BROOM Engineering Services Ltd

04/11/2026

A new customer made contact to ask if I could check their Klargester wastewater treatment unit.

They had noticed an odour recently, and had arranged for it to be emptied. The emptying contractor had advised that the unit wasn't rotating, and kindly suggested contacting me.

I went along and found the motor overload protection for the drive unit was in the off position, and some evidence of carbon dust accumulating on the contactor for the recycle pump.

✅ Carry out electrical and functional tests on the control panel, drive unit, recycle pump, and discharge pump.

✅ Move wiring for the recycle pump on to a previously unused contactor terminal.

✅ Check connections for condition and security.

With satisfactory electrical tests, and functionality tests, no clear reason could be identified as to why the unit had ceased rotating. However, the site voltage was observed as fluctuating between 244 V and 251 V while on site - elevated voltage can result in motors drawing current beyond their rating plate / overload setting, and the drive unit running continuously will be fully exposed to voltage deviations.

Voltages, particularly on rural networks, are seeing reduced stability, and general rise, as energy from solar PV is not only being fed into the network, but properties with solar PV will be reducing demand on the network, which will tend to push voltage upwards.

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03/11/2026

Hard sell of service work / service contracts has never been the approach here. I have some customers with whom I have an informal arrangement to check / service their equipment regularly, at a mutually agreed interval, while others are just ad-hoc, dictated by the customer or their equipment.

This septic tank discharge pump, which dad and I replaced, back in March 2014, may have given a few more years service had it been checked. The customer reported their domestic power was being troubled by something, and they had narrowed it down to the septic tank electricity supply.

On arrival at the site, the customer advised that they had also experienced higher electricity consumption the past couple of months.

All soon became quite clear. The brass non return valve was badly deteriorated, had probably been split for a while, and been allowing partially recycling of liquid in the pump chamber, until it separated completely, and the pump had been running continuously until failure. Not ideal, but the pump had given over 12 years service, without receiving any love!

New pump and non return valve installed to bring things back on to track.

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02/11/2026

Having a look at Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor, in drought conditions, where they are preparing to pump water out.

https://youtu.be/bmYWb0mnbrk?is=bm4XsoZ6rnh7WFno

Always best to look with your own eyes, and not just look at the media images.

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Saturday 31st October 2026Taking a look around Wimbleball Reservo...

30/10/2026

A splendid local eating establishment experienced tripping of the electrics on one of their premises, last Saturday morning. It was narrowed down to a certain piece of equipment, which had been subsequently withdrawn from service.

I was asked if I could investigate a few days later, and the unit returned satisfactory readings when tested electrically, and also worked correctly.

My diagnosis was that perhaps the unit had been splashed, or cleaned too enthusiastically, and had then dried out before I checked and tested the unit.

The unit has 3 compartments in which food containers sit, surrounded by a jacket of heated water, to keep food warm / hot.

Information then came to light which suggested what is ultimately a design fault.......if the water jacket is filled too high, water can leave its respective compartment, and run down the side of the unit, and over the thermostats, indicator lamps and IEC power connector, which probably solves the little mystery.

The unit was deemed safe to use, but probably requires more care when being filled with water.

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29/10/2026

A new customer made contact for some guidance / assistance with their treatment plant discharge pump, which was tripping their domestic power, and also feeling disappointed with the longevity of discharge pumps in the application. The pumps have had quite a distance and lift, to move the liquid.

The cottage originally had a septic tank and soakaway arrangement in the adjacent field, all legally documented. However, around 10 years ago, a dispute developed with the neighbouring land owner, and rather than spend money on a legal battle, the cottage owner opted to install a treatment plant at the lower end of their property, and pump treated wastewater to a soakaway at the top end of their property, so as to keep the system within their property boundary.

A decade later, and now the relationship with the neighbouring land owner is much improved, I recommended looking at utilising gravity discharge again, towards the historic septic tank, and removing the need for a discharge pump.

The contractor they asked to undertake the work unfortunately didn't deliver, and with the cottage owner going away in a couple of weeks, and someone property sitting for them, they needed a working drainage system.

I went along and have installed a basic drainage pump, to transfer the treated wastewater, into the historic septic tank system, on the neighbouring land, while a longer term arrangement is determined / installed. The bonus is that the system will now partially syphon which doesn't consume any energy.

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22/10/2026

The dry summer is now starting to show its affect on the aquifers.

The original borehole pump at this farm, on the outskirts of Taunton, has sat at around 20 metres depth since the 45 metre borehole was drilled 15+ years ago. Today I lowered it 5 metres for a bit of security.

When I replaced the pump, late June 2024, the depth to water level was just under 5 metres. Today it was just under 15 metres to water.

There was also some adjustment to the newer, second borehole (July 2022), to try and balance the work between them better. This one hadn't actually been operating, and was consequently a bit dirty initially.

The system has evolved as the farm has grown. Borehole 1 pumps directly to 2 x 10,000 litre storage tanks. Borehole 2 pumps directly into the farm distribution, with a variable speed controller, aiming to maintain a target 3.5 bar. During periods of high demand, when distribution pressure drops to 2.0 bar, the booster pump draws from the 20,000 litres, and pressurises the distribution system and 2 x 300 litre pressure vessel to 4.0 bar, and then stops. Pressure vessel pre-charge increased to reduce pump cycling.

On another farm, the customer has 3 boreholes and are needing to bring in supplementary water with a bowser.

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19/10/2026

Pleased to have been involved with the Sidmouth Junction and District Ploughing Match again this year, both as a sponsor, and getting some drone footage of the event.

A very good and well attended match, both for competitors and spectators, on a lovely October day........ even if a bit chilly and breezy.

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14/10/2026

Back at the farm who had a lack of water last weekend, due to pump controller issues, to make some relatively minor changes, which will hopefully improve both resilience and efficiency.

The original arrangement brought water from 2 wells (a 0.55 kW drainage pump and a 0.75 kW borehole pump respectively), along with a bit of gravity fed spring water, to a 10,000 litre holding tank, where a 1.1 kW borehole pump, pressurises and distributes the water around the farm.

Now revised so the 0.75 kW well pump can simultaneously fill the holding tank, but also send water directly in to the farm distribution system, so as to eliminate some of the double pumping of water, with daisy chained pumps, and also not leave the farm without water if the 1.1 kW pressuristation pump fails, like last weekend.

The 1.1 kW pressurisation pump will now only operate to maintain a nominal 3.0 Bar during the higher demand periods (like around milking), and draw water from the main holding tank, if the 0.75 kW pump is unable to maintain system pressure, and it falls below 2.7 Bar.

And then a poorly drinking trough, having been mysteriously impacted at some point, with a hole in the side, and the pipe sheared at ground level.

Mr Angus from Aberdeen had plenty of grass and lady friends, so wasn't really interested in what I was up to........unlike his nosey girlfriends!!

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11/10/2026

Putting in a little Sunday shift this morning, for a farm having issues with their main pressurisation pump.

I couldn't attend yesterday due to prior commitments, so their electrician attended, confirmed a failed pump controller, and linked it out temporarily, to get water flowing.

The design of the pump controller is a bit disappointing in that it allows things the size of snails to access the heat sink cooling fan, and stop it from working. Excess heat appears to be the cause of failure.

This was installed by others back in 2016, and I initially got involved because it hadn't been set up / commissioned correctly, and the pump was running full speed continuously.

Life being life, the 12 Amp Resiboost controller that had been on my shelf since 2022, I let someone else have last Monday, due to the long lead time from their supplier........and today I could have ideally done with it!! Nevermind.........that is how the cookie of life crumbles! We are up and running with the 6 Amp little brother, albeit with slightly reduced performance.

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09/10/2026

I was asked to assist with this farm drinking trough. While they are very practical people themselves, they were a bit anxious about starting something, getting in amongst it, and then not having the necessary fittings to sort it, with no obvious local isolation stop tap either.

As it turned out, while the associated galvanised iron and brass fitting were weak from the slightly acidic water, and obstructed internally, along with the float valve, there wasn't actually any fountain of water to contend with.

New plastic fittings installed, float valve cleared, and they will now investigate why no water is arriving at the drinking trough.

A bit more thread in the metal insert embedded in the concrete would have been nice....but wasn't happening without a battle. We can also go more complicated if simple doesn't fix it. I try not to jump straight to complicated, if simple will work fine.

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