Colchester Zoo Pump Overhaul

Colchester Zoo is home to more than 270 species across 60 acres of parkland and lakes, making it one of the UK’s leading visitor attractions. Among its many specialist animal habitats is Playa Patagonia, the zoo’s impressive sea lion enclosure, which opened in 2003 and features the largest straight underwater tunnel in Europe.

The enclosure’s main pool holds around half a million gallons of water and provides a carefully controlled environment for its Patagonian sea lions. With such a significant volume of water to manage, reliable pumping equipment is essential to maintaining the enclosure’s operation and the welfare of the animals.

Gibbons Engineering Group was asked to carry out a full overhaul of the two main 55kW water pumps serving the sea lion enclosure. The work followed vibration monitoring, which identified levels in excess of ISO recommended limits. The pumps’ mechanical seals also required replacement, prompting a comprehensive refurbishment programme to return the equipment to reliable service.

Complete pump overhaul

The project involved the careful lifting and shifting of both pumps from site to our premises, where our workshop team could carry out a detailed overhaul. Once in the workshop, the pumps were stripped down and inspected before the required refurbishment work was completed.

As part of the overhaul, the mechanical seals were replaced, and new bearings were fitted to ensure the pumps could operate reliably and efficiently. The coupling assemblies were also removed during the work and subsequently re-instated once the refurbishment had been completed.

Precision alignment was a key part of the project. Following reassembly, the coupling was accurately aligned using our state-of-the-art laser alignment equipment. Laser alignment allows engineers to achieve a high degree of accuracy between connected rotating equipment, helping to minimise vibration, reduce wear and support reliable operation.

Once the overhaul was complete, the refurbished pumps and motors were returned to site and re-installed. Our engineers then carried out commissioning checks, monitoring running current and vibration levels to confirm that the equipment was operating within acceptable parameters.

Reliable performance restored

Following completion of the works, both 55kW pumps were successfully returned to normal service. The overhaul addressed the identified vibration issues and replaced key wearing components, helping to extend the operational life of the equipment and provide continued reliability for the sea lion enclosure.

For specialist environments such as zoos and animal attractions, maintaining critical pumping equipment is particularly important. The pumps serving Playa Patagonia play an essential role in managing the enclosure’s substantial water volume, so planned refurbishment and condition-based maintenance can help prevent equipment deterioration from developing into a more significant failure.

The Colchester Zoo project demonstrates Gibbons Engineering Group’s ability to provide a complete pump refurbishment service, from lifting and removal through to workshop overhaul, precision alignment, re-installation and commissioning. By combining workshop expertise with specialist alignment and condition-monitoring capabilities, we help customers keep critical pumping systems operating reliably.