” Rick says of the retrofit.

Since the retrofit there has been no need for repairs. Conveniently, if anything malfunctions on the pump station, the Flowtronex main office is located in Dallas, as well.

However, Rick does his best to stop any problems before they can occur by employing Monroe Pump Service to perform preventative maintenance. Once a year the local company inspects everything to make sure it is running properly. “By doing that we can anticipate any problems if they do notice something,” Rick says.

Prior to the recent retrofit, Monroe Pump Service came to their aid when a pump broke down. Rick says the company arrived quickly and the machine worked well after the repair.

Besides during inspections, only Rick and two other assistants every really touch the pump station. With an annual maintenance budget more than $1 million, Preston Trail has 31 maintenance employees taking care of the golf course.

Should something change and he would require more help with the system, Rick believes it would be fairly easy to train his employees to use it. The touch screen control panel places everything out in the open, making it simple to modify the system as needed.

When it comes to pump stations, Rick simply wants the product to be hassle-free. “It’s all about reliability,” he says. “It’s all about not having to worry about it and having it work all the time.” GCI