The Franklin Electric FAOT Series Frame Mount Centrifugal Pump is a rugged, open-impeller pump built for agricultural, industrial, and commercial water transfer applications where solids handling, installation flexibility, and long-term reliability are the priorities. With a rotatable cast iron volute, an open face cast iron impeller designed to move water with light solids, and a bearing frame that supports both belt drive and direct drive configurations, the FAOT Series handles the kind of demanding daily use that standard close-coupled pumps are not built for. At Ken’s Distributing Company, we stock the FAOT Series and can help you select the right model and configuration for your application.
What Is the Franklin Electric FAOT Series Frame Mount Pump?
The FAOT Series is Franklin Electric’s open-impeller frame mount centrifugal pump designed for applications where water may carry light solids, debris, or sediment that would clog or wear a standard enclosed impeller pump prematurely. The open face impeller design allows solids to pass through the pump without getting trapped between the impeller shrouds, which reduces clogging and makes the pump far more practical in real-world agricultural and industrial environments where the water source is not always clean.
Like all frame mount pumps, the FAOT separates the pump end from the drive source. The motor, engine, or belt drive connects to the pump through the bearing frame shaft rather than bolting directly to the pump casing. This means you can power the FAOT from an electric motor, a gas engine, a PTO shaft, or a belt drive system depending on what is available at your installation site.
Kendisco is an authorized Franklin Electric distributor. Every FAOT Series pump shipped from Ken’s Distributing Company is a genuine Franklin Electric product backed by full manufacturer support and genuine replacement parts availability.
Technical Specifications
Volute Material: Cast Iron
Impeller Type: Open Face Cast Iron
Seal: Carbon/Ceramic faces, BUNA elastomers, 300 Series Stainless Steel
Drive Compatibility: Belt drive and direct drive
Mounting Options: Vertical or horizontal
Rotation: Clockwise facing the shaft
Connection Type: Threaded FNPT suction and discharge
Order Information
FAOT Series Frame Mount Centrifugal Pump Model
| Item |
Model |
Seal |
Suction |
Discharge |
Rotation |
| 90251004 |
FAOT-4 |
Mechanical Seal |
Threaded – FNPT |
Threaded – FNPT |
Clockwise facing the shaft |
| 90251005 |
FAOT-5 |
Mechanical Seal |
Threaded – FNPT |
Threaded – FNPT |
Clockwise facing the shaft |
| 90251006 |
FAOT-6 |
Mechanical Seal |
Threaded – FNPT |
Threaded – FNPT |
Clockwise facing the shaft |
Understanding the Open Face Impeller Design
The single most important design feature of the FAOT Series is the open face cast iron impeller. Understanding what this means helps you see why the FAOT is the right choice for certain applications where a standard enclosed impeller pump would struggle.
An enclosed impeller has shrouds on both the front and back of the impeller vanes. This creates high hydraulic efficiency in clean water applications but gives solids and debris a place to get trapped, which causes clogging, wear, and loss of performance over time when the water is not perfectly clean.
An open face impeller has vanes without a front shroud. Solids and debris can pass through the pump more freely without getting wedged between the impeller and the casing. The tradeoff is slightly lower efficiency compared to an enclosed impeller in clean water, but that tradeoff is well worth it in applications where pump clogging would mean lost productivity and expensive service calls.
For agricultural irrigation from ponds or canals, construction dewatering, and industrial transfer where the water source may carry silt, plant debris, or fine solids, the FAOT open impeller design is the practical choice.
Construction Details
Volute
The FAOT volute is heavy cast iron with a rotatable body that can be repositioned during installation to align suction and discharge ports in the most convenient direction for your piping layout. Tapped openings for venting and draining are built into the volute, making startup priming and end-of-season draining straightforward without disconnecting any piping.
Impeller
The open face cast iron impeller is the defining feature of the FAOT Series. Cast iron construction provides the hardness and abrasion resistance needed for water sources that carry sand, silt, or light debris. The open face design allows these materials to pass through without clogging the impeller passages, keeping flow rates consistent over longer service intervals between cleanings.
Mechanical Seal
The standard mechanical seal uses carbon and ceramic sealing faces with BUNA elastomers and 300 Series stainless steel hardware. BUNA elastomers provide good resistance to water and mild chemicals at typical ambient temperatures. The mechanical seal requires no field adjustment and creates a positive seal against leaking at the shaft penetration point without the periodic tightening that packed box seals require.
Bearing Frame
The bearing frame supports the pump shaft independently of the motor or drive source. It accommodates both belt drive setups where a pulley mounts on the pump shaft, and direct-coupled configurations where a motor or engine couples directly to the pump shaft through a flexible coupling. The bearing frame is what makes the FAOT a true frame mount pump with the drive flexibility that applications require.
Applications and Industries
The FAOT Series serves a focused set of applications where open impeller solids handling and frame mount drive flexibility provide clear advantages over alternatives.
- Agricultural Water Transfer and Irrigation: Farms and agricultural operations use the FAOT Series to pump from ponds, canals, and open water sources where the water carries silt and organic debris. The open impeller handles these conditions far better than an enclosed impeller pump. PTO drive compatibility makes the FAOT practical in fields where electrical power is not available.
- Spraying Systems: Agricultural spraying systems for pesticide application, fertilizer delivery, and herbicide distribution use the FAOT for its ability to handle liquids with suspended particles without clogging the pump during field operations.
- Water Circulation Systems: Commercial and industrial cooling loops, process water systems, and HVAC water circulation use the FAOT where the frame mount configuration fits the mechanical room layout better than a close-coupled pump.
- Booster Service: Pressure boosting in water distribution systems, irrigation mains, and commercial water supply lines where consistent pressure delivery across the system is required.
- Liquid Transfer Operations: Moving water and compatible liquids between storage tanks, process vessels, and distribution points in light industrial and commercial facilities.
- Jockey Pump Installations: Fire suppression system jockey pumps maintain system pressure between fire events. The FAOT compact footprint and mechanical seal reliability make it practical for this application.
- General Service Pumping: Any general commercial or industrial pumping application that benefits from open impeller solids handling and flexible drive options is a fit for the FAOT Series.
Features and Benefits
- Open Face Cast Iron Impeller for Solids Handling: The open impeller design allows light solids, sand, silt, and debris to pass through the pump without clogging. This keeps the pump running at consistent flow rates in real-world water conditions where the source is not always clean.
- Rotatable Cast Iron Volute: Reposition the suction and discharge ports during installation without cutting and re-threading pipe. The rotation flexibility reduces the number of fittings needed and makes installation significantly simpler in confined or awkward spaces.
- Venting and Draining Ports: Built into the volute body for startup air bleeding and end-of-season draining without disconnecting piping. A practical feature that saves time on every service visit.
- Carbon/Ceramic Mechanical Seal with BUNA Elastomers: No-adjustment seal with positive leak prevention at the shaft penetration. BUNA elastomers handle water and mild chemical exposure in agricultural and industrial service conditions.
- Belt Drive and Direct Drive Compatibility: The bearing frame accommodates both drive configurations. Choose the power source that fits your installation whether that is an electric motor, gas engine, or PTO shaft.
- Vertical or Horizontal Mounting: Install in either orientation without needing different pump models for different mounting directions. This flexibility simplifies inventory and makes replacement straightforward.
- Clockwise Rotation (Facing Shaft): All three FAOT models share the same clockwise rotation direction, simplifying drive source selection and installation planning.
- Three Model Options: FAOT-4, FAOT-5, and FAOT-6 provide different flow and pressure performance levels within the same platform. Scaling up within the series is straightforward without changing drive configurations or piping layouts significantly.
FAOT Series vs. FACT Series: Which Frame Mount Pump Do You Need?
The FAOT and FACT are both Franklin Electric frame mount centrifugal pumps with cast iron construction and mechanical seals, but they serve different applications based on their impeller design and intended use.
| Feature |
FAOT Series |
FACT Series |
| Impeller Type |
Open face cast iron |
Enclosed 2×2 cast iron |
| Best Water Quality |
Water with light solids and debris |
Clean water applications |
| Primary Application |
Agricultural transfer, solids handling |
Booster service, circulation, jockey pump |
| Seal Elastomer |
BUNA |
Nitrile |
| Drive Options |
Belt and direct drive |
Belt and direct drive |
| Mounting |
Vertical or horizontal |
Vertical or horizontal |
| Connection |
Threaded FNPT |
Threaded FNPT |
If your water source carries silt, organic debris, or fine solids, choose the FAOT. If your application involves clean water circulation, pressure boosting, or fire suppression jockey pump service, the FACT Series enclosed impeller delivers better efficiency. Call Ken’s Distributing at 303.699.7845 and we will help you make the right call for your specific job.
Installation and Compatibility
- Rotation Direction: All FAOT Series models rotate clockwise when facing the shaft. Confirm that your drive source rotates in the correct direction before final connection. Reverse rotation will reduce performance significantly and can damage the pump.
- Volute Positioning: Rotate the volute to align suction and discharge ports with your piping before final mounting. Tighten all volute fasteners to the specified torque after positioning to prevent movement during operation.
- Priming: The FAOT Series is not self-priming. Fill the pump housing with water before the first startup using the tapped venting port to bleed air. If the pump will draw from a level below the pump, install a foot valve at the water source to maintain liquid in the suction line between cycles.
- Suction Line: Keep suction lines short and direct. Minimize bends and fittings between the water source and the pump suction port. Every fitting and every foot of additional suction line reduces available NPSH and increases the risk of cavitation.
- Belt Drive Setup: On belt drive installations, size the pulleys to achieve the correct pump RPM for your desired flow and pressure. Ensure proper belt tension and pulley alignment before startup. Misalignment is the most common cause of premature bearing failure on frame mount pumps.
- Direct Drive Setup: On direct-coupled configurations, use a flexible coupling between the drive shaft and the pump shaft. Align the coupling carefully using a dial indicator or laser alignment tool before startup.
- Mechanical Seal Protection: Never run the FAOT Series dry. The mechanical seal requires liquid for lubrication and cooling. Even brief dry running can damage the carbon and ceramic seal faces and cause immediate leaking.
- Mounting: Use vibration isolation pads under the base frame to reduce noise and vibration transfer to the mounting surface. Bolt the frame down securely before connecting piping to prevent movement during operation.
Replacement Parts and Service
The frame mount design of the FAOT Series makes service practical in the field. The pump end can be removed for seal replacement, impeller inspection, and volute cleaning without disturbing the motor, belt drive, or base mounting. This saves significant labor time on service calls compared to removing and reinstalling an entire close-coupled pump unit.
Ken’s Distributing Company stocks genuine Franklin Electric replacement parts for the FAOT Series including mechanical seals, open face impellers, and bearing components. When wear items need replacement, call us at 303.699.7845 and we will identify the correct part by model number and get it shipped to you quickly.
Browse our Franklin Electric replacement parts and repair kits for the FAOT Series and all other Franklin Electric pump lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does FAOT stand for in the Franklin Electric pump lineup?
FAOT refers to Franklin Electric’s open-impeller frame mount centrifugal pump series designed for agricultural, industrial, and general service applications where the water may carry light solids or debris. It is part of the broader Franklin Electric frame mount centrifugal pump family alongside the FACT Series.
What is the advantage of an open face impeller over an enclosed impeller?
An open face impeller allows light solids, sand, silt, and organic debris to pass through the pump without clogging the impeller passages. An enclosed impeller is more efficient in clean water but can clog when the water source carries particles. For agricultural and industrial applications where the water is not always clean, the open face impeller is the more practical choice.
Can the FAOT Series handle solids?
Yes, to a degree. The open face cast iron impeller is designed to pass light solids and debris without clogging. It is not a trash pump or sewage pump and is not designed for large solid objects. It handles silt, sand, fine debris, and organic material that would clog a standard enclosed impeller pump.
What drive types work with the FAOT Series?
The FAOT bearing frame supports belt drive and direct-coupled motor or engine drive configurations. It can be powered by an electric motor, gas engine with appropriate coupling, or PTO shaft with a suitable adapter. This flexibility makes it practical for both fixed installations and mobile agricultural applications.
Can the FAOT Series be mounted vertically?
Yes. The FAOT Series supports both vertical and horizontal mounting orientations. The rotatable volute allows you to reposition the suction and discharge ports to suit your installation layout in either mounting direction.
What is the difference between the FAOT-4, FAOT-5, and FAOT-6 models?
The FAOT-4, FAOT-5, and FAOT-6 models represent different size configurations within the series, providing different flow rates and pressure capabilities. All three share the same open face impeller design, mechanical seal, and rotatable volute. Contact Ken’s Distributing at 303.699.7845 for specific performance data on each model to match the right size to your flow and head requirements.
Is the FAOT Series self-priming?
No. The FAOT Series is a standard centrifugal pump and requires the housing to be filled with water before startup. It is not self-priming. If you need a self-priming frame mount centrifugal pump, look at the Franklin Electric FMIT Series or FBSTF Series available at Kendisco.
Can I get FAOT Series replacement parts from Kendisco?
Yes. Ken’s Distributing Company carries genuine Franklin Electric FAOT Series replacement parts including open face impellers, mechanical seals, and bearing components. Call 303.699.7845 for availability and fast shipping.
Related Products
Authorized Franklin Electric Distributor | Get Your Quote Today | Call 303.699.7845 | Repair Parts Available | Fast Shipping Available
